Welcome to Oak Cottage Nursery

Mrs Dennis

Mrs Goddard - (Mon,Tues)

Ms Lutwyche

Miss Sweeney - (Weds,Thurs,Fri)

We can't wait to meet everyone and start your child's journey through education with you.

On this class page there is lots of information and guidance that you may find useful as a parent/carer of a child in our Nursery.

We post information about our current topic, specific areas of the curriculum and links to outside agencies that you may find useful to contact during the year. 

Our topic for this first half term is

'All About Me'

Each child will bring something unique and special to our class and we want to encourage them to share this with others as we get to know everyone.

This maybe sharing thoughts and ideas, playing and learning with new equipment or spending time watching others as they get to know the routines. 

We will encourage speaking and listening through small group conversations, singing and sharing stories together and much more.

The children will explore inside and outside as we think about our favourite colours, toys, foods and places to visit. 

 We will be reading books including :

This is Me

       Teddy's Birthday

        Can't you sleep little bear?

Through all 7 areas of our curriculum we will be learning through play, the children's ideas and some adult led activities.

Please see our curriculum newsletter for the different ways you can support your child. The newsletter for parents/carers is available to view on this class page.

'Jigsaw', our PSHE scheme

This is a robust and detailed scheme which supports age appropriate personal, social, health and emotional development across the school.

Each half term there is a different theme with weekly discussions, songs and stories that are supported by Jigsaw Jenie.

Our theme this half term is 'Being Me'

As a class we will make friends, share our thoughts and ideas, learn to encourage others and find ways to help ourselves.

We will encourage Jigsaw Jenie to share different emotions and begin to recognise and understand how we can manage our own feelings.

 Books are a wonderful way to support children's understanding of different emotions. Often story time is quieter and relaxing for children which allows conversations to flow more easily if they want to share how they are feeling.

Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) 

This element of the current Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum advocates that in planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners must reflect on the different ways that children learn, and then reflect these in their practice. A child’s individual learning characteristic will determine the way they respond to both the teaching and learning taking place in the environment. 

The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning identified by the EYFS are:

• playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
• active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
• creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

The focus of the CoEL is on how children learn rather than what they learn i.e. process over outcome. Underpinning the CoEL is the understanding that during their earliest years, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children who receive the right sort of support and encouragement during these years will be creative, and adventurous learners throughout their lives. Children who do not receive this sort of support and interaction are likely to have a much different attitude about learning later on in life. Hence, why the supportive practitioner, and the environment they provide, need to nurture these CoELs to occur, but without forgetting that children are individuals who bring their own needs, talents and histories to the learning environment.

(taken from Foundation Stage Forum Ltd)

Parent Information and Support

Nursery Induction 2025 

Please go to Parent and Guardian section and click on 'Induction'

Parent Power!

Did you know...'Solihull Parenting Team' are available to answer questions, offer advice and give support to all families as and when they feel they need it. 

Keep up to date with parenting, enquiries, information queries: bsmhft.parenting@nhs.net            

Alternatively speak to Mrs Dennis who will be able to give you more information.

Another great website is https://healthforunder5s.co.uk/ which offers support and guidance through different stages of development before 5 years of age.

In the EYFS, we teach about dental hygiene throughout the year.

The children learn the value of good brushing and how to use toothpaste to fight tooth decay. The Colgate Tooth Defenders help us to learn how to keep ourselves healthy and even give us our own toothbrush and toothpaste to take home!

The Tooth Defenders would like us to complete our brushing chart to make sure that we keep our teeth and gums healthy.

If you need any support for your child or any tips on keeping teeth clean, please see our documents below to help you. Also start taking your child to the dentist….it is never too early to start!