Letting little ones thrive…
Little Deers, Nutley Preschool is situated at the heart of the village of Nutley in the picturesque Ashdown Forest. Located in the Nutley Memorial Hall, on the high street directly opposite Nutley Church of England Primary School, it has been running for 40 years and has a well-earned place in the heart of the community as well. There are a number of former preschoolers who are now bringing their children along!
Most attendees are from the village and go on to education in the village’s primary school, but children from outside the village or who hope to attend a different primary school are of course also encouraged to attend.
Rising Fives
“Rising Fives” is the name giving to our eldest preschoolers who will be going up to primary school the following September. We are fortunate to have Nutley Church of England Primary School across the road from us. We work closely with the school to give the children the opportunity to get to know current reception class and teachers. Through this they can familiarise themselves with the school setting and feel confident in making their next academic steps. The primary school also invites the preschoolers to attend their termly and harvest services at St James the Less Church in the village.
Our Staff and Committee
The preschool has dedicated staff members, including a Preschool Manager and Deputy Preschool Manager. They ensure the smooth running of the preschool on a day-to-day basis and take care of the children’s needs during their time in the preschool’s care.
The preschool is managed by a committee of parents who are also the charity trustees. Parental involvement in the committee and in fundraising events during the course of the academic year is warmly encouraged, and indeed necessary.
Our Setting
Nutley Memorial Hall offers preschool a generous amount of space for its use and this enables the children to select from a number of different activities each session. Activities change from session to session in accordance with the themes for learning for each term on the basis of acknowledged Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles.
The children also benefit from a beautiful dedicated preschool garden and the easy access to the Ashdown Forest. Walks in the Forest are very popular with children and parents alike. Of course, risk assessments are carried out before any off-site activity and parental permission is always sought and obtained in advance.
Our Commitment
What makes a good preschool, of course, is how the children are treated. There are rigorous policies in place for the children’s safety and welfare, but more telling than that is that most of the children run into preschool in the morning and bounce out of it again in the afternoon after another wonderful session! In addition, we were delighted to receive in June 2022 a “GOOD” Ofsted report, with “GOOD” ratings in every category examined.
The preschool welcomes visits from parents and prospective attendees at any time. Please contact us to arrange a visit.