Early Years Information Pack

Your Daughter: Her Early Years and Beyond Give your daughter a flying start with an unrivalled education at Newcastle High School for Girls.

“The question is not who is going to

let me, it’s who is going to

stop me?”

Ayn Rand

Welcome to Newcastle High School for Girls!

The staff from Newcastle High School for Girls Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) welcome you and your daughter at this new and exciting stage of her life.

Our expert team strives to give your daughter the best possible start, ensuring her first experience of school is as happy, relaxed and enjoyable as possible, whilst at the same time, ensuring every learning opportunity is embraced.

This booklet is designed to answer any questions you may have about your daughter starting in our Nursery or Reception class.

How will my daughter benefit from an outstanding EYFS curriculum?

Your daughter is an individual. She has particular likes, preferred activities and ways of playing with others.

At our School, we aim to build on the success you have already achieved with your daughter in helping her to learn new concepts, skills and knowledge as well as consolidating all the things she already knows.

Early years education is an important part of preparing your daughter for school and for the future, but the main focus is to provide your daughter with the opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge through an active, enquiry and play-based curriculum.

It is equally important that your daughter learns to socialise and develop empathy with her peers, to share resources, and to make new friends.

The curriculum we offer is outstanding, offering both formal and informal learning opportunities, carefully embedded in the structure of the day. This enables your daughter to reach her potential academically and socially.

How will my daughter learn?

The EYFS enabling environment at Newcastle High School for Girls is carefully organised to provide your daughter with the greatest opportunity to choose, play and investigate for herself, to critically think and solve problems as well as ensuring she is academically challenged to meet her potential.

Resources are stored at her level, enabling her to make choices, and to start taking responsibility for her own actions and her own personalised learning.

A range of different learning activities will always be available. These will include a focus on her own interests and the world around us. These activities will take place alongside the challenging academic sessions that are planned and prepared by staff as part of our curriculum.

The staff ensure that key skills in Mathematics, Science and English, including a structured, systematic phonic approach, are at the forefront of the taught curriculum.

By teaching, constantly observing and through skilled dialogue, staff can review your daughter’s progress.

This helps our staff set your daughter’s next learning objectives and allows her to flourish.

What will my daughter be doing?

All of the activities on offer are purposeful, concrete, enjoyable and fun; they ensure a firm foundation for your daughter’s future academic and social development. We will help her progress through the EYFS curriculum which will culminate in her being assessed against the statutory framework and the Early Years profile at the end of Reception class.

Daily Routine 

Speaking and Listening through:



Daily, adult-led learning tasks through: ‘Phonics’ ‘Writing’ ‘Mathematics’ ‘Science’

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Outdoor Learning through: ‘Forest School’ ‘Mud kitchen’ ‘EYFS garden’

‘Meet and Greet’ ‘Message board’ ‘Performing’ 

Personal and social development through: ‘Snack time’ ‘Lunch time’ ‘Play time’

Your daughter is unique and will have individual preferences, interests and development needs; this is the basis for all that is planned in EYFS. There are plenty of opportunities for your daughter to make choices about what she wants to do, whom she is going to do it with and how she will extend her critical thinking and learning. Furthermore, staff encourage all of the girls to tidy away resources when they have completed their activity so that they see how they can make a special contribution to the care of our environment. This also supports their development of time management, independence, sorting and classifying, as well as encouraging independence.

Social and emotional development At NHSG, we aim to support all of the girls in achieving good standards of behaviour, respect and empathy as well as learning.

We positively encourage and reward the girls for sharing and taking turns with each other. We aim to develop the girls’ ability to consider others, and, through discussion, help make them aware of the consequences of their actions.

The girls are supported to assert themselves in a range of different ways. From the beginning of term, they are encouraged to follow our ‘conflict resolution’ theory and staff both model and help the girls to use this strategy in the event of a conflict.

Every day a ‘special person’ is chosen and the whole class is encouraged to offer positive comments about the characteristics that make the girl special. This provides a detailed understanding of the importance of being kind, noting positive characteristics as well as celebrating the fact that we are all different and unique.

Positive reinforcement Part of our work to help develop good social behaviour is to reward the girls who are following expectations in and around School.

Your daughter will be rewarded through praise, and sometimes stickers and ‘gems’, if she demonstrates any of the following: 

co-operating with others

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taking turns with toys or equipment

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being kind and thoughtful

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working with others as a team and co-operating



listening carefully



trying hard and showing resilience



tidying up



getting dressed by herself

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trying hard with reading or writing

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being brave

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going to the toilet alone

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putting her hand up to answer questions

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doing as she is asked

Writing style This is the style of writing we use at NHSG. You can help your daughter by ensuring that any writing done for her is written in this style.

We use the ‘Read, Write, Inc’ approach to reading and writing.

How will I know about my daughter’s progress?

There will be numerous opportunities for you to find out about your daughter’s development and progress.

Staff are always willing to talk informally with parents at the beginning or end of each daily session. You are also welcome to make an appointment to meet with the teaching staff at a time that is convenient.

Throughout the year you are also encouraged to look through your daughter’s Learning Journal or books regularly and make comments. We encourage parents to communicate success at home so that we can share this success with all of the girls at school.

