Jun 10, 2022

School Readiness & The Benefits of a Setting Being On School Grounds

Nursery children colouring in using pencils

Here at The Old Station Nursery Group, school readiness is incredibly important to us, especially as we approach our final term for some of our Pre-School children.


School Readiness

With the transition from nursery to ‘big school’ being an anxious (but exciting!) time for the children, we make sure that from the moment they start nursery, they are getting ready for this change, through developing the skills, attributes and attitudes that will help them to be successful throughout their school journey.

From a very young age, with help and encouragement from their families, community, and great nursery environments, children start developing the abilities, qualities, and mindsets they’ll need for success in school.

From those first attempts at crawling to running around everywhere; from mastering the spoon-to-mouth without spills, to all that pinching, squeezing, and rolling of playdough, spaghetti, and mud, children are building the fine-motor skills and strength for writing and the spatial sense and muscle control for sitting through school lessons. As parents and early childhood educators, every story we share, every nursery rhyme we sing, every loving interaction, and every chat—whether it’s about bugs, colours, monsters, or even kids’ fascination with bathroom topics—helps communication and literacy skills, fostering creativity and critical thinking. These qualities not only prep them for school but also set them up for a life of learning and achievement.

At The Old Station Nursery Group, we focus on nurturing these skills, qualities, and mindsets to ensure children are not only prepared for school but also equipped for lifelong learning. We focus on READINESS– Resilience, Endeavour, Attitudes, Desire, Individuality, Nurtured, Excitement, Self-Esteem and Specialness.

Readiness Skills

Resilience

Like adults, children learn by making mistakes and we believe that is not the mistake that matters, it is our fearless and determined approach to keep trying that counts. Confidence is key here – we need children to know it is ok to make a mistake, learn from it, and then with support and encouragement, try again and again.

So, when children inevitably get frustrated at their tenth attempt at building a bridge for their train track, which keeps collapsing, we want them to be confident enough to keep going and find the solution. Problem solving is a key skill for school and for life.

Endeavour

We know that children are absolutely packed full of potential. We believe that we should always encourage and support children to reach that potential. It could simply be encouraging a few more details to the beautiful painting they have created or sitting for a few extra minutes to complete the puzzle they started. We want children to enjoy knowing the feeling of seeing something through to its conclusion – the feeling of success!

Attitude

We believe children need to have a positive attitude to learning; to be excited, curious and engaged in learning. Lots of discussions about the exciting experiences they will have at ‘big school’ will all feed into a positive attitude to school and learning; focusing on the new friends they will make, the new toys that they will have the opportunity to play with, and the new and exciting things they will learn each day which they can come home and tell their families about. Sharing your own positive memories from school, for example, your favourite school dinner, or the lovely teacher you had and the things that they taught you, is extremely beneficial also. You can also explore the school website, which will often have pictures of the different things they do at school.

Desire

This is about the ‘wants and wishes’ of our young children. Children should have the confidence to express what they want from their learning. We think it is really important to encourage children to be leaders in their learning and we know that children will learn when they are curious, interested and engaged in the subject. We believe that children should continue to develop ideas and explore concepts through play and experiences that interest and excite them. That may mean that our most creative children may spend the summer painting endless masterpieces for your fridge, or that you end up making cupcakes for the millionth time, however, these are all such valuable experiences and learning opportunities which centre around your child’s passions and interests.

Individuality

We know that every child is unique and that this should be celebrated. It is important that, not only do young children feel celebrated for simply being themselves and for all the wonderful things that they are, but that they are also able to celebrate the uniqueness of others. We support and nurture this through our positive relationships and attitudes with others. We encourage the exploration of our differences and our similarities and celebrate everything that makes us unique.

There are many wonderful books and games that can help support this too but key for the smooth transition to school is continuing to celebrate everything that makes your child unique, for example, the skill of being able to speak different languages, their special families, and diverse cultural backgrounds.

Nurtured

We know you have this one ‘hands down’ – children need to feel loved and protected. Children who are emotionally secure and nurtured will thrive at school.

Excitement

Children need to be excited, willing and eager to learn. At nursery, we plan our learning and teaching around children’s interests and passions, and there is no better way to get a child excited and engaged in learning than by doing something that truly interests them. Support their learning at home by using their favourite toys, through their favourite activities, by asking questions and adding resources; for example, real cooking utensils in their playhouse, or a camera to take pictures of the bugs they are hunting in the garden, or a car magazine to compare to their toy cars. By doing this you will be providing new and exciting experiences linked to learning. Children love to have fun and if learning is made fun, children will learn!

Self Esteem & Specialness

We tell our children all the time how special they are, how much we love them and celebrate everything that they are good at. To be successful learners, children need to know how great they are and that they have a worthwhile contribution to make. Just keep this up and our children will make the transition to school with confidence and enthusiasm.

You can be assured that your children already have many of the characteristics and skills needed to start ‘big’ school, thanks to their loving, nurturing family environments, and the experiences and opportunities provided at home and at nursery. The key is to just keep doing what you are doing, continue to encourage your children to play and laugh, practise a few of the practical requirements; such as, toileting, putting shoes, plimsolls and coats on, and listening to instructions etc; enjoy lots of books and songs, and some family time with rich conversations and fun.

Benefits of a setting being on school grounds

Some of our nurseries have the benefit of being on school grounds, which can help to make the transition to school an even easier one. Some of the benefits  include:

  • Helping to prepare for reception- being part of a nursery on a school site helps to create familiarity of surroundings and therefore ease the transition from nursery to school.
  • Offers stability and adapting to a school routine, such as wearing a uniform, or using the school’s resources and activities- this can help the children feel accustomed to school life, and therefore help to make the transition across a less daunting one
  • It can aid the process of finding a good school– especially if the setting is set on a good school’s grounds
  • It’s also useful if you have older children at the school, making it easier for drop off/pick up

However, all our nurseries within The Old Station Nursery Group have the same goal: we believe that the children, with the support of their families and our nursery teams are being prepared for school from the moment they start nursery. We are confident that whilst they may need some extra time to adjust to their new environments, they absolutely have the foundations to be successful learners and reach their full potential – because our young children are simply amazing!


Related pages/links:

Transition to school

Key Carer Approach

Curriculum 

Related blogs:

My Happy and Healthy Self

Helping to ensure a smooth transition from nursery to school


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