Forest Academy Nursery
At Forest Academy Nursery we are committed to offering a rich curriculum that engages, inspires and challenges all children. We provide them with the opportunity to develop to their full potential in a setting where they feel safe, valued and happy, and where learning is fun. Each child will experience the best possible start to their education with secure foundations and skills on which their future learning can be built. They will have the opportunity to learn and play in a language rich environment that promotes diversity and inclusion and encourages children to feel confident to take risks and become independent life-long learners. Our aim is that every child will journey through our Nursery, building a memory bank of learning experiences that positively impact on them for the rest of their lives.
In the setting there are two interconnecting classrooms and an outside garden where a wealth of exciting and engaging resources are available for the children to access. We provide a variety of different activities and resources for the children to choose from daily. The staff carefully plan the environment to meet the needs of the children and promote learning through the children’s interests. Staff play alongside the children and develop their activities into learning opportunities.
The nursery follows the development matters guidance, which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2
We focus on the prime areas of learning and begin introducing the specific areas of learning.
The prime areas are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional
- Physical Development
- Communication and Language
The specific areas are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Children start nursery in the September after their third birthday.
Our nursery can offer provision for 15hr and 30hr entitlement. Our sessions run
Morning 8.40-11.40am
Afternoons 12.20-3.20pm
Lunch cover 11.40am -12.20pm (children may bring their own packed lunch or meals can be ordered at a charge of £2.75 through the Arbor app).
30hr entitlement covers ten nursery sessions. Lunchtime sessions are charged at the following costs..
From September 2025 charges are as follows:
Lunch session £4.50 per day
Additional nursery session £14.50 per session.
We are able to provide a more flexible approach to the hours we can offer. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
We openly encourage and welcome prospective children and their parents to come and see our Nursery in action, so they can see for themselves the engaging and supportive environment we offer.
If you are interested in your child having the opportunity to join us then please contact the school office.
Our Facilities
The children in Willow class are benefiting from our fantastic new outdoor space. Our large area allows children to explore a range of activities covering all areas of the curriculum. Children free flow inside and outside and can follow their own ideas in their learning, supported by the adults. We are constantly developing our areas and the activities we offer including our mark making area with painting easel. Adding to the very popular mud kitchen where children can cook a range of different mud mixtures, thinking about what ingredients they are going to add. Children can be active using our physical development resources or spend some time quietly focused on their choice of activity. We have out outdoor classroom which means that we will be outside in all weather. In Willow class the children lead their learning and now this is made even more exciting by the expansion of our environment.
We believe that the children at Forest Academy have the very best start to their early educations. Carefully tailored individual next steps allow all children to make fantastic progress. All the children that attended our nursery last year have confidently continued their learning journey into reception, aided by smooth transitions, facilitated by our caring and nurturing team.
Spring 2 2025
The children in Nursery have been thoroughly engaged in exploring the fascinating lifecycle of a caterpillar this half term. Our journey began with Eric Carle's beloved classic, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which sparked curiosity and wonder among the children, serving as a rich inspiration for numerous hands-on learning experiences.
Through this enchanting story, the children discovered how a tiny egg transforms into a caterpillar, then into a chrysalis, and finally emerges as a beautiful butterfly. They eagerly recreated this magical transformation through various creative activities, including painting vibrant butterflies .
The highlight of our exploration was observing real caterpillars in our classroom. The children were mesmerized as they witnessed these tiny creatures grow day by day. Their excitement reached new heights as the caterpillars formed chrysalises, providing a perfect real-life connection to the story. The children practiced patience and care, learning valuable lessons about respecting living things and their natural processes.
When the butterflies finally emerged, we celebrated this magical moment by releasing them into our nursery garden. The children's faces lit up with joy and wonder as they watched their butterflies flutter away.
This experience has not only taught the children about butterfly lifecycles but has also nurtured their observation skills, patience, creativity, and respect for nature. We look forward to building on this enthusiasm with future nature-based explorations.