Nursery News 5th October 2026

NURSERY NEWS

5th October 2026 – Edition 422

Find out About:

A. Parent Consultations- A reminder

B. How to keep your child healthy over the coming Autumn/ Winter season.

C. Local Schools offering School Tours/ Open days for families looking for reception class places in September 2027

D. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Parent Consultations – A reminder

We aim to offer all parents the opportunity to have a Parent Consultation with their child’s keyworker once per term

Little Nursery will be having their Parent Consultations during week beginning Monday 19th October, 2026

These consultations are offered to talk about how your child is settling in. They are not compulsory, but if you would like an appointment please arrange this with your child’s keyworker when they are outside before morning sessions, or after afternoon sessions.

 

B. How to keep your child healthy over the coming Autumn/ Winter season.

With the new school term starting, children spend more time together, which can lead to more colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Here are some ways to keep your children healthy and in school:

1.Keep your child’s vaccinations up to date.

Measles and whooping cough are still around. The best way to protect your child from getting sick is to make sure they have had all their vaccines. If you are unsure. you can ask your GP or use the NHS app to check.

  1. Make sure your child gets the flu vaccine.

Flu can make children very sick. The Flu vaccine reduces the risk of needing hospital care. Most children from age 2 to 16 can get the vaccine. The vaccine is usually a quick, painless spray in the nose. There is also a version without pork ingredients. Children aged 2-3 can get the flu vaccine at their GP. Vaccinating your child also helps protect others, like family members, from getting the flu.

3.Teach your child good handwashing habits.

Washing hands helps stop the spread of germs. Remind your child to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Teach them to use tissues for coughs and sneezes and to throw them in the bin afterwards.

  1. Know when to keep your child at home.

Sometimes it is hard to know if your child should stay home. For minor illnesses, like a slight cough or cold, it’s usually OK to send them to school. But if they have a high temperature or a rash, keep them at home and speak to your GP

 

C. Local Schools offering School Tours/ Open days for families looking for reception class places in September 2027

Dunstable Icknield Lower School has been in touch with our school office, asking us to share with you information about their upcoming Open Days:

EYFS OPEN DAYS

CONSIDERING SCHOOLS FOR YOUR CHILD?

Admissions are now open for Reception places in September 2027

We will be holding Open Sessions in our new EYFS area, starting at 9am, on:

Monday 5th October

Tuesday 6th  October

Wednesday 7th  October

There will be an opportunity to hear from our new Senior Leadership Team and tour our updated facilities, as well as ask any questions you may have about your child starting school.

Their address is Burr Street, Dunstable, LU6 3AG. Tel 01582 663709

Website www.dunstableicknield.co.uk

I have looked at schools local to Willow Nursery School to see if they are offering open days too. All information is taken from the individual school’s website.

Hadrian Academy

Open Mornings for Reception.

We are delighted to be able to invite prospective parents and guardians, whose child starts school in 2027 into Hadrian Academy for an informal tour of our school in action.

Our Open Mornings will take place on:

Tuesday 20th October 2026 at 9:30am

Thursday 12th November 2026 at 9:30 am

Thursday 3rd December 2026 at 9:30am

There is no need to book, just come along at 9:30am.

Their address is Hadrian Avenue, Dunstable, LU5 4SR Tel: 01582 618400

Website: hadrianacademy.co.uk

Vale Academy

We’d love to welcome you into our Dunstable primary school community! Come and see our vibrant classrooms in action, explore our fantastic facilities, and experience the exciting learning opportunities we offer every child. There’s no better way to get a real feel for what makes our school so special. Come and see it for yourself!

We currently have the below dates available for a school tour:

  • Wednesday 7th October 9.30am – 10.30am
  • Wednesday 14th October 10.30am – 11.30am
  • Thursday 15th October 9.30am – 10.30am

 

Their address is: Wilbury Drive, Dunstable, LU5 4QP Tel:01582 211150

Website:thevaleacademy.co.uk

 

St Christophers Academy

Open Day!

Everyone is welcome-

Come and meet our dedicated team, look around our school and ask any questions you may have.

Monday 12th October 2026 9:30am to 12:30pm

Come along to:

  • Explore our school facilities
  • Meet our dedicated teachers
  • Learn about our curriculum, enrichment activities, and support services
  • Ask any questions you may have about joining our school community

Book via the school office and come along and see what makes our school such a special place to learn and grow.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Their address is: Gorham Way, Dunstable, LU5 4NJ Tel: 01582 500960

www.stchristophersacademy.org.uk

 

D. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme this week is ‘who is who in nursery?’

This week each morning the children will see photographs of each member of staff and they will learn the names of the staff. This is to help the children to feel more at ease with the staff and to encourage children to use names when talking to someone. We will talk about the importance of addressing people by their names and recognizing who each person is and where they work within the nursery. Learning the names of the people around you, helps to build confidence and create a sense of self.

The learning intention this week is for the children to be able to count up to five items, recognising that the last number said, represents the total counted so far. Children will be taught lots of number songs to help them count in order and they will be encouraged to check their counting by using fingers to represent the numbers. Staff will model number language throughout the week and will give children targets such as ‘please give me one or two things’. This helps to check the children’s understanding and confidence with numbers and amounts.

The skill we will be focusing on this week is riding a bike. We have a large selection of bikes for the children to use, including two wheeled bikes, tricycles and tandems. We will provide a timer to support the children to take turns on the bikes and play fairly. All children are encouraged to ride safely and to park their bikes up in the designated parking area after their turn.