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Nurturing Young Minds
At Essendene Lodge Nursery we welcome children from 2 years old and are one of the most popular private nurseries in Caterham, Caterham-on-the-Hill and Warlingham.
The Essendene Lodge school journey begins in our Saplings Class and ensures the children get the very best start to their schooling experiences, building on their interests and feeding their imaginations to develop their independence and a love of learning.
Lesson Focuses
- Mathematics
- Literacy
- PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development)
- Understanding the World
- French
- Music
- PE
- Story, song and Circle time
- Phonics – Children are streamed for this lesson based on their individual abilities
Our small class sizes and high adult ratio allows staff time to get to know the children well and support them on their learning journey. All staff support all children, and key workers are allocated on adult and child bonds, to ensure the children are comfortable in seeking their adults support.
A Day in Sapling Class
8 - 8:30am – Breakfast and full day children arrival. Tinker time (free play)
8:30 - 8:50am – School day children arrive. Tinker Time (free play)
8:50 - 9:15am – Tidy up / Registration / Adult led carpet input
9:15 - 10:15am – Adult led activities / Child initiated learning / free flow
10:15 - 10:30am – Tidy up time
10:30 - 10:45am – Snack time
10:45 - 11am – Outdoor playtime
11 - 11:30am – Phonics
11:30am - 1:10pm – Lunch time / Sleep time / Outdoor play
1:10 - 1:15 – Register
1:15 - 1:30 – Adult led carpet input
1:30 - 2:45 – Adult led activities / Child initiated learning / free flow
2:45 - 3pm – Tidy up time / Get ready to go home
3 - 3:15pm – Story time
3:15 - 3:30pm – Home time / Snack time for full day children
3:30 - 4:30pm – After School Extra curricular activity
4:30 - 5pm – Tea time
5 - 6pm – Tinker time / Home time
Life in Nursery
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Our Aim
Our aim is to support children in becoming independent and confident while understanding expectations and social cues. We foster positive interactions with others and create a caring, friendly, and fun learning environment.
Transition and Settling In
When settling children into Nursery, we prioritise a smooth transition by working with parents on a phased entry and offering settling sessions based on individual needs. While all adults in the unit get to know the children, each child is assigned a keyworker based on their bond. We maintain regular contact with parents through our tracking, monitoring, and communication system called 'Famly', which allows us to share private photos and videos.
For children who are not toilet trained, we support them and work in partnership with parents to achieve this milestone. We also assist children in feeding themselves, using cutlery, and exploring new foods. Sleeping arrangements can be made for children who require daytime naps, ensuring they have their own bed and bedding.
The Setting
One unique aspect of our Nursery is the free-flow environment, allowing children to explore indoors and outdoors in all weathers and interact with children up to the age of 5. This promotes verbal and communication skills among the children.
Extra Curricular
Each week the children have a dedicated PE session, introducing new skills and developing previous learning. They also have music lessons with a very inspirational and fully qualified Music Teacher. The children also have weekly French lessons, where they are exposed to and can explore the French language in fun and innovative ways.
