Meet the Fox Cubs Team 

Miss K Harrison - Nursery Teacher/ EYFS co-ordinator

Mrs L Rowley - EYFS Practitioner

Mrs D Tomlinson - EYFS Practitioner

Mrs S Newton - EYFS Teaching Assistant

Miss K Teather - EYFS Teaching Assistant

Miss A Hill - EYFS Teaching Assistant

                 

Our topic this term is

Special Times!

Here are some ideas to start with and we will continue to add to them as we go through the half term! We base our learning on a book/theme each week linked to our topic. Within this we also follow the principles of 'planning in the moment' which means that the children guide our learning following their interests and so every day is full of surprises!! 

 

Autumn 2 - Week 1

Bonfire Night - Sparks in the sky!

When does Bonfire Night happen?  What happens at Bonfire night?  What colours can we see in the sky?  What shapes do the fireworks make?  What will we hear?  What can we taste?  How can we stay safe?  What do I need to wear when I am going to a Bonfire night celebration?  Who was Jackson Pollock?  How do I create art by splatter painting?

For the first week of the new term we are going to explore Bonfire Night! We will be using the children's own experiences of this event which is happening now!  This is to start a new topic which is called 'Special Times!' where we will be learning about what festivals and celebrations we celebrate with our family and friends as well as learning about festivals and celebrations which are new to us. 

During this week we will be exploring fireworks and the different colours we can see building on our mathematics learning from last term. We will make different patterns using our flipper flappers in our squiggle sessions and use a range of media in the creative station to make lots of fireworks! 

In the outside area we are hoping to have an art immersion morning where we will explore splatter painting in the style of Jackson Pollock. We will get our all in ones on and splatter the paint on a large scale as well as exploring pattern making using the paint rollers! We will have so much fun!! 

In the home sweet home area we are going to start to explore festivals and celebrations that we have already been part of our of Nursery. We will look at the photographs that our parents have sent in and put them in photo frames and hang them on the wall - just like we would do at home! 

Autumn 2 - Week 2

 

Diwali - The Festival of lights

What are celebrations? What is the festival of Diwali? Who celebrates Diwali? How is this festival celebrated? What will I see? What is a Rangoli pattern? What is a light source?  What colours could I see?  Who were Rama and Sita? What happened to Rama and Sita?

We will continue to learn about light and dark through the Hindu festival of Diwali! Just like Bonfire Night there will be lots of fireworks in this festival! 

We will be exploring the story of Rama and Sita and how candles lit the way home for them. We will have a go at making our own Diva pots and explore making different textures in the clay!

In Adventure Island we will have the story of Rama and Sita and use different props and puppets to help us retell the story after Miss Harrison has told us the story in story time!! 

At the message centre we will explore making different marks and patterns using a range of mark making tools to make Happy Diwali cards!

In the outside area we will use the colourful chalks to create our own Rangoli patterns! Look out for them when you come to Nursery!!

Autumn 2 - Week 3
 

Kipper's Birthday!

When do we celebrate our birthday?  How do we celebrate our birthdays?  How old are we? What would we want at a Birthday party? How do you make a Birthday cake?  What present could we buy Freddie Fox? What are candles? What song do we sing at someone’s Birthday?

This week we are exploring a celebration and special time that we all have once a year - it's our birthday!! We will start the week reading the story of 'Kipper's Birthday' where Kipper plans his own Birthday party! Poor Kipper, things don't quite go to plan!! However, he does enjoy a party at the end of the story!! 

In the message centre we will explore how to make Birthday invitations by using a range of marks to carry our messages! We will also make Birthday cards and post them in the post box!

In Calculation corner we will explore matching Birthday cakes and sorting the candles for the cakes. We will also explore matching the right number of candles to the different pieces of Numicon.

We love to bake in Nursery and so this week we will be making our own fairy cakes by following a simple recipe. After they are cooled we will then decorate them using icing and some yummy treats!! 

In the land of make believe we will be using a range of props and story books to help use create our own Birthday parties. We will learn to play party games and how to celebrate our Birthdays! 

Autumn 2 - Week 4

 

The Scarecrow's Wedding

What does it mean to be married?  Who can marry two people?  What are weddings and what happens? What other celebrations/ festivals can we be part of with our families?  What would we need to have a party? What is an invitation?

This week we are going to be exploring weddings! We will discuss that some people when they are older choose to marry their partner. We will find out what this means and look at photographs of different wedding ceremonies in various religions and those who choose to have a civil ceremony! In the Home Sweet Home area we will have the opportunity to dress in different wedding clothes. I wonder who will dress as a bride or a groom or will it be a bridesmaid or page boy! There will also be a photo booth set up with lots of props for the children to use to create their own memories with their friends using the ipad to take photographs which we will download and look at together at the end of the week!

