Nursery News 15th June 2026

NURSERY NEWS

15th June 2026 – Edition 413

Find out About:

A. Reminder: An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

B. Reminder Monday 22nd June 2026 is a training day for staff. School Closed

C. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Reminder An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

Miss Howe’s Yellow group parents have been invited in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Wednesday 17th June.

Mrs Cashmore’s Big Nursery Yellow group parents have been invited in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Thursday 18th June.

The children’s skills are really coming along as we head towards the end of the year. We hope you will enjoy the opportunity to see your child working within a more structured, adult led session.

 

B. Reminder Monday 22nd June 2026 is a training day for staff. School Closed

 

C. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is transport – land

Staff will explain to the children what the word transport means and that there are many different modes of transport. There will be a variety of different resources throughout the school for the children to fully explore this topic. Staff will use these resources to expand the children’s vocabulary, they will explain that on land we can travel by car, train, bus, bicycle, motorcycle and on foot.

Our learning intention this week is for the children to talk extensively about things that are of particular importance to them. This means that they will learn to talk about people and things that are not present and they will use language to share experiences and thoughts. This will be promoted by having discussions with the children, and encouraging conversations by asking open ended questions. Staff will often relate to the children as they talk about things that are of importance to them. These discussions help to build bonds between the staff and children. Children are more likely to share more thoughts as their confidence grows.

The younger children have been exploring music and movement with their friends and will continue to do this during their sessions. They have been listening to some traditional party songs such as ‘Agadoo’ by Black Lace and ‘Nellie The Elephant’ by The Toy Dolls (1984 version). The children look forward to this activity every day and have been dancing very enthusiastically. It is lovely to see them coming together as a group and sharing this very special experience. Staff wanted to share this news with parents to encourage you to play these songs at home and have a little dance with your children.

 

 

NURSERY NEWS

8th June 2026 – Edition 412

Find out About:

A An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

B. Parent Consultations July 2026

C. End of term arrangements July 2026

D. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

Miss Howe teaches some Big Nursery Yellow Group children ‘Basic Skills’ on a Wednesday morning. Mrs Cashmore teaches some Big Nursery Yellow Group children ‘Basic Skills’ on a Thursday morning.

The children move to a quiet space in Room 5 where they work in small groups (approx. 8 children) to learn reading, writing, mathematical skills and problem solving.

We would like to invite Miss Howe’s Yellow group parents in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Wednesday 17th June.

We would like to invite Mrs Cashmore’s Yellow group parents in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Thursday 18th June.

A further invitation letter will follow to Yellow Group parents so that we can match up time slots, so parents can join their child’s small group. Blue Group had their Basic Skills groups in the Autumn Term 2025 and Orange Group had their Basic skills group in the Spring Term 2026.

 

B. Parent Consultations July 2026.

We plan to have face to face parent consultations for all the children on 7th and 9th July 2026.  All consultations will be 5 minutes long. Staff will be in touch with you to arrange an appointment time.

So for Little Nursery,  All the Children who will be staying with us in September

Tuesday 7th July–

Miss Gaffney’s Green Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:35pm

Mrs Brinkley’s Red Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

Miss Allen’s Yellow Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:20pm

Miss Tyler’s Blue group children,   Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:35pm

Mrs Chiriac’s Red group children  Five minute appointments available between

1:00pm and 1:30pm

So for Big Nursery, All the Children who will be leaving us in July:

Thursday 9th July–

Mrs Patterson’s Blue Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:15pm

Miss Skai’s Orange Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:15pm

Miss Howe’s Yellow Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:45pm

Mrs Cashmore’s Yellow Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

 

C. End of Term arrangements July 2026

The last day of term in July 2026 for all children will be Thursday 16th July.

On Friday 17th July school will open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us. The session will be from 8:50 am to 11:50 am. All Big Nursery leavers are invited to attend this session, regardless of your child’s normal attendance days. As children are attending for the morning only, no child will require a packed lunch. Children will require their water bottles. We are going to consult the children about what activities they would like to plan for their last day, and try to enable their ideas. There will be no charge for this session.