More formal meetings to discuss your daughter’s progress will happen throughout the year with pre-arranged appointment times. These meetings offer the chance to discuss your daughter’s progress on an individual basis.

Leaving and collecting your daughter If you adopt a positive approach to your daughter starting our School, she is much more likely to settle well.

It is understandable that you and your daughter may be worried about the initial parting from one another when your daughter first starts in Nursery or Reception. We would be happy to discuss strategies with you that will support her to settle better. The staff team are very adaptable and flexible. It is always best to tell your daughter calmly and decisively that you are going to leave them.

For your daughter’s wellbeing and for safeguarding reasons, please make sure that she is delivered and collected from school by an adult whom she has been told will pick her up. The girls are much happier knowing who will collect them, and that they will be collected at the time you agreed.

It is important that you advise us each day who will be collecting your daughter at the end of the school day. If there is a change to the arrangements you must inform School. Adults unknown to staff will not be allowed to collect your daughter if we have not been informed.

Please be aware that to ensure our girls are safe, the School doors are only open and supervised on a morning between 8.00 - 8.45 a.m. and at 3.15 p.m. Access at all other times is through the main reception where you will need to report to our School Receptionist.

Other useful information Nursery session times Morning session: Whole day:

8.00 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

8.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. (teaching starts at 8.45 a.m.)

Reception session times Whole day:

8.00 a.m. - 3.15 p.m. (teaching starts at 8.45 a.m.)

Girls in EYFS can be supervised in Nursery and Reception classes from 8.00 - 8.45 a.m. and from 3.00 4.30 p.m. and can access our Seahorse After-School Club from 4.30 - 6.00 p.m. (additional charge).

Uniform Girls in Nursery and Reception are required to wear school uniform. Nursery girls do not need a PE kit, however they do need plimsolls. All uniform should be named.

Although the girls wear aprons for painting, glue and water activities, inevitably, at times, their clothes become soiled. We hope that you will understand that, despite good precautions, accidents will happen!

Outdoor clothing is an essential part of the uniform list and all girls need a pair of wellies to be left in school at all times as the outdoor environment is a daily requirement in the outstanding curriculum that we offer. In Winter, all girls need a warm snow suit to wear outdoors.

We will provide a full uniform list within our Parent Information Booklet which you will receive once it is confirmed that your daughter will be joining NHSG.

Using the toilet It is important that your daughter can manage her own toilet needs. She will need to have confidence in her ability to manage herself as she may become anxious about using the toilet facilities other than those in her own home. You can help by teaching her to manage her own needs in being able to wipe herself, flush the toilet and to wash her hands afterwards. However if your daughter needs a little help to use the toilet, our staff are trained to do so. This can be discussed at any point with her teacher.

Although we do have a selection of spare clean clothes for the girls to change into, we would encourage parents to include a change of clothes in their daughter’s school bag; the girls much prefer to use their own clothes.

Jewellery Please could you remember that the girls are not allowed to wear jewellery for school. This Health and Safety guideline is issued for the safety of all the girls, and it includes all jewellery other than watches.

Child protection Newcastle High School for Girls recognises our responsibility for child protection. We have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all of the girls in our care and therefore any concerns we may have about a child must be passed on to the appropriate agencies, in accordance with our policy and procedures. The designated safeguarding lead for EYFS at NHSG is Mrs Sue McElrue.

Staffing The Early Years and Foundation Stage is led by Mrs McElrue.

Nursery: Mrs Kaya (teacher x four days), Mrs Vine (teacher x one day) Reception: Mrs McElrue (teacher), Mrs Strettle-Brown (teacher) In addition, the following staff work across Nursery and Reception: EYFS Higher Level Teaching Assistant: Miss Park EYFS Teaching Assistants: Mrs Perrin, Mrs Wilde, Mrs Tricolglus, Miss Whitling

Snack Milk and water are provided each day in Nursery. Nursery children also have the opportunity to choose a healthy snack provided by School. Snacks often include fresh fruit, dried fruit, cheese and crackers, raw vegetables, cookies and cakes. Reception girls can bring their own snack from home as well as a water bottle. Parents can choose to purchase milk daily too.

Sweets and toys Sweets are not allowed in school. We are also a nut-free school.

Please do all you can to encourage your daughter to leave toys and possessions at home. Toys that are brought into school can easily be mistaken by others as belonging to them. This obviously causes distress, especially if they are lost.

How can I help my daughter to settle into a new environment?

1. Arrange to leave your daughter with others for short periods of time before they start. Ask another

family member to look after them for a couple of hours. Children with some experience of being away from their parents often settle better.

2. Be positive with your daughter about starting our school. TELL your daughter that she will like our school, and she will!

3. Support your daughter to manage her clothes independently. Velcro-fastening shoes, for example, will help her to feel more independent. Encourage her to put on her own coat and try and fasten it, as well as trying to get dressed herself before and after school.

4. Talk to your daughter about what she has done each day.

5. Make positive comments about what your daughter brings home, models, paintings and drawings, even if you do not initially recognise what they are!

Admissions Enquiries: j.howe@ncl.gdst.net | 0191 201 6511 Junior School Chapman House, Sandyford Park, Sandyford Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1TA Senior School Tankerville Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3BA

10/2019