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Early Years

At Forest, the Early Years Foundation Stage comprises our Nursery (2-3 year olds), Kindergarten (3-4 year olds) and Reception (4-5 year olds) classes. Nursery and Kindergarten children have access to our non-term time provision, which means 48 weeks of provision offered throughout the year.

Following their second birthday, Nursery children have the option of starting in the non-term time summer holidays. This gives the children ample opportunity to settle into school life before beginning with their academic year group from the September. All nursery children are required to do a minimum of 4 sessions each week, (a morning is classed as one session, a full day is classed as two sessions) they may attend for a combination of mornings and/or full days.

Kindergarten children may start on a full-time basis or for a minimum of five mornings or three full days, gradually increasing to full-time attendance during their time in Kindergarten, in preparation for their transition to Reception.

Reception is a natural progression from Kindergarten, combining a warm, welcoming atmosphere with a bright, spacious and stimulating environment, which provides a wide variety of learning areas. The children are well-motivated learners, who continue to work within the seven areas of learning from the Foundation Stage curriculum, with an increased focus on the teaching of reading, writing and numeracy

We are currently providing tours to those families looking to join us for Nursery in September 2025. Please email enquiries@forestschool.co.uk or telephone 0161-980-4075 to arrange a visit.

Strategies in place to ensure new starters settle quickly in our Early Years setting

  • Establish two way communication and a warm welcoming approach for parents to talk with staff at anytime.
  • ‘Settling in’ sessions for the child before starting which includes a one hour stay and play session with a parent, plus a one hour session without a parent.
  • In the summer holidays prior to the child starting, parents will receive a virtual link of Nursery staff reading a story. This will help the children to become familiar with the Nursery teaching staff.
  • When child starts, continual one-to-one support to feel secure and reassured
  • Parents complete forms about their child which enable our staff to have a good  understanding of the child’s needs. This includes ‘All About Me’ and ‘Parental Assessment on Entry’.
  • Early Years Information Evening at the start of the school year, which explains how we teach Phonics, Literacy and Maths
  • Continual two-way dialogue and meetings early in the academic year whenever needed, to discuss strategies and solutions to particular areas of difficulty where a child is not meeting age appropriate expectations.
  • Child’s ‘next steps’ so they are continual progressing are shared with parents in written form and regularly discussed at drop-off/pick up and through our online portal (Tapestry) and parents’ evenings.
  • Previous Settings: We have established a good relationship with local feeder settings, we request a transition report and discuss the child either by visiting the setting or by phone, depending on the child’s needs.

Explore life at Forest Prep School

The best way to find out about life at Forest is to visit us. We would be delighted to welcome you into school for a personal tour with our Headmaster, Mr Booth. To book please call our friendly admissions team on 0161 980 4075 or enquiries@forestschool.co.uk..
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“We aim to give our youngest children the best possible start to school life, so that they feel happy, safe and secure, whilst learning in a rich, varied and challenging environment.” Mrs Budd - Deputy Head (Academic and Early Years)
Early Years Curriculum
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