 

D. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is The Smartest Giant in Town

The children will be listening to and sharing the book ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’. They will get to know the characters and learn how they are so kind to each other. The characters in the story talk to each other about how they feel in different situations and the staff will use this as a discussion point for the children to explore their own emotions. This fits with our learning intention to talk about how others might be feeling and respond according to their understanding of the other persons needs and wants. We will be encouraging everyone to be considerate of each other and to remember to be kind.

We will be talking to the children about different things that may affect our mood such as being hungry, tired and hot. When the weather is hot we give the children lots of reminders to take breaks from the sun, wear sunhats and drink plenty. It is important that children understand that it is okay to feel a range of emotions but also that there are different ways to manage the way we feel so that it doesn’t affect others.

As a staff, we work hard to teach the children how to manage their emotions and to understand that the way they feel is important. We model different ways to communicate with each other and offer solutions to support the wellbeing of the children.

 

 

 

NURSERY NEWS

Monday 1st June 2026 – Edition 411

Find out About

A. Summer Heat and Nursery.

B. Staffing Update

C. Is your child ready to learn?

D. What are the children are learning about this week?

 

A. Summer Heat and Nursery.

We now find ourselves in the last seven weeks of the Summer Term. Higher temperatures will now be arriving. Staff are bracing ourselves, as the Summer extreme hot weather brings its own problems.

Across the school, children respond differently to the heat. Some children can take the heat in their stride, and are happy and content. Some children really struggle with the heat, they get too hot, become flushed and sweaty. The intense heat can sap children’s energy. Some children can become extremely grumpy and tired in the hottest part of the day. Staff spend most of their time worrying about keeping everyone safe. When it is very hot we aim to have times where all staff and children come inside, so we ensure everyone takes a break from the sun.

So to help:

  • Ensure children have their water bottles with them every day.
  • Provide a hat for your child, please put their name on it somewhere.
  • Apply sun protection cream before school.

 

B. Staffing Update

I would like to let everyone know that Mrs McGrath will be leaving us very soon. Her last day with us will be Wednesday 10th June, which is just next week. Mrs McGrath has been working here since November 2013, so she has made quite a commitment to our school community. She has a gentle and calm approach, so has spent most of her time here working in our 2 year old class. Her own family has grown over time, so she has made the decision that at the moment she would like to spend some time with her own children. We will miss her!

 

C. Is your child ready to learn?

Parents always look eagerly towards finding out which Primary school their child will be attending. Parents of children leaving us in July 2026 have found out which school their child is going to. We work very hard in school to prepare children for the next stage in their learning at their new school. There are some preparations that parents should be aware of, and can work on with your child in order to make your child ‘School Ready’.  So together, as teachers and carers, we need to make sure all our children receive the very best possible start.

Central Bedfordshire Council has put together a leaflet which describes some essential skills that your child should be working towards in order to get the best out of school. This leaflet is known as the ‘sixteen ticks’ as it has sixteen things to work towards. These ticks are relevant to all our pupils, even the youngest, because they are all eventually going to go on to Primary School.

I have attached a poster along with this newsletter which details the sixteen ticks and suggests some points for you to consider.

There is an additional link sent with this newsletter. This is the 16 ticks poster

Please have a look at it, to see the variety of skills children need to have in place in order to have a successful start in their primary school.

 

 

 D. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is the Royal Family and London

The children will be learning about the Royal Family and tourist attractions in London. There will be lots of discussions about who the King and Queen are, where they live and all about their extended family.

There will be plenty of role play opportunities for the children to explore this week including a London bus that the children can either drive or be passengers on to pretend to visit some of the landmarks they have been learning about. There will be lots of crafting opportunities for the children to create crowns, flags and royal themed collages. Staff will also encourage the children to share their own experiences of visiting London and seeing the sights for themselves.

The learning intention this week is for the children to comment and ask questions about aspects of their familiar world such as the place they live or the natural world. We hope to see that the children are curious to explore new and familiar experiences in nature such as grass, mud, puddles, plants and animal life and that they are able to talk about what they have found and observed.

