Nursery News 21st September 2026

NURSERY NEWS

21st September 202 – Edition 420

Find out About:

A. What to put in your child’s change of clothes bag.

B. Support for toilet training.

C. Applying for Primary School.

D. Willow Lending Library.

E. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. What to put in your child’s change of clothes bag.

We ask that all children bring a small bag or backpack to school with items of spare clothing inside. Sometimes children may become very wet or messy when playing in the nursery and we cannot leave them in wet clothes. Sometimes children will have a toilet accident and require changing.

Please provide clothes that are easy to change. Please provide more than one pair of underpants/knickers/trousers/socks if your child is not yet reliable with their toileting. Put plenty of clothes in! Some children are changed three or more times a day!

We would ask that all parents provide a pack of wet wipes in their child’s bag to enable us to clean your child after a toilet incident.

We would also ask that parents provide some carrier bags in their child’s bag to put wet or soiled clothes into. A packet of Nappy sacks will do the job!

 

B. Support for toilet training.

We are very happy to support parents with toilet training your child. When you think your child is ready, talk to your child’s keyworker about your plans. We can then work together to help your child.

It is important that we transition from nappies to knickers or pants.

Please, no Pull Ups.

We are looking for children to begin to recognise the sensation that they feel when they need to urinate. It’s within those few minutes when children have to learn ‘be quick, let’s get to the bathroom!’ Children need to be able to feel when their underwear is wet too. If a child wears a pull up, it feels to the child the same as a nappy. During toilet training a child should learn that if they are wet they should be changed. We want to change children as soon as they wet, so they are in clean, dry clothes. As staff, we cannot see if a child is wet wearing a pull up. If a child is wearing underwear we can usually see when a child is wet, and change them immediately.

 

C. Applying for Primary School. (Taken directly from Central Beds website.)

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/apply-new-lower-or-primary-school-place

This applies to all children in Big Nursery, Dates of Birth: 1/9/22 to 31/8/23

Apply for a lower or primary school place in Central Bedfordshire

15 January 2027 is the deadline for on-time applications.

How to apply

You’ll need proof of your child’s date of birth, such as a passport or short birth certificate. You’ll be prompted to upload a copy of this during your application.

Until 30 April – Apply online

Applying online is quick, simple and safe. In fact, nearly 95% of parents and carers apply online for a lower/primary school place.

After 30 April – You can’t apply online, download a form and email it to us

Please note: Email is not a secure medium. Please ensure you take appropriate steps to protect your child’s personal information.

  1. download an application form (PDF)
  2. complete the form and ensure you have proof of your child’s date of birth, like a passport or short birth certificate
  3. ensure you’ve protected all documents containing personal information
  4. send the completed form and copies of documents to admissions@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

We need to receive your application by the 15 January 2027 deadline.

Apply by post

If you can’t apply online, don’t worry; you can also apply by post. Here’s how:

  1. get an application form
    You can download an application form (PDF)
  2. complete the form and ensure you have proof of your child’s date of birth, like a passport or short birth certificate (please don’t send us original documents; copies are fine)
  3. send the completed form and copies of documents to:
    School Admissions
    Central Bedfordshire Council
    Priory House
    Monks Walk
    Chicksands
    Shefford
    Bedfordshire
    SG17 5TQ

We need to receive your application by the 15 January 2027 deadline.

Please don’t make both an online and postal application. We’ll only process the latest one (if it’s sent before the deadline).

 

D. Willow Lending Library.

Miss Howe worked hard to create ‘Willow Lending Library’ which has proved to be quite a success. We want to invite all new parents to explore our Lending Library:

 

Willow Lending Library

Welcome to Willow outdoor lending library. We are open every day from 8.15-8.45am and from 3.00pm-3.30pm.

Please choose 1-2 books with your child and write the names of the books under your child’s name in their colour group folder before taking them home to read together.

You can change the books as frequently as you wish.

Please look after our books.

*Please ensure that you have left the library area at 8.45am prompt before children start to enter the school gates in the morning. THANKYOU

Top Tips for Reading with your child

  • Let your child choose what they would like to read.
  • Make sure there are no distractions.
  • Sit close together. Encourage your child to hold the book and turn the pages too.
  • Look at the pictures. Talk about what can be seen on the page.
  • Ask questions and talk about the book. Give your child time to talk.
  • Have fun – there is no right or wrong way to share a story.

 

E. What are the children learning about this week?

 The theme this week is Maisy Goes Swimming

This week the children will listen to the story ‘Maisy Goes Swimming’, they will be able to share their own experiences of going swimming with staff and their friends. This is an interactive book which teaches about the routine that Maisy needs to follow to be able to swim. Staff will discuss how independent Maisy is and how she gets dressed and undressed by herself.

Our learning intention this week is to listen to familiar stories with increasing attention and recall and to listen to stories and nursery rhymes. We have a lovely library at Willow and children are always encouraged to choose books to share and enjoy. After each book, staff like to talk about what has happened in the story and use the pictures in the books as conversation prompts for the children.

As we explore different nursery rhymes and songs with the children, staff will leave gaps for the children to join in with singing familiar rhymes and even encourage them to sing the entire song by themselves if they feel confident to do so. This will support the children with their communication and language development as they learn new words and sounds, singing is also great for building relationships. Singing songs in groups or alongside a grown up can show children that it is fun to be a little bit silly and loud sometimes.

The younger children in the setting have been learning some action songs and have been joining in with songs such as Aga Do by Black Lace and Nelly the Elephant by The Toy Dolls. They get really excited when they hear the introductions to these songs; if you get an opportunity to have a dance, pop these songs on and enjoy a special moment with your children.