Welcome to Longlands Nursery

At Longlands Nursery, every child is welcomed into a caring, stimulating environment where they feel safe, valued and excited to learn. From the age of two, children are supported to develop communication, confidence, independence and a genuine curiosity about the world around them.

Our Nursery is part of the wider Longlands Early Years Foundation Stage. This creates a coherent journey from age two through Nursery and Reception, with learning carefully sequenced so that children revisit important knowledge, vocabulary and experiences over time.

Learning through exploration

Young children learn by doing. Each day combines skilled adult interaction, focused teaching, child-initiated learning, continuous provision, stories, songs, rhymes and outdoor experiences. Adults observe carefully, join children in their play, model language, introduce new vocabulary and help children to think more deeply.

• Develop language through stories, songs, rhymes and conversation.
• Build friendships and learn to cooperate.
• Explore early mathematics in meaningful, practical contexts.
• Strengthen gross- and fine-motor skills.
• Use imagination through role play, small-world play, music and art.
• Grow in confidence, resilience and independence.
• Learn to care for themselves, other people, animals and the environment.

Our Nursery groups

Our Nursery curriculum meets children at their individual stage of development. Experiences for younger children place strong emphasis on secure relationships, sensory exploration, movement, rhythm, rhyme and communication. As children grow, teaching increasingly develops sustained talk, early phonological awareness, number sense, purposeful mark-making and independence.

A typical day

• Self-registration and a warm welcome.
• Healthy Movers or a wake-up song.
• Focused adult-led learning.
• Snack and talk time.
• Extended child-initiated learning indoors and outdoors.
• Rhythm, rhyme, phonics or early number activity, matched to children’s stage.
• Singing, stories and reflection.
• Regular hall, library, Wild Woods, farm and garden sessions.

Meet the team

Our Nursery team includes

• Mrs Hilary Williams (Early Years Manager)
• Mrs Edwards,
• Mrs Barnes

Also Mrs Candice Gallimore-Johnson (Reception Teacher)

and skilled Early Years practitioners who work closely with the Reception team.

Working with families

We value parents and carers as children’s first educators. We share children’s learning, offer practical guidance and provide opportunities for families to take part in the life of Nursery. We recommend one open session each term, including a Stories in the Woods session with a shared story, refreshments and outdoor activities.