The High House - Day Nursery section for older children

This time is very important in your child's life. He or she is preparing to enter mainstream school. The right curriculum is essential at this stage, we have a graduate specialist Early Years teacher , fully qualified and experienced, to guide your child through this crucial stage in his or her life.

Your child will gain enormously from the small groupings and family atmosphere of this section of the Nursery. We aim to keep the intimacy of the earlier environments and combine it with a wider educational, and skills based curriculum. Your child has the opportunity to learn essential basic skills, so that he or she will enter school well equipped to handle the sometimes difficult situations, as they arise. We have had many teachers within local schools tell us that they recognise our children from their confidence and understanding when they enter the school situation.

So much to learn......... in so many ways! The herb garden.....

Each group of children spend much of their time with their individual teacher, in their ‘home base’ for register and story times, and other rooms for specialised activities.

library time at Nursery

Paintinh for fun and learning, all part of the nursery day.

Each group follows a structured day with library, number, reading, and art and craft sessions each day.

Highhouse Day Nursery and the Montessori insets.

The Montessori room is in the house and children are taken in small groups to use the specialised Montessori equipment.

The use of computers in the nursery is encouraged with the children. The child learns cooperation, social interaction, and fine motor control, as well as the aims and objectives of each individual program.

One of the lesser known benefits of working with computers is the co-operative play that develops, whereby children will co-operate to complete a task, or find a solution to a specific problem.

Measuring and counting, number is all around us, everyday activities including mealtimes are a rich source of learning about numbers.

Our children set the tables, and pour their own drinks. They cut their own fruit and serve to each other, learning to say "Please",

"May I have a ......"

" Would you like a ........."

"Thank you", and

"No thank you" - as appropriate. We encourage our children to interact with their peers at mealtimes, lunch is a very social occasion!

The four year old children follow a slightly more formal timetable. Their day is broken into Curriculum areas, including activities involving Maths, Language and Literature, Science, Physical Education, Music, Topic work encompassing some History, and Geography. Physical Education is included on a regular basis, with Food and Nutrition when appropriate. Our children learn to socialise, to share, to be polite; so many skills necessary for life. Montessori believed that children should learn and understand these skills from an early age. Her activities and ethos within her schools helped children to understand the needs of others and the needs of the environment. Children will ask to share in games and activities, they should understand the need for individual privacy and space, they want order in their lives and need to understand how that order is maintained on an everyday basis. Through structured activities, sharing games, and making everyday activities fun, the Nursery works towards to achieving these aims.

All children have regular assessments. Staff assess children every few months checking progress in certain core skills, both 'academic' and 'social'. Children develop at differing rates. It is important that Parents consider assessments as a general guide to progress. Staff are happy to discuss children's work with Parents, this can take place at the end of the day, or if more time is needed, it is requested that Parents make an appointment.

Our lunches are cooked on the premises. All children receive a lunch every day. Our cook will cater for special diets where necessary and vegetarian choice is always available. We have designed the lunches so that they adhere to Government guidelines for Healthy Eating. Our lunches endeavour to always use ingredients that are additive free. We are aware of the adverse effects chemical additives can have on the health of children and we like to use fresh ingredients wherever possible.

Children staying for the longer sessions may bring an extra snack with them, this is served at four p.m. In the summer the children delight in eating outdoors and have a picnic, in the garden.

Bishop's Stortford, Takeley, Stansted, Elsenham, Great Dunmow, Canfield, Henham, Harlow, Quendon, Clavering, Saffron Walden, Mole Hill Green, Birchanger, Thaxted, Ashdon, Debden, Debden Green, Newport, Priors Green, Broxted, Little Canfield, Sawbridgeworth, Thorley, Hatfield Heath, Hatfield Broad Oak

HighHouse Day Nursery Established 1985

Pre-school, in the Farmhouse. email: Highhouse Nursery

So much to learn......... in so many ways! The herb garden.....