 

 

 

 

NURSERY NEWS

Monday 18th May 2026 – Edition 410

Find out About

A. Half Term Holiday –Monday 25th May 2026 to Friday 29th May 2026. School Closed.

B. Chickenpox Update

C. What are the children learning about this week?

 

 A. Half Term Holiday –Monday 25th May 2026 to Friday 29th May 2026. School Closed.

The school will be closed for half term next week. The school year is speeding along quickly!

We hope the children will be able to have some time to rest and relax next week, to be ready for the last half term of the Academic Year.

 

B. Chickenpox Update

Chickenpox continues to be moving through the children at the Nursery. We have had three families telephone in today to advise that their child now has chickenpox. We continue to have Chickenpox cases in all age groups in Nursery.

 

C. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is ‘Chicks’.

We have 7 chicks!!!

In Nursery we have been observing as our eggs hatched and chicks were born. We have been looking after them and making sure their needs are met. The children have been very excited to see the change in the chicks and how they have been growing.

This week, they will be able to sit with the chicks and hold them. The children will be supervised as they handle the chicks and the staff will ensure that all chicks take turns being held, so they do not become overwhelmed. Children will learn the importance of being quiet and gentle as they hold the chicks. They will learn of the importance of hygiene when holding the chicks and will wash their hands with soap and water after handling them.

The skill we will be focussing on this week will be pencil grip/control/mark making. We will use a variety of methods to support strengthening the muscles in the hands and fingers to enable a better pencil grip when making marks. There are many ways to do this including building with Lego, chalking on paper or pavements, using tweezers to pick up items and even playing with playdough.

Every child has their own name card in school and they are encouraged to use their name card for guidance when writing their name and forming the letters that they need to use. Whenever children create some artwork, they are encouraged to try and write their name so they can bring it home and share with friends and family.

 

 

NURSERY NEWS

 Monday 11th May 2026 – Edition 409

Find out About

A. Please park your cars with consideration.

B. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Please park your cars with consideration.

One of the schools’ neighbours, a resident in Goldstone Crescent, telephoned us last week expressing her frustration that at dropping off and collection times cars are parking across the entrance to her driveway. She said this has been becoming a more frequent occurrence recently. We have explained that we have no control where parents choose to park, but we have pointed out that we raise the issue of considerate parking with all our new parents through our ‘New Parent Pack’.

This little corner of Dunstable sees a lot of school pupils and their families arriving and departing during school drop-off and collection. There must be around 1,000 pupils arriving each day to attend Willow Nursery School, Hadrian Academy and The Vale Academy.

More parents than ever are now working parents, so many parents have to do a quick child drop off by car, then depart for work.

It also seems that recently some parents are beginning to choose to park in the turning into our Car park, blocking the school gates, and the staff’s ability to move in and out of the car park. The majority of the staff have school age children, and some staff need to leave at collection time in the afternoon in order to get across town in time to collect their own children.

We also have refuse trucks that arrive near to 9am every week. I have seen the refuse truck unable to access our car park to empty wheelie bins as there is a car parked blocking our gates. In this circumstance the truck remains sitting in the busy junction, just outside the school, blocking the entire road for everyone. I have seen a parent arrive back to their car after dropping their child into Hadrian Academy. We then all wait for them to leave, so that the refuse truck can have access to our car park, and the road can become useable again.

We should always have unobstructed access to our car park in case of emergencies.

We frequently witness cars being parked right across residents’ driveways.

So, I must ask parents to be considerate, and think of the needs of others.

 

 B. What are the children learning about this week?

This week the theme is chicks.

We are very lucky to be able to help look after some chicks this week. We will have some eggs arrive in an incubator, which will be placed in Room 1. The children will learn about the life cycle of a chick and that they begin their life inside eggs. They will be able to observe the eggs inside the incubator and keep a watchful eye on them, in case they begin to hatch. Staff will explain to the children that it is important for our eggs and chicks to stay inside their incubator because it helps them to keep warm until they have hatched and are a little bigger.