To help us understand weddings further we will read the story of 'The Scarecrow's Wedding'. We will find out what list they scarecrows created to help them prepare for their own wedding. We will discuss that lists are a useful mark making tool to help us prepare for many celebrations!!

During the week we will discuss other celebrations that we could be part  of such as Baptisms. We will look at photographs that the children have brought from home to see their experiences of celebrations! 

Autumn 2 - Week 5
 

The Jolly Christmas Postman!

What do we use to decorate the house or Nursery with at Christmas time? What job does a Post person do? What can we send to friends and family at Christmas time? How can we wrap different presents at Christmas time? What happens in a Post Office?  What can we put on the Christmas tree? Who did the Jolly Christmas Postman deliver too?

This is one of our most favourite times of the year - it's Christmas!! This week we will be starting our preparation for Christmas in Nursery!! We will be making decorations for our classroom such as making paperchains by fastening paper together in links. Then we will decorate the Christmas tree by hanging lots of pretty, colourful decorations on the tree with the sparkly tinsel! I wonder what we will put on top of the tree this year? The star or an angel!! You will have to see what we decide!! 

During the week we will make a story map using the illustrations from the story. We will use our Talk for Writing actions and words to help us retell the story alongside using a range of vocabulary and actions! There will be a story sack that the children can use so they can retell the story again and again as well as make their own story!  

In the land of make believe the children help to make Santa's Workshop!! We will have different toys for the children to make and then they will explore which sized wrapping paper we need to wrap up the different toys ready for Santa to deliver on Christmas Eve!! 

This week will also be performing our Christmas Nativity to our families in the hall!! We are so excited to be planning to do this as we hope it will get everybody into the Christmas mood!! The children will be acting and singing as they perform 'The Christmas Star!' to everyone! 

 

Autumn 2 - Week 6

 

Jesus' Christmas Party

What happened at the first Christmas in Bethlehem? Who was Jesus and who was there when he was born?  What is my favourite part in the Christmas story?  Why do people celebrate Christmas What do shepherds do?  Which animals were in the stable?

During the week we will look at the first Christmas when baby Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem.  We will be making links to our Christmas nativity which we performed to parents last week! We will explore who came to visit baby Jesus and what gifts they bought. We will be thinking what gifts we give each other now and how giving and receiving presents make us feel. At the creation station we will start to make Christmas cards and gifts to give to our families at the end of the term. We will also be thinking about how the shepherds and wise men travelled to Bethlehem and we will be planning our own journey's using the Bee Bots.

In Adventure Island we will be using the props and the story of the First Christmas to act out the story of baby Jesus.

 

Autumn 2 - Week 7
 

Elf's First Adventure

Who is Elf?  What does he do?  What adventures does the Elf get up to? What could the Elf do next?  Where is the Elf hiding in Nursery?  What happens at Christmas time?  What do we need to do to get ready for a party?  What party food would we like at the Christmas party?  What happens in Santa’s workshop?  What will Santa be doing now? What would we like to get for Christmas?

For the last week of the term we will be following the adventures of Elf! We hope that he is a good Elf and not a naughty Elf! We will practise our positional language by describing where the Elf is each day. As a class we will make a diary of his adventures and mark make what he has been doing! This book will then be kept in the cosy corner so we can read the book again and again! 

We will mark make ideas about what food we would like at our Christmas party and we will bake some of the food we will eat at the party! At the party we will dance and play party games such as pass the parcel and musical statues! 

In the cosy corner we will reads different stories about Santa and Elves as well as other stories about what happens at Christmas!

 

 

Topic Web

To see the full topic web for this half term please click on the link below

Nursery Autumn Two topic plan overview - Special Times!

Knowledge Organiser

To see the Knowledge Organiser for this half term please click on the link below

Nursery Autumn Two Knowledge Organiser - Special Times!

Nursery Dates

Here are the dates we have so far for this half term. We will continue to add to them as the half term progresses. Also remember to check your weekly newsletter!

School photographs – Thursday 6^th November

Anti-Bullying week – week beginning 10^th November

Open Evening for Reception 2026 – 2027 cohort – Wednesday 19^th November 3.30pm – 5.00pm

EYFS Nativity – Wednesday 3^rd December at 9.30am

Level One Phonics workshop for families – Monday 8^th December at 10.45am

Stay and play at 11.00am – Monday 8^th December (after the phonics workshop)

Christmas Fair – Wednesday 17^th December (throughout the day)

Party day – Friday 19^th December

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage

In Nursery we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage which is organised into seven areas of learning. These seven areas are as follows:

PSED - Personal, social, emotional development (developing self confidence and self awareness, making relationships as well as managing behaviour and feelings).

CL - Communication and Language (speaking, listening and understanding)

PD - Physical development (moving and handling as well as health and self care)

LIT - Literacy (reading and writing)

MATHS - Mathematics (numbers, shape, space and measures)

UW - Understanding the World (people and communities, the world and technology)

EAD - Expressive Arts and Design (exploring and using media and materials as well as being imaginative!)

