Our Key Stage One Vision

Here at Nettleworth Infant and Nursery School, our aim ‘We Nurture, We Flourish, We Achieve’ is central to everything we do to enable our children to SHINE like stars.

In practice this involves focusing on our children being SAFE, HAPPY and INDEPENDENT learners. We NURTURE resilience and ignite curiosity by delivering an inspiring curriculum and promoting a love of learning. We strive to equip all of our children with the confidence to have big ambitions and high expectations of themselves as they strive for EXCELLENCE. 

We have developed 6 key curriculum drivers which underpin the learning and experiences we undertake in all areas of school life. These run as a thread throughout each curriculum subject to ensure our curriculum is enriched and implemented to provide appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities for our children to SHINE. 

Our dedicated team of Key Stage One staff care deeply about the children in our school and aim to form close relationships with children and their families.

We treat every child as a unique individual.  Above all, we want our children to feel happy, secure and safe.  Praise, clear boundaries and our whole school consistent approach to the Rainbow Rules contribute to building confidence and resilience of our children.  We believe in praising effort and valuing the little steps that really make a difference to the children’s progress and self-esteem.

We believe that young children are intrinsically capable of amazing things and we develop this through having high expectations and promoting a strong sense of independence. Continuous provision plays a huge role in achieving this as children revisit prior learning independently and become confident and skilled in a range of subjects and skills.

Year 1 and Year 2 work as shared teams meaning that staff often work across the classes getting to know all of our children really well.  This allows for a shared vision of inspirational learning, greater interaction between the children and increased opportunities for shared resources and experiences. 

We pay great attention to the physical environment and the resources used to enhance the children’s experiences. The environment supports children to be fully engaged in purposeful learning of their own choice and interest. Resources have been carefully chosen to ensure that they are progressive across the different year groups. These resources are displayed on open shelving units so they are accessible at all times enabling the children to choose where to go, what to use and how to use them. A less is more approach has been established to ensure resources are used effectively and children are confident using them.

We are keen to promote a love of books and reading. We have designated quiet, calming spaces and cosy book areas for reading, reflection, conversation or settling into the school day. Books and other reading materials are carefully selected and displayed in other areas of the classroom to support learning.

Lunch times play an important part of the school day and we encourage independence and take great care to support the children in the dining hall to make choices they are comfortable with. We educate the children on healthy eating and provide lots of initiatives to make lunch times fun and deliver food education to support the curriculum.

Our outdoor areas provide wonderful opportunities, to play and investigate.  Here the children form relationships with others, assess risks for themselves and have the confidence and resilience to attempt challenges, having a go and trying again. The trim trail and climbing equipment helps build children’s gross motor skills and physical development to aid the practical skills of writing and poses challenges to build confidence and self-esteem.  Sharing equipment and space and negotiating turn taking are important skills for our children to acquire and helps develop children’s communication.

Our KS1 staff prioritise providing an emotional environment that supports the children with their learning, ensuring they feel confident and independent, ready to try new things, reassured that adults can help them if necessary without taking over. As a school we follow a THRIVE approach and Take 5 to support PSED.

We follow the fascinations and interests of the children responding to the needs of individuals and real-life situations. 

We want every child to enjoy coming to school and are passionate to instil a love of learning in our children to follow them throughout the rest of their schooling here at Nettleworth.