Ten eggs have been delivered to the school. We are told they should hatch on Wednesday.

Our learning intention this week is to recall a sequence of events in everyday life and stories. The children will be learning about the life cycle of our chicks and staff will support them with sequencing the different stages of a chick’s life. This will be done by discussing the changes form egg to chicks that the children notice through the week and also through reading and completing puzzles.

The discussions staff will have with children will help to support our 7C’s learning intention to confidently use a developing vocabulary appropriate to the individual child’s capabilities.

 

 

NURSERY NEWS

 Tuesday 5th May 2026 – Edition 408

Find out About

A. Destination Primary Schools for our July 2026 Leavers.

B. Milk.

C. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Destination Primary Schools for our July 2026 Leavers.

Parents found out the results of their applications for Primary or Lower School on the 16th April 2026. Soon after, Willow was sent information to allow us to see where our 2026 Leavers are moving on to in September 2026.

We have 42 pupils leaving us in September, and I am pleased to say all 42 families applied for a place, so we know where everyone is going. Willow children will be moving on to 9 different destination schools.

Miss Howe liaises with teachers in the destination schools to ensure the transitions are smooth and everyone’s individual needs are met.

 

B. Milk

The Nursery Milk scheme provides all children under 5 years old, who attend an eligible setting for 2 hours or more, a 189ml (1/3 pint) carton of milk, each day free of charge.

We provide these cartons of milk, on a trolley outside, near to the queue at going home time, for children to take home a carton of milk each if they would like one.

We have noticed during the past week we have run out of milk twice before Yellow group have had a chance to take any. There were also other days last week when we had 10 milk cartons left over. We want to order enough to meet demand, but we do not want to have too many cartons and be throwing milk away.

We will adjust the amount of milk we order, but this may take up to three weeks to be implemented.

 

C. What are the children are learning about this week?

The theme this week is The Very Hungry Caterpillar

We will be looking at the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle, and staff will organize lots of activities for the children that link to the theme of the story. There will be some creative opportunities for the children to take part in such as symmetrical butterfly paintings and caterpillar collages. Staff will also set up some literacy tasks such as magnetic storyboards and practicing writing names in caterpillar templates.

We have been lucky enough to have some caterpillars delivered to our school, which means that the children can see how they live, grow and change. They can watch them building their own chrysalises ready to transform into butterflies. This helps the children to fully understand the life cycle of a butterfly, just like in the book.

Our learning intention this week is to enjoy joining in with moving, dancing and ring games. This includes singing songs, listening to music and playing with instruments.

Our seven C’s learning intention this week is for the children to be able to challenge themselves physically, which can include running, climbing and riding bikes. There will be lots of encouragement for the children to try new things and remember how to act sensibly, keeping themselves and others safe. We hope to see the children’s confidence grow as they realise that they are becoming more independent in their play.

 

NURSERY NEWS

 27th April 2026 – Edition 407

Find out About

A. Sun Safety

B. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Sun Safety

We are moving swiftly towards the hottest part of the year in school. I have been doing some research online to ensure I can give parents good advice about Sun Safety.

I have taken some information from Cancer Research UK’s website:

  • The best way to enjoy the sun safely and protect your skin is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen.
  • Shade and clothing are better than sunscreen at protecting your skin.
  • Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to spend longer in the sun. But they can be useful for protecting the parts of skin not covered by clothing or shade.

 

Clothing

Clothing should cover your shoulders and have long sleeves. The more skin that’s covered by your clothing, the better the protection.

Choose clothing that’s loose-fitting and darker in colour

Look for materials with a close weave- as a guide you can hold the material up to the light to check you can’t see through the fabric

 

Hats

Choose a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck for the most UV protection.

 

Shade

Spending time in the shade is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays.

 

So what does this mean for us at Willow?

