Some Frequently Asked Questions are detailed below. If you have a question that is not answered here please contact us and we will be happy to help you.
Eastwood Nursery School is run by Wandsworth Borough Council. The education we provide is carefully planned, monitored and inspected by OFSTED.
Although nursery education is non-statutory, there are good reasons why it is important that children attend regularly and punctually. We ask all parents and carers to cooperate by making good use of the provision we offer. Regular attendance is vital for; continuity of learning, the development of confidence, good relationships, and good routines which will last throughout life.
Please arrange to take your holidays during the school holiday period.
Morning session
8:45am-11:45am
Afternoon session
12.30pm to 3.30pm
Full time session
9.45am to 3.30pm
(Children in receipt of additional 30 hour funding only)
Children should arrive promptly and need to be registered at 8:45am am or 12.30pm every day so that the session can begin. Please telephone the School Admin Assistant in the Nursery before 9.15am to book a lunch if your child is staying all day and will be arriving late.
11.45am (for morning sessions) and 3.30pm (afternoon sessions) are the latest times for collecting your child.
The door is locked during the morning and afternoon sessions. Please close the door securely on your way in and out of the building.
Children must be brought and collected by an adult i.e. a person over sixteen years old. Children will not be allowed home with an unknown adult. Please inform the Headteacher or the School Admin Officer if anyone different is collecting your child. Passwords will be required to release your child to a new person.
Clothes
Your child will be exploring with paint, glue, clay and other ‘messy play’ materials. They will also be moving between indoor and outdoor experiences throughout the session. In light of this please choose clothes with the following in mind:
• Sleeves that can be pulled up easily i.e. not tight or with buttons, will help avoid wet or paint covered clothes.
• Comfortable shoes are important too as your child will be running, jumping and climbing. Fashion shoes or flip-flop style sandals are not suitable and can be dangerous.
• If your child wears boots in wet weather, please send a pair of indoor shoes in a bag so that they can change.
Every child has their own peg to hang their outdoor clothes on, but things inevitably can get muddled or mislaid. Please mark your child’s name in gloves, scarves, hats, boots and coats.
This will help us save a great deal of time in searching for lost clothes! Thank you.
Sun Protection
In order to protect children on hot summer days vulnerable areas such as shoulders and backs need to be covered. In addition please ensure you have put sun cream on your child prior to them arriving at Nursery. Please send your child to school wearing a sunhat or cap. We ensure that children play in the shade as much as possible, and keep hydrated.
Snacks and Drinks
We do not allow sweets, snacks or drinks in the Nursery School as they are so bad for children’s teeth, can cause arguments, and can cause allergic reactions to other children. Please ensure there are no snacks or drinks in your children’s bags. Staff plan healthy snack experiences, and ensure water and milk is available throughout the session. In this way we can monitor what children are eating and drinking and can ensure children are safe.
Toys
If possible please discourage your child from bringing toys as they cause ownership disputes and can easily get lost. However, if your child is really excited about something they have experienced it can be a great opportunity to extend their learning in Nursery. Speak to staff at the start of the session about how your child can best share their interests.
Library books can be borrowed as often as you like from the library. Please borrow one at a time remembering to record it in the book provided. Each child will have a named plastic wallet for their library book, and a comment sheet for you to log the book and how your child enjoyed it. Children will enjoy, and learn from, returning to a familiar book time and time again. Please talk to staff if you have questions about sharing books and reading with your child.
All our lunches are freshly cooked daily onsite by Harrison’s catering team. We provide a family service lunch where an adult sits at each table with the children. Parents often tell us their child(ren) eats better here than at home! Lunch currently costs £3.00 per meal and there is always a vegetarian option.
Please visit Wandsworth Children’s Services: Family Information Service Directory for more information.
There is an option to ‘TOP UP’ your child’s funded part time place to a full time place by paying for the additional 15 hours. Please ask the office for details about our fee paying options.
As a Maintained Nursery School we receive Government funding for children who are eligible to receive it.
From the term after a child’s third birthday, a child is eligible for 15 hours of nursery school education per week, which equates to a part time place, and is funded by the Government.
You may also be eligible for the Government funded, 30 hours a week (full time), this funding would also be available the term after the child’s third birthday.
For the Government funded 30 hours, parents and carers must qualify and meet the eligibility criteria. Please ask the office for details or visit childcarechoices.gov.uk
Children who have a full time place will stay for lunch and dinners are charged, per meal, per day.
Before starting nursery school the children will be invited to a stay and play session which is later followed up with a home visit.
Each staff member works closely with a group of children and their families; supporting children when they arrive so they begin to build relationships, feel happy and able to be apart from their parent or carer. During the settling-in process parents and carers can expect to be at Nursery for at least the first few days, and sometimes longer. Once children are settled, they quickly become familiar with all staff. Your child’s Key Person will be monitoring your child’s progress and meeting with you to make an individual learning plan for your child.
Staff support children’s learning by observing what children know and can do and then, by using their knowledge of the early year’s curriculum, they plan for children’s next steps in learning. Staff will be asking you to share your knowledge of your child; their interests, skills and things they find challenging, so we can quickly begin to plan interesting and exciting activities and experiences which will engage your child. We believe that play based learning is the most effective way for children to develop and practice new skills. There will be a mixture of adult-led activities but mostly staff will be joining and supporting children’s independent exploration, and modelling and supporting play and the development of language and skills.
Our two year old places are part-time only. Either mornings or afternoons, 5 days a week. 9.15am to 11.45am or 12.45pm to 3.15pm.
Places are offered to the oldest two year olds on our waiting list first and children must be at least two and a half. Parents are also able to pay for their child to attend the Nursery School. Please ask the office for details about our fee paying options.
If you do not qualify for a Government funded place there is an option to pay for a part time or full time place.
Please ask the office for details about our fee paying options.
Part time places are allocated to set am or pm sessions, which run five days a week. All children whether full time or part time, are expected to attend every day.
8.45am to 11.45am morning session; or 12.30pm to 3.30pm afternoon session.
Full time sessions are 5 days a week 8.45am to 3.30pm.
Eastwood Nursery School & Centre for Families is part of The Wandsworth Federation of Maintained Nursery Schools.
