Little Millers Nursery
Our nursery provides a warm nurturing environment for our youngest pupils, where they can flourish through play from their 3rd birthday until they are ready to join ‘big school’ in the September after their 4th birthday.
Trained and dedicated staff provide a child initiated free flow learning adventure including songs, nursery rhymes, story time and messy play whilst covering the basics of literacy and maths.
Facilities
Extensive, beautiful school grounds set in the heart of Thanet, Kent allow the children in our care to become adventurous learners both indoors and out.
Our facilities include an onsite forest school, a free flow outdoor learning area, which is continually updated and refreshed by our skilled site team, and a modern indoor learning space which is
Our classroom is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our learners, at any one time we may have a Construction area, a Role Play area, a Home Corner or Small World play area, all of which are great fun and support language development at the same time!
The children have access to a wealth of messy play activities throughout the day encouraging creativity and sensory exploration; mud kitchens, water tables and painting are some of our favourites!
Our nursery has a dedicated kitchen off of our main room, allowing the children to access cooking activities. The children gather in our main room for meal and snack times throughout the day, enabling the ‘family’ feeling that sharing meals can bring, whilst also preparing them for school meal times as they grow.
Curriculum
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which covers the areas of
- Personal, Emotional and Social Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The children are encouraged to explore, play and learn whilst developing independence and resilience, amongst other skills.
We implement our rich learning environment by following a range of exciting themes and carrying out ‘In The Moment’ planning, designed to act responsively to our children’s passions and interests.
We believe that children learn best when they are having fun and are well engaged in their activities, thriving in an environment that promotes and nurtures their natural curiosity whilst building on their existing knowledge.
Tapestry
At Draper Mills we use a secure online learning journal called Tapestry to enable a seamless flow of information between home and school. Tapestry builds a record of a child’s experiences, development and learning journey through their early years.
Using photos, videos, and diary entries, a teacher, along with the child’s parents or carers, and the child themselves if they’re ready, ‘weaves’ the story of the child and how they are growing and developing.
Parents or carers are able to view their child’s progress, the activities provided for them, and how much fun they’re having, whilst also uploading their own comments and media.
The communication between staff and parents that Tapestry enables, helps build a shared understanding of how every child can reach their full potential, as they begin their learning journey with us.
More information about tapestry can be found here https://tapestry.info/
Meet the team
Our Nursery team provides excellent care that is overseen by experienced and passionate leadership.
The staff are either well-qualified or working towards qualifications in childcare, supported by the team as a whole.
We endeavour to provide an engaging and enriching experience for our children. The impact of our over-arching approach is that our EYFS team are driven to ensure that the provision is of the highest quality, consistently reviewing the environment and activities to inspire excellence.
The wellbeing of the children in our care is our primary focus, ensuring that they thrive and feel safe and secure during their time at Nursery.
We believe that children who form positive relationships with their carers and peers will feel confident to explore their interests and fulfil their learning potential.
Every child has a Key Person – a member of staff – who will ensure that their individual needs are met and support their Nursery experience.
We invite our families to share news about their home life through an app called Tapestry, particularly recent interests or activities, that can enhance their child’s learning.
Additionally, your Key Person will share recent activities or interests that have sparked joy or enthusiasm to build a detailed picture of your child’s unique passions.
Before you start
Once you have accepted a place at our nursery, we want to get to know you and your child before they start.
We will arrange a meeting with yourself and your child which will give us the opportunity to iron out any worries, discuss your child’s routine, complete any remaining paperwork and plan your child’s settling-in sessions.
Sessions and fees
The Nursery School day runs from 08:00 to 12:00 term time only.
Arrange a visit
To arrange a visit to Little Millers nursery please contact Mrs Carey in our main office on office@dmpa-tkat.org or 01843 223989