Ark Ayrton nursery is a term time nursery offering quality child care for up to 140 children aged 2 to 5 years from 07:30 – 17:00, Monday to Friday, 39 weeks of the year.

The nursery has a highly qualified and dedicated staff team offering a home-from-home atmosphere where children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. We also offer a breakfast and afterschool club for children up to eleven years old.

We offer free government funded sessions (15hrs for eligible 2 year olds) and up to 30 hours for 3 and 4 year olds depending on eligibility.

 If you would like to come in for a show round please contact the nursery on 023 9282 9899 to arrange a tour.

Startpoint  2 - 3 Years

In the Startpoint room our main aim is to have lots of fun whilst learning. There are always a range of arts and crafts, tactile and play-dough activities available and the children choose what they would like to take part in. This encourages children to become confident at making choices and decisions.

In the startpoint room we provide a home-from-home atmosphere, helping your child to settle into nursery as quickly and smoothly as possible. We also take great pride in working in partnership with parents to ensure the children’s routines are the same at nursery and home, making sure they are getting a variety of different experiences whist meeting their individual needs.

Startpoint can free flow into our garden for children to access the outside area throughout the day, enabling them to be outside as much or as little as they choose. It has a large range of resources and purposeful play and learning activities, which are both adult-led and child-centred, on offer to ensure they are experiencing varied learning areas.

At "circle time" the group take part in a range of letter and sound activities including, stories, singing and "ring" games. The children take part in phase one and two of letters and sounds with a variety of games and activities aimed at supporting communication and language development as well and their social skills, self confidence and self esteem.

Children are provided with a healthy snack through the "snack bar" in both the morning and afternoon. This allows children to access their snacks when they are ready and with limited disruption to their chosen play activity. In addition to their snacks the children have milk and water available throughout the day.

The children have access to the school's library and they regularly use this resource, selecting different books to read and look through.

Startpoint also has a weekly PE session in the main hall to enable children to develop their large physical skills including controlled running, balancing on apparatus and dancing to music.

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Transitioning between rooms

Within our nursery we have four main rooms all with free flow gardens in addition to two large garden areas, one has a wet weather surface and the other a natural grassy garden, both aimed at physical play.

All new children starting in the pre-school room will have a home visit, conducted by the teacher before they start.

As you have read, our rooms are age-related, however this is just a guide. The children are transitioned between rooms when they are emotionally, socially and physically ready. This is decided on a monthly basis involving the key person, room leader and parents. If it is decided that the child is ready then visits to the next room would take place throughout the month to ensure a smooth and happy progression.