February Newsletter 24

The Nursery Manager writes…

Children who attend all year round had a whale of a time making and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Adding their favourite accompaniments proved to be a very enjoyable exercise for all. You can see some of the pictures from this activity below.  In other news, we are pleased to welcome our administration assistant Louise back from maternity leave. No doubt, you will welcome Louise back too, as she represents a main point of contact for all administrative matters. She currently works on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00am to 5:00pm and can be contacted through Famly on these days. Finally, please be reminded that we need to know your family holiday dates for this year as soon as possible.

Sarah Bower
Nursery Manager


Easter holiday

Friday 29 March – Friday 12 April
Nursery open as usual to children attending all year round (except for bank holidays)

Bank Holidays – nursery closed

29 March – Good Friday
1 April – Easter Monday
6 May – May Day Bank Holiday
27 May – Spring Bank Holiday
26 August – Summer Bank Holiday

Photographer visit for Graduation photographs

Tues 28 May – details to follow

Staff training days – nursery closed

Friday 23 August

Christmas closure 2024

We will close at 12:00 noon on Friday 20 December 2024 and re-open to children on Monday 6 January 2025.

Pricing letter

Please be aware that we have sent out a letter detailing imminent price increases. If you have not received this communication, please ask a member of the team for a copy.  You can see a full breakdown of the new pricing below.

Standard rates

Age Group Rate
3 months – 2 years £6.60 an hour
2 years – 3 years £6.55 an hour
3 years-plus £6.50 an hour

 

College staff and self-paying students

Age Group Rate
3 months – 2 years £6.50 an hour
2 years – 3 years £6.45 an hour
3 years-plus £6.40 an hour

Meals

Meal Price
Breakfast £1.50
Lunch £3.50
Tea £2.50

Early Years Education funding

Parents of children who have turned two this term, or are turning two or three, should check the government’s Childcare Choices website to understand the funding to which they are entitled from next term. Importantly, you should let us know all details of your entitlement so we are aware and can process your funding smoothly. Also, if you are not already signed up to tax-free childcare, information and eligibility can be checked through the same website. Simply click here

World Book Day

Did you know? Thursday 7 March is World Book Day. This means we would very much like to see children dressed up as their favourite book characters throughout the week. World Book Day is an important initiative that helps introduce and develop a child’s interest in literature.  All children will be given a book token. You can find out more by clicking here

Language support

The language Literacy Trust’s Words For Life website provides parents, children and young people with activities to improve their language, literacy and communication skills at home. Activities have been broken down into age brackets, making everything age and stage appropriate – from birth to 12 years. There are also useful parent support tools for tackling challenges including baby weaning. Just click here

School readiness

Hampshire Healthy Families offers a variety of resources to help you feel prepared and ready for when your child starts school. These resources are aimed at parents of children aged three to five. To engage with this initiative, click here

Recipe of the month

February’s Recipe of the Month cheesy bolognese pasta. Just click the link below to open the document.

https://highwoodnursery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Beef-bolognese-sauce.pdf