There has been much joy this term in taking our groups for extended forest trips, complete with a pack lunch but also having more resources to hand, such as rope, hammocks, tarp for shelters, magnifiers to examine flowers and bugs, water colours to paint with, and clay. This has been made possible by having consistent levels of adult supervision in place, including parent and other volunteers, and greater resilience coming from the children, as their confidence and familiarity with the forest landscape has grown. Our forest trips really are special, for the children and adults alike! We also had a number of Seagulls families going on the recent Saturday Family Walk in Leigh Woods to see the bluebells.  

The team thoroughly enjoy setting up the Blackbirds environment each morning. The team have been having on-going conversations surrounding the environment and are always thinking of ways to further enrich the different spaces. In line with our planning board, we work together to create rich, inviting and fun set ups that we feel the children will enjoy playing with and exploring. Our set ups are very much influenced by the children’s wonderful avenues of play and ideas. The children inspire us to add to, change and take away resources from our set ups. We love seeing what ideas they bring to the environment – truly making it their own space to play. Recently, the team had a meeting where we reflected on the studio area in the room. We wanted to ensure that the children can see the resources that are available to them and that they can access them themselves. We felt that having too many resources could be overwhelming for the children, so we adapted the space to allow the children to feel they have further autonomy over this space of the room.  

There are key skills* that schools expect children to be learning before their first day. Practising these will make your child’s journey to Reception as positive as possible.

If your child is already at nursery, in pre-school, or with a childminder, those professionals will work with you and your child to help get them ready.

There’s lots you can do at home to build your child’s confidence and independence, helping them feel emotionally and practically prepared to start school.

We have had some wonderful cultural celebrations with the children this term. We celebrated Lunar new year; reading books, watching lion dances and using the lion puppet during circle time. We decorated the Blackbirds room for Lunar New Year. One of the children noticed the lanterns and asked his Mum if they could decorate their house with lanterns too! Many of our children and staff have observed Ramadan and celebrated Eid this term. In Blackbirds we made a crescent moon to mark Ramadan. The children had lots of fun collaging the moon and it is now hanging up in Blackbirds. We are learning a new song called "magical moon", which uses makaton signs and links to the lunar festivals we have been celebrating. Here is a link to the song on You Tube Magical Moon with makaton

This term has been a busy time in Seagulls. The children returned after the break with confidence and plenty of ideas and interests they wanted to explore! The team have been working hard to meet the varying needs of all of the children – there are those who need a bit more of a challenge or who might like to explore a specific interest in more depth, children who want to explore everything, and others who may need support in developing life-long skills such as using the toilet, problem solving in social interactions, understanding their own (and others) emotions, or a physical skill such as developing their sense of balance or how to use scissors safely.

January and February, coming roughly in the middle of the school year, can be a time of promise and excitement for the children. While there may be some trepidation initially after the Christmas break, most were eager to see their friends again and be ready to continue their nursery adventure, knowing what to expect but also hoping for new things to learn about and experience. 

What a busy, yet fun filled term we have had together!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Christmas Stay & Play sessions.  It was lovely to see so many parents and carers join us and we hope you enjoyed spending time with your child in nursery, engaging with the activities on offer and joining in with the Christmas songs.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Christmas Stay & Play sessions.  It was lovely to see so many parents and carers join us and we hope you enjoyed spending time with your child in nursery, engaging with the activities on offer and joining in with the Christmas songs.

I am writing to you regarding the protest outside the Mercure Hotel on Redcliffe Way on Saturday 15^th November 2025.

I would like to make it clear that Redcliffe Nursery School puts children and families first and we warmly welcome everyone. We are here to support every child and family to have the best education and care experience that we can provide. To do this, we want everyone to feel that they belong and it is a priority area of our School Development Plan.

Priority area 1: Belonging

Value: Our community is Unique

All children, families and staff feel that they belong at Redcliffe Nursery School and are supported to thrive.

• Children feel comfortable and see themselves and their lived experience represented in the Nursery environment.
• Parents and carers feel welcome in the Nursery and their voices and contributions are valued.
• Staff are confident to challenge stereotypes and prejudicial behaviour in all its forms. Staff feel able to challenge upwards and there are clear pathways to report concerns.
• Staff embrace different cultures and are supported to learn from each other and the wider nursery community.

Our diverse and welcoming community is a strength which we celebrate. We have much to learn from each other.

Please do get in touch with us if you have any worries about the impact of the protest or if there is anything more we can do to ensure that all children and families feel that they belong at Redcliffe Nursery School and are supported to thrive.

Best wishes,

Sam Williams
Headteacher