CLICK HERE for 'What to Expect When' document to help you understand what your child should be able to do at different age stages!

Our School Values

 The whole school will focus on the twelve values during the year whereas in Nursery we will focus on four of these values on a regular basis through the year - co-operation, achieving, respectful and enthusiastic. Our first value this term will be Co-operation. We will cover this in all aspects of Nursery and we will be expecting this to be demonstrated to all members of our Coppice community,  it is important that even when we move onto a new value, the old one isn’t lost.

Each week on our Nursery newsletter, Miss Harrison will share which value we are working on in Nursery and what you can work on at home. We cannot wait for you to share how your child has demonstrated the values through proud clouds and on Tapestry!  We look forward to seeing our children bright and early ready to embrace the new weekly challenges!

 Nursery newsletters

 We have a weekly newsletter which will keep everyone informed about what we are doing and what we will be learning about in the future. The newsletter will come home every Friday but we will also put a copy here on our web page.

 

                                            Parent Partnership

We believe in having a good partnership with parents and carers. Together we can help your child to become a happy and successful learner!

 Topic Challenges

Challenges for your child to work on with you during the topic. The children will receive a certificate for completing the challenges if they earn 6 or more points: 

1 point – To put on own coat.

2 points –  To bring in a  photograph showing a family celebration.

3 points –  To bring in a   story book about a special time/celebration.

4 points – To create a piece of art work linked to special times/celebrations.

 

Learning journeys

During the last few years we have developed the way that we collect observations about what your child can do during their time in Nursery. Your child will have a gorgeous book called 'My Little Book of Adventures' where we put in evidence of what your child has been learning! As part of this we will be using an app called 'Tapestry' on our iPads to take photographs of your child completing different activities and make notes about what they are doing. One of the best features of this is that we can email you all the evidence we collect!  You can also let us know of any 'wow' moments you witness at home. We will be sending home an information letter and permission form for this during the beginning of September! 

We also love to hear what your child has achieved at home and so we ask you fill in proud clouds and share them with us! 

Proud cloud letter - September 2025

 

 Have a question or concern?

We understand that there are times when you might have a question or concern! We have an open door policy in our school and you are always welcome to come and speak to any member of staff. Alternatively you can ring school on 01773 712840 or email me at kharrison4@ coppice.derbyshire.sch.uk  and we will do all we can to help.

Our Nursery

Here is our latest Nursery booklet which contains all the information about our Nursery 

Updated version coming soon!

School readiness

Over the year we will be preparing your child for their start in Reception. Is your child ready to start Reception? The following are some of the skills that your child is expected to be able to do as they begin their journey into Reception but remember we have a whole year to prepare them.

Is your child ready for Reception? 

Stay and Play sessions

Each term we have a stay and play session so parents, carers and other family member can join us in Nursery to see what we do. The children love showing everyone their classroom and the type of activities we do every day in Nursery. We always end with an activity for both children and adults. This could be a story, a squiggle, a dough disco or a dance! Who knows!! We like to keep it a surprise!!

Our next Stay and play session is Monday 8th December at 11.00am!

Helping at home!

There are lots of things you can do to help your child.  Below are some ideas of what you can do which are quick and easy and will help your child consolidate skills we have taught in school. If you would like any help or support please ask any member of EYFS staff. We would be more than happy to help with ideas!

Letters and Sounds

 

Level 1 Aspect 1 (Environmental Sounds) booklet - Ideas for parents to use at home.

Level 1 Aspect 2 (Instrumental Sounds) booklet - Ideas for parents to use at home.

Level 1 Aspect 3 (Body percussion) booklet - Ideas for parents to use at home.

Reading

Spend time sharing lots of books together. Practise holding the books the correct way round and turning the pages in order. Encourage your child to talk about the pictures and to support them in making their own stories using the pictures.

Writing

At this stage the children will be making lots of marks using a range of writing tools such as felt tips, pens and paint. Encourage your child to talk about what their marks mean. As your child becomes more confident in holding writing tools support them in writing their names on invitations and cards.

Nursery Always Skills for Writing 

Nursery Literacy non-negotiables 

Squiggle Information

Dough Disco Leaflet 

Mathematics

Play board games such as 'snakes and ladders'  to encourage your child to count spaces to move their counters forwards or backward. When you are walking as the children to count how many foot steps from one place to another and ask the children to identify different numbers they see on doors or buses.

By the end of nursery your child is expected to be able to recite numbers to 5, recognise numerals 1 to 3, count 3 to 4 objects and make marks to represent their counting.

Nursery Always Skills for Mathematics

Nursery Numeracy non-negotiables

 

Life skills

Encourage your child to put on and fasten their own coat, to put on their own shoes and to get dressed and undress by themselves. Remind them to wash their hands after going to the toilet and before eating a meal. When eating encourage your child to use a knife and fork correctly.