We still go outside every day, but we do limit how long children can go outside if it is very hot. We encourage all children to drink plenty, reminding them that their water bottle is always available. We do encourage children to come inside for a rest in the shade. At some points in the day we completely close outside, so that we know all children have had a break from the sun. We are very lucky in that our school remains fairly cool in the summer, with lots of windows for ventilation.

 

You know your child best!   

Some children are more vulnerable to the sun than others. I have red hair and freckles, which means that I can burn very easily, (Sometimes in very strong sun, in as little as 20 minutes). Some children are less likely to burn than others. People with naturally dark or brown skin burn less easily. But people with darker skin can still burn – it might feel itchy or tender rather than changing colour.

So, I can give advice, but you must make day to day decisions regarding your child’s sun safety.

 

How can you help us?

Dress your child appropriately. Try to avoid too much bare skin. A t-shirt gives much more protection from the sun than a strappy sundress or a vest top. Think about children’s feet. Exposed skin in sandals may burn.

We would ask you to apply sun protection cream to your child before they attend school. We will assume that all pupils will have had sun protection cream applied at home.  If your child attends all day and you wish your child to have additional cream applied at lunchtime, please send a bottle of sun protection cream into school (please pass it to their Keyworker) and we will store it safely in the classroom, out of the children’s reach.  This cream should be left in school.  Ensure their name is on it. Staff will assist children to apply sun protection cream at lunchtime. We will help pupils to apply sun protection cream to their face, neck and arms.  Please do not leave sun protection cream in your child’s bag. We do not want children sharing their cream with their friends. One year we found a pair of children applying it to their teeth to use as toothpaste!

Please provide your child with a hat with their name on when the weather is sunny. A hat with a broad brim is better than a cap for sun protection. A cap is better than no hat. Remember 2, 3,and 4 year olds cannot always remember the whereabouts of clothing that they have taken off. Put their name on it if you want it to return home!

More information regarding the summer term:

Consider what you would like your child to wear at school for safety. Children are still climbing and riding bikes so long sundresses and strappy sandals are not always practical!                                 Messy Play:   As the weather improves we take more and more activities outside. More water is used and play can become much messier. Please ensure clothes are play friendly and send in spares as children can become soaked if they pour water down their clothes, even with aprons on!

 

B. What are the children are learning about this week?

What are the children learning about this week?

This week the topic is planting. The children will be learning about the growth and change of people, animals and plants. Staff will explain that everything in nature grows and changes, they will use lots of hands on activities to show how this happens. Children will be offered the opportunity to do some of their own planting, they can then look after their plants and observe the transformations that occur from seed to plant. There will be planting inside and outside and it will be the children’s job to take care of all of the seedlings until they are fully grown.

The 7C’s learning intention this week is to develop attention and listening skills in a range of contexts. Staff will support the children to develop these skills by asking them to join in with shared reads, learning new songs and talking to the children about what they have been learning through the week.

We will also be focusing on scissor skills which includes learning what scissors are for, how to hold scissors effectively and how to make cuts in paper. Children will also learn the importance of using scissors safely and on appropriate resources.

NURSERY NEWS

 Monday 20th April 2026 – Edition 406

Find out About

A. Summer Term Challenges

B. Summer Term Opportunities

C. Holiday forms and pupil absence.

D. Allergen reminders.

E. Chickenpox in school: Update.

F. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Summer Term Challenges

Summer is our busiest term at Willow Nursery School. Our numbers increase each term from September around to July and the school steadily fills. We have had thirteen new families joining us this term, bringing the total number of pupils using the school to 94 children.

This means that we have a lot of children to take in safely at the beginning of their session, matching them to the correct staff and room base. We also have to ensure children are matched to the correct carer at going home time.

So, to help us greatly, please be on time wherever possible. (We appreciate parents cannot be in two places at once if other siblings attend other schools.)

The staff collect their children in a particular order. Please, if you arrive a little late, be patient and a staff member will invite your child in when someone is available to take them to the correct classroom and mark them into the register. If you are a Little Nursery family, and the Big Nursery children are being admitted, please wait in the Little Nursery queuing area until the Big Nursery children have gone in. If Little Nursery families arrive late, all the Little Nursery Staff are already very busy working in Little Nursery, settling in the children.

