Nursery Provision
The Curriculum
Our teacher led nursery provides all children with a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences. Our high quality learning environment allows children to explore, socialise and develop their skills both indoors and out.
The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of seven areas of learning divided into three ‘prime’ areas and four ‘specific’ areas.
The prime areas are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
- Communication and Language (CL)
- Physical Development (PD)
These three areas reflect the areas used in healthy development reviews by health visitors when children reach two to two and a half years of age.
The specific areas are:
- Literacy (L)
- Mathematics (M)
- Understanding the world (UW)
- Expressive arts and design (EAD)
The categories for these specific areas aim to reflect the holistic nature of young children’s learning and the subjects that this learning will eventually slot into in the school curriculum, such as art, music, science, design and technology.
We offer a tailored child-centred learning experience where your children work towards the Early Learning Goals but learn through play. We offer a warm caring environment where your children feel safe and each child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential, enabling them to develop their own sense of self-worth.
Staff plan activities to ensure each of the development areas are covered; thus helping each child move on to the next stage of development, whilst enhancing their natural curiosity. We have created an environment where all our children can make their own discoveries, both indoors and outdoors, as well as explore the cultures and festivals of others – both in this country and around the world.
Although acceptance into our Nursery does not guarantee a place in our Reception class, both Reception and Nursery work closely together to ensure a smooth transition into mainstream education.
Making an enquiry for a Nursery Place:
Please ensure that when you apply you fill in your correct contact details, and inform us if they change, as we will be notifying parents via post about the outcome of their applications. If we don’t receive a response we will allocate your place to the next person on the waiting list.
The Nursery Hours
Rosecliffe Spencer Academy operates two 3 hour nursery sessions each day.
- The morning session runs from 8.30am – 11.30am
- The afternoon session from 12.30pm – 3.30pm.
We provide 15 hour or 30 hour funded places and take up to 39 children per session.
What can Nursery offer?
- 15 hours – Monday to Friday Mornings
- 15 hours – Monday to Friday Afternoons
- 30 Hours – All day Monday to Friday
30 hour funding is linked to pay and hours worked in a week. If you are not sure if you are eligible for 30 hours funding please check the website below.
If your child has 30 hours they can attend Monday to Friday 8.30am-3.30pm. This is actually 35 hours a week therefore we charge £4 for the lunch hour each day (totalling £20 per week) which can be paid through Parent Pay.
Top up sessions
We also offer top up sessions to 15 hour children should availability permit. This means you are able to pay for an extra session. The cost per session from September 2026 is £18 and an additional £4 if lunch time is included – thereby having a full day in the setting.
Please provide at least 48 hours notice should an extra session be required, and we will confirm availability with you.
Lunch Information
Children with 30 hours have a lunch break from 11.30am till 12.30pm. This comes with a small fee of £4 per day. This cost is to pay for play leader supervision for the children, the staff help pupils with their food and talk with them as they eat in the Studio. Parents would need to provide a packed lunch for their child in addition to this £4 supervision fee.
Finance
Please note that prices will be going up from 1st September 2026; lunch will be £4 per day and each session will be charged at £18.
(Prices as of 25-26 are £4 for lunch and £18 per session).
Wrap around care
You will be able to access the breakfast club and after school club that is run on site. This run by an external company called Rattle & Roll. The staff at Rattle & Roll bring the children to the classroom for 8.30am and will pick them up at 3.30pm.
- Breakfast club hours are 7.30am until the start of the school day.
- After school club hours are 3.30pm until 6pm.
For more information please visit their website: Rattle & Roll
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I apply for a place in Petals class?
Children are able to start the full term after they have had their third birthday. You are able to apply from the 1st September of the academic year prior to this potential start date. Your child will go on a waiting list.
Each year the waiting list will be reviewed in the December prior to the new academic year, with confirmation of places sent to families shortly after. Places will be allocated in the January before the September academic year start considering all entry points that year – September, January and April.
Please note nursery hours cannot be split between Rosecliffe and another nursery setting.
Being on the waiting list does not guarantee a place and it will not operate on a first come first serve basis, but rather against a set of admission criteria.
What are the admission criteria?
If the nursery is oversubscribed, criteria will be applied.
Children are eligible to take up a place in nursery in the full term following their third birthday.
Places will be awarded in accordance with the following order of priority:
- A Looked After Child or Previously Looked After and Service Children
- Children who live in catchment with siblings attending the Academy
- Children who live in catchment
- Children who live outside of catchment, who at the time of admission, will have a sibling in the Academy
- Children who live outside of catchment
Please note in the case of twins/multiple birth children, if we cannot accommodate places for all the children, no place will be offered.
How much will they access messy activities?
The children will have access to water, play doh and mud play during their day at Rosecliffe. We have all in one waterproof suits for the children to wear and encourage families to bring in a pair of wellies for their child in addition.
How does school communicate with parents?
We use Class Dojo and Tapestry app where we share photos and talk about achievement. Dojo is a great way to send a message to the team, if you want to check a date or tell us something that has happened at home and send photos from home. We will put important messages on there too. It is really important you sign up as soon as we give you your login. A team member will also be available for a quick chat at the start and end of sessions if needed.
Will my child need to wear a uniform?
Yes, there is more information about this in the welcome pack. We use a supplier based in Ruddington.
To see the Rosecliffe Spencer Academy Nursery Policy, please use the link below: