Nursery

Nurturing Care: Supporting Early Development and Settling

Our Nursery provision for babies aged 6 months to 2 years is centred around providing warm, responsive care and building secure, trusting relationships. At this crucial stage of development, we focus on meeting each child’s individual needs with sensitivity and attentiveness, creating a safe and loving environment where they can flourish.
We understand that for many babies, nursery may be their first experience away from their parents or familiar carers. Supporting a smooth and gentle transition is our priority. Our settling-in process is designed to build trust gradually, helping babies feel safe, secure, and comfortable in their new surroundings. We work closely with families to share routines, preferences, and insights, ensuring each baby’s emotional wellbeing is nurtured from day one.

Guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, our approach supports babies’ earliest learning milestones across all areas—communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, and cognitive skills. We understand that every child develops at their own pace, and our skilled team works closely with families to ensure consistency between home and nursery, fostering a strong partnership built on trust and open communication.

We prioritise forming close bonds with both children and their families. Through regular observations, reflections, and conversations, we tailor our care and learning experiences to suit each baby’s unique personality, interests, and developmental stage. This personalised approach helps babies feel secure and valued, enabling them to confidently explore their surroundings and begin to engage with the world around them.

Key Principles

• Warm, nurturing relationships that form the foundation for babies’ emotional security and wellbeing.
• A focus on supporting EYFS Early Learning Goals such as listening and attention, understanding simple instructions, developing early communication, physical coordination, and forming positive attachments.
• Careful settling-in processes to ease babies gently into nursery life, recognising that this may be their first time away from home and providing emotional support to build trust and comfort.
• Individualised routines that respect each baby’s needs for sleep, feeding, and comfort, providing a calm and predictable environment.
• Rich sensory experiences and gentle play opportunities that promote curiosity, exploration, and early problem-solving.
• Close partnership with families, involving them in their child’s learning journey through daily communication, shared observations, and collaborative goal-setting.
• A safe and stimulating environment designed to support gross and fine motor skills, early social interactions, and the foundations of language and emotional regulation.

Our aim is to nurture each baby’s natural curiosity and development with kindness and expertise—laying the vital early foundations for confident, happy learners who are ready to take their next steps when the time comes.

Building Confidence Through Care, Curiosity, and Connection

The “Bluebell” years mark a vital period in your child’s development. At Holmwood House Nursery, our experienced and enthusiastic team creates a warm, engaging environment where young children feel safe, supported, and excited to explore the world around them.

We believe that play is the most powerful tool for learning at this stage. Through thoughtfully planned, play-based experiences—guided by the care and expertise of our team—children begin developing the confidence, independence, and foundational skills that will support them throughout their early years journey.

Strong relationships underpin everything we do. Just as we build meaningful, nurturing connections with each child, we also work in close partnership with parents. By listening, reflecting, and sharing insight, we ensure each child’s individual needs are recognised and supported, creating a learning environment that feels like an extension of home.

Key Principles

• Care, nurture, and emotional security are at the heart of our practice. We build strong attachments that help children feel safe and confident as they begin to explore more independently.
• Open communication and reflection—both with children and with families—ensure that we remain responsive to each child’s unique personality, pace, and needs.
• We offer engaging, developmentally appropriate activities using the outstanding facilities at Holmwood House School and Holmwood Nursery, as well as input from our specialist staff.
• Our focus includes the early development of language and communication, fine and gross motor skills, and personal, social, and emotional growth—laying the essential foundations for future learning.
• Children spend plenty of time outdoors, exploring natural spaces that build resilience, stimulate curiosity, and inspire a lifelong connection to the world around them.
• Through storytelling, play-based inquiry, and creative discovery, we encourage imagination, problem-solving, and a joyful approach to learning.

Building Confidence Through Care, Curiosity, and Connection

The “Bluebell” years mark a vital period in your child’s development. At Holmwood House Nursery, our experienced and enthusiastic team creates a warm, engaging environment where young children feel safe, supported, and excited to explore the world around them.

We believe that play is the most powerful tool for learning at this stage. Through thoughtfully planned, play-based experiences—guided by the care and expertise of our team—children begin developing the confidence, independence, and foundational skills that will support them throughout their early years journey.

Strong relationships underpin everything we do. Just as we build meaningful, nurturing connections with each child, we also work in close partnership with parents. By listening, reflecting, and sharing insight, we ensure each child’s individual needs are recognised and supported, creating a learning environment that feels like an extension of home.

Key Principles

• Care, nurture, and emotional security are at the heart of our practice. We build strong attachments that help children feel safe and confident as they begin to explore more independently.
• Open communication and reflection—both with children and with families—ensure that we remain responsive to each child’s unique personality, pace, and needs.
• We offer engaging, developmentally appropriate activities using the outstanding facilities at Holmwood House School and Holmwood Nursery, as well as input from our specialist staff.
• Our focus includes the early development of language and communication, fine and gross motor skills, and personal, social, and emotional growth—laying the essential foundations for future learning.
• Children spend plenty of time outdoors, exploring natural spaces that build resilience, stimulate curiosity, and inspire a lifelong connection to the world around them.
• Through storytelling, play-based inquiry, and creative discovery, we encourage imagination, problem-solving, and a joyful approach to learning.

Confidence, Curiosity, and School Readiness

As children move into the next stage of Nursery at Holmwood House (ages 3–4), they begin to take bold steps towards greater independence, deeper thinking, and readiness for school life. Building on the secure and nurturing foundation formed in our 2–3-year-old provision, this stage is all about growth—socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.

Our passionate and experienced Nursery team is dedicated to supporting the holistic development of every child. We create an environment where children are encouraged to explore their ideas, work with others, and grow in confidence—skills that are essential for a smooth and successful transition into Reception.

Our Nursery experience goes far beyond a traditional setting. Children enjoy a wide range of enriching experiences, including sessions led by subject specialists in Music and Movement, PE and Languages, delivered by our Holmwood House School staff. These opportunities enrich each child’s learning experience, providing meaningful progression across key developmental areas and laying the groundwork for confident, successful transitions into the next stage of their education.

Key Principles

• A strong emphasis on school readiness, with particular focus on building the emotional resilience, social awareness, and independence children need to thrive in a Reception classroom.
• A well-balanced approach that blends structured learning with purposeful play, supporting skills such as turn-taking, sharing, listening, following instructions, and group collaboration.
• A responsive, child-led learning environment where each child’s unique strengths, interests, and pace are respected—while gently introducing more formal elements like early phonics, numeracy, and problem-solving.
• Rich, multi-sensory experiences that encourage creativity, exploration, and discovery, both indoors and in our outdoor learning spaces.
• Specialist-led sessions in Music and Movement, Languages, and PE, helping children develop physical coordination, self-expression, and confidence.
• Strong, supportive relationships with staff and peers that help to develop empathy, emotional regulation, and self-confidence—key building blocks for future learning.
• A clear, intentional path from exploratory play to more purposeful learning, ensuring that each child is emotionally, socially, and developmentally prepared for the step into Reception.

Our aim is for every child to move forward from this stage not only ready for school—but eager and excited for what comes next: confident, curious, and full of enthusiasm for learning.

Baby Room

Bluebells

Poppies