Please help us to keep the queues moving steadily.

Please leave adequate space at the front gate for families to drop off and move away from the front gate.

We are trying very hard to release children at the end of the session promptly.                                        These times of coming and going are called ‘transition times’, where we have to move children around the school. Transition times have to be carefully managed and it takes all the staff in school to manage these times safely. Some children are nervous of transition times, particularly new children. Some children become upset when it is time to go home.  It may take us a few weeks to find a successful routine to escort the children out as efficiently as possible.

Please ensure all lunchboxes and drink bottles are named. It is difficult to find a child’s drinks bottle quickly when bottles are not named.

 

B. Summer Term Opportunities

The Summer term is when the school can use the inside and outside areas to their full potential. We try to move many of the inside activities outside. As the term goes on we offer painting and craft activities outside, and provide lots of water play. Mrs Patterson and Miss Gaffney have already been painting outside with the children, and Miss Gaffney has helped children to make huge cardboard butterfly wings decorated with different coloured pieces of cellophane. As the ‘butterflies’ were flying around, there was a feel of carnival outside!  Sometimes a change in the environment can stimulate some exciting play.

 

C. Holiday forms and pupil absence.

We are at the point in the year when some families begin to take holidays. If you have a planned holiday during term time, please ask a member of staff for a holiday form. We ask that you fill in this very short form so that we can update attendance registers correctly.

Please can we also remind parents that if your child is absent for any other reason please telephone the school office and let us know. The school telephone does have an answering machine which is regularly monitored, so do please leave a message letting us know the reason for their absence and again we can update registers.

 

D. Allergen reminders.

When we induct new children to nursery we review all our information regarding all children’s allergens. Obviously we work very hard to ensure children eat only their own food provided for them in their lunchbox. We ask that parents do not provide any foods in lunchboxes containing nuts.  Nuts are found in peanut butter, wafers, chocolate spread, chocolate crepes, cookies etc. The nature of these sticky nut spreads means that the allergen can be transferred from children’s hands to other surfaces, such as tables, chairs, doorknobs, toys etc and can then be touched by another child who may transfer it to their hand and then their mouth. This could lead to anaphylaxis.

 

E. Chickenpox in school: Update.

Last week we had 10 cases of chickenpox across the school. Our prediction is that it will continue to circulate for a few more weeks.

 

F. What are the children are learning about this week?

The theme this week is Handa’s surprise

This week the learning intention is for the children to be able to respond to both formal language used to describe shapes  and common shape names. To support the children with this, the staff will be teaching about shapes using a variety of resources. There will be shape sorting and inset puzzles, magnetic shapes and picture boards, drawing opportunities and hammer and pin boards. Staff will model age appropriate language to teach the children about the shapes that we see in our everyday environment, there will be lots of opportunity for the children to practice their shape recognition as the week progresses and staff will encourage this by playing games, reading books and singing songs.

We will also be reading the story of Handa’s Surprise, which is a tale of a little girl that wants to give a fruit basket gift to her friend. She meets lots of animals on her journey and when she meets her friend, the fruit has been eaten and there is an entirely new surprise for Handa to give to her friend. The children will be encouraged to think about the similarities and differences between themselves and the characters from the book. They will pay attention to all the little details in the pictures and share what they have noticed.

Staff will share a Handa’s Surprise story sack with the children and encourage them to act out the roles of Handa, her friend and all of the animals from the story. This has always been a popular story at Willow and hopefully the children will enjoy retelling it to you at home.

 

NURSERY NEWS

13th April 2026 – Edition 405

Find out About

A. Dates for the Summer Term 2026

B. For families of children leaving us in July 2026 (Big Nursery Blue, Orange and Yellow Groups): Finding out the results of your application for Lower or Primary Schools.

C. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Dates for the Summer Term 2026

Welcome back everyone. We are now into the third term of the school year- The Summer Term. I just wanted to outline key dates across this term for your information.

