Nursery News 12th October 2026

NURSERY NEWS

12th October 2026 – Edition 423

Find out About:

A. Parent Consultations

B. Willow Pumpkin Patch

C. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. Parent Consultations

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

Now it is time for Big Nursery parents to book appointments to speak with your child’s Keyworker.

These consultations are offered to talk about how your child is settling in and the progress your child is making. 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.

These consultations will be on the telephone, will last 5 minutes and will be available at the following times:

Monday 2nd November, Mrs Patterson’s Green Group Consultations, 5 minute telephone consultations between 3:15pm and 4:20pm.

Tuesday 3rd November Mrs Cashmore’s Yellow Group Consultations, 5 minute telephone consultations between 3:15pm and 3:50pm

Wednesday 4th November Miss Skai’s Red Group Consultations, 5 minute telephone consultations between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

Thursday 5th November Miss Howe’s Yellow Group Consultations, 5 minute telephone consultations between 3:15pm and 4:05pm

 

B. Willow Pumpkin Patch

The Pumpkin Patch has been a great success!!

Mrs Patterson has provided wheelbarrows and delivery trolleys, and a big bike with a delivery box on the front to allow children to move the pumpkins around. There has been some super problem solving. Groups of children have been working together to load the wheelbarrows with pumpkins most efficiently. They have been working out how best to stack the pumpkins, considering the size, shape and weight, into a wheelbarrow without pumpkins toppling out. Children have been lining up the pumpkins and counting them to find out how many pumpkins there are.  One group built an enclosure with large wooden blocks, and put a large amount of pumpkins inside. This structure was labelled the ‘Pumpkin Police Station’.  Some big pumpkins are quite heavy. Children like feeling the challenge of the weight, lifting and moving the pumpkins. We have provided golf tees and little wooden hammers to allow the children to tap the golf tees into the pumpkins. In the 2+ class they have been exploring rolling the smallest pumpkins down sloped guttering. The children really laugh as the pumpkins roll off in a wobbly way along the floor.

There is more to come next week…. If the weather is good enough, the children will be able to use paint brushes and paint to cover their pumpkins completely in paint, then put them in water to wash the paint off with sponges and cloths. Things may get messy!

 

C. What are the children learning about this week?

The learning intention this week is for the children to know some of the things that make them unique, and talk about similarities and differences in relation to friends and family.

The theme this week is ‘Happy in Our Skin’, so the children will be using mirrors to look at their reflections and adults will take these opportunities to talk to the children about what they can see. This can then evolve into an opportunity to discuss things that make us different and any similarities that we may have with each other.

The children will begin to look at their features, and think about their friends features then identify and compare features such as eye and hair colour. Staff will highlight the similarities that they may have with children and each other, they will explain that we are all unique even though we may have some similar features or habits.

Our seven C’s learning intention is for the children to be able to feed themselves. Staff encourage the children to be as independent as possible during lunchtimes. They are asked to get their own lunch boxes and drinks bottles and to feed themselves with as little support as possible. Our aim is for the children to understand the importance of being able to do things for themselves and how things become easier with practise.