Tesco Stronger Starts Grant!

In May 2025 we secured a Tesco Stronger Starts Grant for £1000 with the hope of developing our outside environment. This was with the help of the local community placing blue tokens into our boxes. With this money we were able to purchase the following equipment: A wooden boat, fairy houses, chalks, Polydron XL and a music frame. All of these resources are versatile and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The equipment purchased is also movable, meaning we can use the equipment in all areas of the garden, this is essential during wetter weather. 

The equipment helps to build upon the children's development in the following ways:

• Practicing gross motor skills, such as climbing.
• Encouraging role play and singing, enhancing communication and language.
• Providing opportunities for the children to share and turn take through co-operative. play as well as building friendships developing Personal, Social and Emotional skills.
• Maths and Literacy skills are enhanced through singing songs and rhymes, creating story narratives and linking shape, size and measure along with spatial reasoning and building.
• Expressive Arts and Design is practiced by making structures, engaging in imaginative play.
• Understanding the World is developed by creating stories and narratives and exploring cultures through music and role play.

We are very grateful to have received this money and the children have enjoyed exploring and playing with the new resources. This grant will help us to continue providing high quality provision and an enriching environment for all children that attend St Clares Nursery! 

Thank you to Tesco Stronger Starts from everyone at St Clares Nursery.

Learning Through Landscapes

We were very lucky to have received a grant from Learning through Landscapes. They are a UK based charity which provide training, resources and advice on how Schools and Early Years Settings can make the most out of their outdoor environment.

They provided us with 9 planters, soil and a selection of seeds as a starter kit for our growing area. This area quickly became the children’s favourite place in the garden. We use these planters to grow fruits and vegetables which we eat for our snack and when we have some left over the children take it home to share with their families.

All staff had training to help us use the garden to its full potential. It helped us to expand our provision both indoors and outdoors. We were very grateful for this opportunity!

Walks In The Woods

During half term one of our favourite activities is to take a walk around the local community. We take small groups of children for a walk up to the local woods to explore and learn in a natural environment. On our walk we will encourage the children to explore their senses, discussing what they can see, hear, smell and touch. Children are encouraged to use their skills to safely cross the road, being aware of their surroundings and looking after our planet e.g. litter picking. This also supports our teaching on recycling.

The children have also visited the garden centre which provides the children with the opportunity to explore money, identifying and recognising numbers. The children sometimes purchase a little something to take back to nursery. This is normally seeds/ bulbs or a small ornament for the growing area. We also purchase bird seed for the birds in the woods too! When scattering our bird seed, the children like to sit quietly waiting for the birds and squirrels to find it. This creates lots of discussions and learning opportunities. Before returning to nursery, the children are encouraged to collect sticks, leaves and twigs to create pictures with their findings.

Not only are our trips to the woods exciting for the children, it provides them with hands on experiences within our local community. They are learning life-long skills such as:

• Road safety.
• Communicating with the community.
• Promoting importance of stranger danger.
• Developing awareness of money and spending.
• Looking after the wildlife.
• Patience.
• Independence.