Monday 13th April 2026, Summer Term begins.

Monday 4th May 2026. Bank Holiday Monday, School Closed.

Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May 2026, Half Term Week, School Closed                                    (25th May is a Bank Holiday)

Monday 22nd June 2026 is a training day for staff. School Closed

Thursday 16th July 2026 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal hours.

Friday 17th July 2026 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us. The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am.

 

B. For families of children leaving us in July 2026 (Big Nursery Blue, Orange and Yellow Groups): Finding out the results of your application for Lower or Primary Schools.

Parents that have applied for Lower/Primary School Places will find out the results of their application this week. There is a National day when results are released.

 

This Information copied from Central Bedfordshire Local Authority website.

Finding out the results of your application for lower or primary school

When you’ll find out

16 April 2026 is the national offer day for on-time school applications.

If we have your email address

You’ll receive an email with the outcome of your application.

If we don’t have your email address

We will post your decision letter to you.

 

C. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is animals and vets.

This week the children will be learning about animals that we might have as pets and how we should take care of them. The children will be able to relate to their own experiences as they may discuss their own pets and how they look after them at home. Staff will discuss the importance of making sure our pets have enough food and water as well as a comfortable bed and home. They will share with the children that if our pets get poorly, we will take them to a veterinary surgeon, just like a person would visit a doctor.

To support this, there will be vet role play areas set up for the children to use their imagination and learn through play. There will be plenty of soft toy animals that need treatment, food, water, medicine and comfortable beds. Staff will model vocabulary to support the children and extend their play.

The learning intention this week is to learn how to catch and throw large balls, bean bags and other items. Children will be shown how to throw items to each other in a safe environment and how to hold their arms out in front of them to catch these items.

 

The learning intention from the 7 C’s is to be able to recognize small quantities without counting. We will be playing simple games where the children will try to estimate how many items are in front of them, without counting. This is a tricky objective to master so we will play lots of games to support this. We want children to be able to look quickly at groups of 1, 2 or 3 objects and accurately identify how many items there are without using their counting skills.

You can help your child to master this at home. Use small objects such as coins, buttons or Lego bricks. Hide 1,2 or 3 items in your hand and briefly open your hand to show your child. Then close your hand around the objects and ask your child ‘How many items did you see?’

NURSERY NEWS

23rd  March 2026 – Edition 404

Find out About

A. Term dates. Last day of Spring Term Friday 27th March 2026. School Re-opens Monday 13th April 2026 for the Summer term.

B. What are the children learning about this week?

C. Meningitis outbreak in Kent – advice for educational settings.

D. We have had two cases of Chickenpox in school. Advice on symptoms…

 

A. Term dates. Last day of Spring Term Friday 27th March 2026. School Re-opens Monday 13th April 2026 for the Summer term.

The last day of the Spring Term for all children is Friday 27th March. The Nursery is open for normal hours on this day.  School re-opens for the Summer Term on Monday 13th April.

 

B. What are the children are learning about this week?

The theme this week is Easter

There will be lots of Easter activities happening throughout the week including hunting for Easter images and creating different crafts. The children will learn the story of Easter at group time and as many children will be celebrating Easter over the holidays. Staff will talk to the children about different ways that they may celebrate. This supports the children as they find a sense of belonging through being involved in daily tasks and common interests, which is our learning intention for the week.

We will focus on numbers and counting this week, which will be incorporated into the week’s activities, the children will be supported with finding and recognising numbers hidden in their surroundings.

Our 7 C’s learning intention this week is to be able to use good manners, to be able to say please and thank you at appropriate times and to be considerate towards each other. Learning about each other’s cultures is a way for the children to understand that not everyone is the same and that is okay.

