Welcome to Woodside Primary Academy 2-3 Provision 

• Our 2-year-old daycare and sessional provision is currently full for this next academic year (applications accepted for September 2025 only).

Our 2-3 year-old provision is registered under the school's 2-11 year-old Ofsted number and framework.

The nursery has a dedicated team of experienced leaders, qualified teachers and experienced early years practitioners, who provide exceptional care, learning opportunities and personal development for all children. The nursery has an established reputation for ‘high quality’ care and education amongst our current and returning families.

The 2-Year-Old Provision consists of 2 rooms

• Independent Dragonfly & Kind Caterpillar rooms.

Nursery Offer

We offer a wide range of provision to support the needs of all families:

• Free early education funded 15-hour places for two-year-old children (eligibility criteria applies).      SESSIONS: AM 8:30am-11:30pm PM 12:30pm-3:30pm.
• Free early education funded 15-hour places for all three and four-year-old children.                          SESSIONS: AM 8:30am-11:30am PM 12:30pm-3:30pm.
• Free early education funded 30-hour places for three-year-old children (Government Eligibility Criteria applies).
• Full Day Care and extended wrap around day-care starting from: 8:00am and available to 6.00pm (Fees apply). Call Nursery Operations Manager John Coggin in the nursery office for more information on: 0203 839 4971 or email nursery@woodside-academy.org

Nursery Opening Hours

Open from 8am-6pm (Late fees apply) Monday-Friday. (Please see fees booklet for 50-weeks charging structure).

The nursery is closed for one week at Easter, one-week at Christmas and for two weeks at the end of August.

Learning Partners

Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s learning from home via the interactive on-line ‘Tapestry App’. Parents are able to add videos and photographs and work samples to their child’s online learning journey.

The nursery team use the ‘Tapestry app’ to create a time map of each child’s learning journey by gathering:

• Photographs, video recordings and written observation notes of the children to support planning for each child’s next steps.

The learning journey is used to assess each child’s progress while at Woodside. Parents can comment on what is uploaded by the staff team.

Key Person

All children will be allocated a practitioner as a key person.

They will support with the settling and transition processes, as well as make assessments of your child while they are in the 2-3 provision. You can speak to the key person, room lead or any member of the leadership team, at any time about your child.

Tapestry Care Diary

We use the Tapestry Care Diary to let you know exactly what is happening with your child throughout the day. We will mark on there what they have been eating, nappy changes, and sleep times.  When your child starts, we will send you a link to set this up.

Meal Provision

We provide healthy choices for breakfast, lunch, tea-time and snacks, all freshly prepared daily and cooked on site by our in-house catering team. 

Nappies and Wipes

Parents and carers are asked to provide an adequate amount of nappies, wipes and creams for the whole session.

Please have a chat with us about the nappies you use, e.g. disposable or re-usable, or if training to use the toilet.  Also if your child is allergic to a particular brand or has a particular wipe.

Nappy Creams

If you use a regular nappy cream, or if at any stage your child has nappy sores, please let us know.  We will discuss this with you as part of the settling in process.

Intimate Care

We have an Intimate Care Policy in place at the nursery and this forms part of our safeguarding procedures.  Children will always be changed in a designated safe and private area.  We will always ensure the child’s dignity and provide gentle care whilst making the process a playful experience.

Change of Clothes

 Please bring a labelled bag for each session, with some changes of clothes in case they get wet, dirty or soiled.

Comforters and Soothers

We understand that children may have a comforter such as a blanket, teddy, toy or dummy.  These can be brought into the nursery to be used for soothing and comfort, especially in sleeping.  If they do have a particular item, please discuss this with the key person during the settling process.  Our policy is to use dummies only as comforters at key times, such as sleeping time. And to wean babies off using them in collaboration with parents.

To aid the development of speech and so that children don’t become reliant on them, we will encourage them to be put away and will only come out at sleep time, or times of distress, as a comfort.

Our Curriculum for 2-3-Year-Olds

The under ‘3s’ curriculum focusses on providing experience and teaching that develops the essential aspects of early child development. It is sequenced to ensure it prepares children for the next stage in their learning journey. It encompasses a focus on the prime areas of learning first, found in the Early Years Foundation Stage programmes of study and learning and development overviews:

Prime

• Personal & social development
• Physical development
• Communication, language

Specific

• Mathematics
• Literacy
• Understanding the world
• Expressive art & design

Planning for Learning and Development

At Woodside Primary Academy, we encourage each child to explore and extend their learning through a hands-on  curriculum; driven by exploratory and investigative play and some direct teaching.

Adults support the children's learning through one-to-one and small group activities, both inside and in the outside environment. We also plan around children’s interests and fascinations.

Story Time

We think it is very important to read with the children daily.  As part of the routine, we have a story and singing/rhyme session to build vocabulary, develop language and comprehension; support personal and social skills and foster a love for books.  Books are also on offer for children to access at all times during the free flow play sessions.

Sleep Routines

We understand that the children in our care will be adjusting to different routines and patterns of sleep.  Whilst we will have a main sleep time as part of our daily routine, we will, of course, adjust this for individuals while settling in, and will have a space provided for children who need to rest and sleep at other times of the day.  The individual sleep routine of your child will be discussed with you as part of the transition and settling process.

Comforters at Sleep Time

We know that to provide a safe and comfortable home from home space for our babies, they will settle with a comforter such as a teddy, blanket, sleeping bag or dummy (dummy weaning to be discussed).

As part of the transition process, we will discuss with any comforters your child usually has, and they can be brought in to the nursery to be used to aid and support sleep.

Sleep Beds

We have individual sleeping beds for the babies which have a sheet and a blanket.

These are washed once per week so that they are clean and fresh.  We will also change them if they get wet or soiled for any reason.

Dietary Needs

During the admission process we will ask you to provide details of any allergies or intolerances to food, as well as any particular dietary needs such as vegetarianism. All the food provided at the nursery is Halal and is also nut-free.

We are a Nut-Free school.

Daily food orders will be adjusted according to the individual dietary needs of the children and staff will be made aware of this.  Posters will be displayed highlighting this to practitioners working with for the children.

 Kind Caterpillar and Independent Dragonfly Rooms

Self-selection is available at all times throughout the day.

Top Tips for Starting Nursery

1. Toilet training

When your child starts nursery, they may still be in nappies. That’s OK! We are here to help.

2. Handwashing

It is also important to show your child how to wash and dry their own hands, let them be independent.

3. Taking shoes off

This helps your child to gain independence. We encourage all of our children to ‘have a go’ and try to take off their own shoes at nap time.

4. Sharing and being kind

We support children and encourage them to share toys and resources with each other. Please talk to your child about sharing and being kind to others.

5. Drinking from a cup

At meal times, your child will use an open cup. If they would like a drink during the session, they can help themselves at the water station.

6. Feeding myself

During mealtimes, the children are encouraged to feed themselves using a spoon or fork.

7. Sleep time routine

The children have a nap between the times of 12.30 pm and 2.00 pm. Your child will have their own bed with bedding. You may bring a comforter if you wish.

8. Rhyme time

At nursery your child will learn lots of new nursery rhymes. At home, you can start by singing simple nursery rhymes such as ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ or ‘The wheels on the bus.’

9. Story time

It is very important to read with your child daily. You will be given a reading book for your child when they are and you can change it weekly.

10. Talking to your child about coming to nursery

If you walk along Wood Street, point to the 2-3 building and talk about things they might do when they come to nursery.