The Little Big Nursery

Based in the grounds of St. Dominic’s Grammar School, The Little Big Nursery offers childcare and early education for children aged from six weeks.

Open for fifty-two weeks of the year (closing only on Bank Holidays), we offer childcare from 07:30 until 18:00. We also offer term time only contracts that fall in line with the Staffordshire school term dates. Parents have access to three different sessions: Morning (07:30-12:30), Afternoon (13:00-18:00) and Full Day (07:30-18:00). There is no minimum requirement in terms of sessions, however, we will work closely with families to ensure your child is receiving the best possible outcome from their time at nursery.

We accept children who receive the Think2’s funding, along with the EEF funding (including extended 30 hours) for three and four year olds. Please contact the manager for more information regarding the funding schemes.

We also offer a Holiday Play Scheme for children aged from four to eight years. This is provided in line with the Staffordshire school term dates and is available for children who attend other local schools as well. For more information regarding Holiday Play Scheme, or to request an Application Form, please contact the Nursery Manager.

We understand that finding the right place for your child can be challenging, to say the least, but be assured that we endeavour to make this decision as easy as possible. Our staff, facilities and resources are of high quality and our commitment to ensuring children achieve their best is second to none. We respect that our children hold the key to our future, so with love, kindness and a strong start to education, we are confident they will leave the Little Big Nursery with a very bright future ahead of them. The way in which children learn differs so frequently that our staff are continuously creating new ways to enhance learning through enjoyable, child-led activities that are engaging, thought provoking, and promote social interactions. We offer a range of natural resources and open-ended activities that encourage children to not only use their imaginations but to also ask questions and think independently. We often value the process of how children get somewhere more than the final product itself.

What we offer:

• Strong relationships with parents – Our online system allows parents to login and access their child’s learning journey at any time. Parents can view their development, along with observations and photographs, as well as daily feedback on what the children have been doing. They can also have their own input by uploading images and observations of what their child has been doing away from nursery.

• Baby room – Our baby room focusses on offering love and care in a nurturing and homely environment. We are very proud of the relationship we have with our babies and like to think we become an extension to their family.

• Toddler Room – Our 2-3’s focus is on communication and language, encouraging children to recognise they have a voice. We work hard in building relationships with the children whilst instilling values and respect for one another.

• Preschool – Our preschool focus is on extending children’s respect for one another by encouraging an understanding of social responsibility and empathy. We will also draw on children’s interest to encourage and promote learning of phonics, literacy and numeracy. This is often done on an individual basis to ensure the children are being challenged effectively and appropriately.

• Outdoor Play – We are very fortunate to have use of the school grounds here at St. Dominic’s Grammar School which provides us with plenty of opportunities to experience nature first hand. Children are encouraged to learn through risk taking; analysing them and thinking of ways to overcome these. They also learn about the important of looking after our natural environments not only for us, but for animals and their natural habitats. Whatever the weather, we encourage children to have fun outdoors.

• Curriculum Focus – the Little Big Nursery work towards the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Requirements and Early Years Outcomes. By following this curriculum, we can be certain that our children are developing at appropriate rates and that, if support is needed, we will work with external agencies and families to provide this. Our staff challenge children to achieve their individual next steps and to work their way through the curriculum, ensuring that they are as prepared for an education in Primary School as possible, regardless of which school is chosen.

• Extra Curricular Activities – We value the importance of providing children with new and exciting opportunities which is why we are very proud to be able to offer a variety of extra-curricular activities. These range from: French, Spanish, Yoga, P.E, Nature Detectives and Music.

• Partnered with St. Dominic’s Grammar School – Not only do we have the opportunity to use the school grounds, but we have an incredibly strong relationship with the staff at St. Dominic’s. Having these relationships enable us to share a variety of experiences together, working particularly closely with the Reception class. Together, we share party days to experience different celebrations and work in collaboration to perform a Christmas Nativity. We also have a shared outdoor area so it is common for our children to build relationships with older children and to learn from the positive examples set by them. These relationships are encouraged for all children, regardless of whether or not they continue their education through St Dominic’s.

If you would like to come and visit our nursery, we operate an Open Door Policy. You are welcome to visit any day, without appointment, between the hours of 09:00-11:00 or 14:00-16:00. If these times are unsuitable, please call us to arrange a show around at a more convenient time. On entry to the school please just state you are here to visit the nursery and you will be granted access through the gates, if they are not already open.

For more information or to discuss availability, please contact Grace, the Nursery Manager directly on 01902 939 101 OR hello@thelittlebignursery.co.uk