 

C. Meningitis outbreak in Kent – advice for educational settings

Briefing from Shared Public Health Service for Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Councils

The UK Health Security Agency is investigating an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent. As of 17 March 2026, 20 cases have been reported and sadly two people have died. The outbreak has affected young people studying at Canterbury University and at neighbouring schools. Those who have been identified at risk of infection are being contacted and offered preventive antibiotics and, in some cases, a meningitis vaccine. It is highly unusual to see a meningitis outbreak of this size, but it is currently concentrated in Kent and at this time there is no evidence that the outbreak has spread to other parts of the country.

Meningococcal bacteria can cause rare but serious illness including meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can rapidly lead to sepsis.

Onset of illness is often sudden and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital. Early symptoms are listed below; in many cases not all of these are present:

  • a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed with a glass
  • sudden onset of high fever
  • severe and worsening headache
  • stiff neck
  • vomiting and diarrhoea
  • joint and muscle pain
  • dislike of bright lights
  • very cold hands and feet
  • seizures
  • confusion/delirium
  • extreme sleepiness/difficulty waking

Early symptoms can be confused with other illnesses such as a cold, flu or hangover and students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs. If you or anyone you know develops any of these symptoms, seek medical help immediately by contacting a GP, calling NHS 111 or dialling 999 in an emergency. Knowing the signs and taking early treatment can be lifesaving.

If a child/student or colleague falls ill with suspected meningitis in your setting, please ensure that urgent medical care is sought and consult the following guidance:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/managing-specific-infectious-diseases-a-to-z#meningitis

The UK Health Security Agency will contact you if you need to take any action related to a case of bacterial meningitis who attends your setting.

In the meantime, please continue to support the routine childhood and school-aged vaccination programme; meningitis ACWY vaccine is offered to children in Year 9. Catch up vaccination clinics are regularly offered by the Community and School-Aged Vaccination Service throughout Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes; venues are listed here: Children’s immunisations in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes

The type of meningitis causing the Kent outbreak (meningitis B) is not covered by the ACWY vaccine, and some students are being offered a Men B vaccine as a precautionary measure in response to this outbreak. Since 1 May 2015, Men B vaccine has been offered to infants as part of the routine childhood schedule. Men B vaccine not routinely available for teenagers/students on the NHS and there is currently no catch-up programme for those born before May 2015.

More information about meningitis is available from the UK Health Security Agency blog article: What is meningitis? Symptoms, risks and how to protect yourself – UK Health Security Agency

The following social media asset is also available to share among your pupil and parent networks.

Suggested copy to go with it:

Cases of invasive meningococcal disease have been confirmed in Kent. It’s important to know the signs of symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia. Get more info from @NHSuk

http://nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis

 

D. We have had two cases of Chickenpox in school. Advice on symptoms…

(From NHS Website)

Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a common infection that spreads easily and mostly affects children. It usually gets better on its own after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP, but can be serious in some people.

How chickenpox is spread

You can spread chickenpox to other people from 2 days before your spots appear until they have all formed scabs, which is usually 5 days after your spots appeared.

 

The spots start appearing around 1 to 3 weeks after you caught chickenpox.

 

You can catch chickenpox from:

 

  • being in the same room as someone with it
  • touching things that have fluid from the blisters on them
  • someone who has shingles if you have not had chickenpox before (but you cannot catch shingles from someone who has chickenpox)

 

Symptoms of chickenpox

The main symptom of chickenpox is an itchy, spotty rash. It can be anywhere on the body.

 

Before or after the rash appears, you might also have:

 

  • a high temperature
  • aches and pains, and generally feel unwell
  • loss of appetite
  • Chickenpox happens in 3 stages, but new spots can appear while others are becoming blisters or forming a scab.

 

Stage 1: small spots appear

The spots can:

  • be anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth and around the genitals, which can be painful
  • spread or stay in a small area
  • be red, pink, darker or the same colour as surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone
  • be harder to see on brown and black skin

 

Stage 2: the spots become blisters

The spots fill with fluid and become blisters. The blisters are very itchy and may burst.

 

Stage 3: the blisters become scabs

The spots form a scab. Some scabs are flaky, while others leak fluid.

 

How you can treat chickenpox yourself

If you have chickenpox, you’ll need to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appeared.