Giving your daughter the best possible start
Nursery and Reception
From dream making to trailblazing... the adventure starts here!
A Warm Welcome from Early Years
Your daughter’s educational journey at Newcastle High School for Girls (NHSG) starts in our Nursery and Reception, giving her the very best start in her education. From the day that she turns three, she can begin her adventure at NHSG and she will be nurtured from day one.
We recognise and celebrate that each and every one of our girls are unique and that they are filled with enthusiasm to learn about the world around them It is our job to ensure that the first stage in her educational journey captures her imagination, sparks her curiosity and develops her thirst for learning in a fun and playful way Our girls love coming to school because it is a place where they can be their true selves, where they are encouraged to be the best that they can be and have the most joyful experiences every single day.
By providing your daughter with the very best start, we lay the foundation for the rest of her school days, right the way through to the age of 18 and beyond. Your daughter will become confident, independent and empowered; the seeds of which are sown in her early years at our school.
Most of all though, she will be happy and supported in our warm and caring environment.
The perfect environment to capture her imagination, spark her curiosity and develop her thirst for knowledge as she makes her first steps.
utting girls first
ing NHSG means that your daughter will be a pupil at the leading s ’ school in the area, a school that is fully committed to putting girls and at the centre of everything that we do.
ply put, we are experts in teaching girls We understand how girls n best and know what motivates and inspires them. Throughout ry stage at NHSG, we will encourage your daughter to challenge self within the safety of our school environment
r Nursery and Reception classrooms are situated at our Junior ool in Sandyford The school buildings, including a John Dobsonigned villa, stand within five acres of grounds; a truly unique ng providing a safe and exciting learning environment The utiful school grounds enable your daughter to have nature at her ertips and a large part of our curriculum is based upon the awe wonder that our stunning outdoor space encapsulates
r daughter will be able to continue her education at NHSG until leaves Sixth Form at the age of 18, and when she will become a y special member of our wonderful alumnae community. A mmunity that extends way beyond Newcastle. This is because we part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), a family of 26 schools ngland and Wales, established in 1872. The GDST’s purpose is elp every girl fulfil her potential and her dreams Our family of ools has been trusted by thousands of parents to provide the very t education and opportunities for their daughter.
Learning
Everything that we do in Nursery and Reception is designed to give your daughter the very best educational experience and to build the firm foundations for lifelong learning We work hand in hand with your daughter and yourselves to ensure that she develops and progresses at exactly the right pace for her
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework, which sets out the government standards for the education of children from birth to the age of five years. This forms the basis for our curriculum, but there is so much more that goes into it. At NHSG, we recognise that children learn and develop faster in their first five years of life than at any other time in their lives, which is why we ensure that our bespoke curriculum offers our girls the very best. Our curriculum is based upon what we know about how young girls learn as well as finding the joy in meaningful learning experiences. These elements build the foundations for our girls to achieve academic excellence
We will focus on your daughter’s communication and language skills, her physical and personal development as well as her literacy and mathematical skills. We will also help her to understand the world around her and to develop the skills to express herself creatively through a wide range of media and materials
As an independent school, we are able to go above and beyond the statutory framework, providing exciting opportunities that will enrich your daughter’s learning experience. She will be taught specialist subjects by our specialist teachers such as Music, Spanish and PE In addition to this, she will have weekly ‘Wild Explorers’ sessions taught by educators trained in Forest School, and all within our stunning school grounds.
Exploring
We know that girls flourish when they feel happy, safe and valued and, at NHSG, we quickly build positive relationships with our pupils and their families to ensure that they get off to a flying start. We actively encourage our girls to explore, investigate and engage in the world around them. That’s why in EYFS, we take play seriously.
Through a careful balance of well-planned playful activities as well as child-initiated play, your daughter will learn to think critically and challenge herself as she develops Our outstanding environment enables learning to take place both indoors in our purpose-built facilities and outdoors in the school grounds, offering her the maximum opportunities to explore, experiment and make decisions or herself. Our school grounds are particularly exciting, and your aughter will soon be enjoying learning in our woodland kitchen, eveloping skills through ‘Wild Explorers’ sessions and experiencing ories coming to life in our outdoor story telling garden. All of which ontribute to meaningful learning experiences and important skills that he can take back into the classroom.
er early years at NHSG will be the very best
Creating
At NHSG, we actively engage the girls’ natural curiosity and imagination while allowing their creativity to shine through, not just in what they do and make, but also in how they think, both creatively and critically.
As well as asking your daughter to explore the use of a wide range of media and materials, such as woodwork, clay and self-serve paint supplies to create with, we will actively encourage her to share and articulate her thoughts and feelings and ideas though role-play, design & technology, art, music, movement and dance.
These aspects of our curriculum are particularly important in building confidence and self-esteem; your daughter will stand tall while she shares her brilliant and unique ideas with her teachers and peers.
Caring
Your daughter’s happiness in school is our number one priority and our expert Early Years team will forge a strong relationship with her and with you.
Excellent pastoral care underpins our Early Years experience Every girl is treated as an individual and we help to bring out d h ’ i nality so she can be the best that she de her to build upon her selfskills to grow holistically. She will asis on positive reinforcement of nce, bravery, kindness and d emotional development, we approach to wellbeing and healthy se and a healthy diet underpin our
Supporting
We understand how busy life is, so it is important to us to make things as easy as possible for parents
We will work hand in hand with you on a day-to-day basis so that we can ensure that your daughter is able to make the most of each day in school. Through our formative and summative assessments, we will keep you informed of your daughter’s progress. We will regularly share her learning experiences with you through her online learning journal so that you can see the joy that she is experiencing as she learns
We also offer practical support through our flexible After School Club which offers childcare before and after school as well as Seahorse Holiday Club which runs during the school holidays, ensuring that you can relax on your working days or on well earned rest-days, knowing that your daughter is not only safe, but happy. We offer a region-wide network of fully chaperoned school mini-bus services and a shuttle service between Senior School and Junior School.
While your daughter will be forging new friendships, you will also be welcomed into a warm and supportive parents’ community.
Starting
Girls can join Nursery as soon as their third birthday We offer a ‘soft-landing’ approach to ensure that your daughter is happy and settled within our Nursery from the very beginning. Once she has completed Nursery, she will move into Reception where she will continue her education right through Junior School and then into Senior School
If you would like your daughter to join our Nursery or Reception, your first step will be to complete an application form for the School, via our online admissions portal, after which your daughter will be invited to spend some time with us for an entrance assessment which is carried out in a playful way in our Early Years classrooms with our Early Years Phase Leader
You can complete an online application form by going to our school website:
www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
Our admissions team will then contact you to guide you through the next stages of the admissions process.
Before you begin, though, we will encourage you to visit us so that you can see our wonderful Nursery and Reception for yourself. Our contact details are shown overleaf.
If you would be like to learn more about how we can give your daughter the very best start at school, then please do contact us.
We will be delighted to tell you more about the Early Years and Foundation Stage at Newcastle High School for Girls and arrange a visit.
Admissions Manager: Miss Julia Howe 0191 201 6511 j.howe@ncl.gdst.net
www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
NHSG Junior School, Chapman House, Sandyford, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 1TA
