Nelson Academy Nursery - Donaldson

Nelson Academy Nursery

Welcome to Nelson Academy Nursery. In our nursery you will find Mrs Limbert (Nursery Room Teacher), Mrs Barber, Miss Sharpe and  Mrs Crane. 

We are very excited to share with you our new and exciting Curriculum within our EYFS at Nelson Academy! We will be following Norfolk’s 50 things to do before you turn 5, developing skills, language, a passion for learning and resilience through life-long learning experiences, ensuring all children reach their full potential.  

Every child that joins our Nursery and continues their journey through to the end of Reception will achieve Norfolk’s 50 things. These will include #23 See it Live! in our Reception Year, #30 Yummy Picnic in our Nursery and another exciting 48 experiences!  

The Educational Programmes within the EYFS Statutory guidance will be found within every experience ensuring that all 7 areas of learning progress throughout your child’s time in our EYFS.  

We use our ClassDojo page to keep you all up to date with events and news. This is also a great way to keep you all involved in your child's learning. 

Being part of the Nelson Academy also means that we are able to access all aspects of the school e.g. using the hall for physical development activities and the wildlife area to learn about the world around us.  All children are provided with free fruit and milk, and have access to both indoor and outdoor learning environments.  If you are planning to send your child to Nelson Academy, then being in our Nursery will make the transition easier. 

Nursery sessions:    Morning session – 9am – 12noon
Afternoon session – 12noon – 3pm
All day – 9am – 3pm 

Claim your 15 hours FREE education or 30 hours of FREE education (subject to eligibility) – Contact us for more details 01366 383824  

We believe that Nursery should build on the valuable learning experiences that children have at home to give them a head start in their social, physical and educational development. 

Research shows that children learn best when they feel happy, safe, secure and excited about what they are doing. It is our job to encourage children to explore, question, make choices, collaborate and have fun learning. These experiences will allow them to develop a love of learning, build strong friendships with their peers and learn new independent skills. 

Children can start at Nelson Academy Nursery with funding (15 or 30 hours) the term after their third birthday.  However, if you would like to pay extra, your child can start as soon as they turn 3.  All of our sessions are 3 hours long and we understand that every family has different work and home commitments. Therefore, we offer a flexible approach to how these sessions are used. You can choose between morning or afternoon sessions, or a mix of full and half days. 

Sessions and fees 

Our timings are:
Morning session – 9am – 12noon
Afternoon session – 12noon – 3pm
All day – 9am – 3pm 

Additional paid sessions will be available soon at a cost of £15 per session; please call the Nursery on 01366 383824, or ask for more information when you visit us. 

We look forward to meeting you and your child here at the nursery.  

Reception – Attenborough and Anning

Welcome to Reception!
We are very excited to share our inspiring curriculum within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Nelson Academy.

🌟 Our EYFS Curriculum – 50 Things to Do Before You’re 5 🌟
At Nelson Academy, our Reception and Nursery curriculum is inspired by the Norfolk 50 Things to Do Before You’re 5 initiatives. This framework provides children with rich, meaningful experiences and lays strong foundations for future learning.

By the end of Reception, our aim is that children who have been with us from Nursery through to Reception will have experienced all 50 activities, giving them the best possible start as they move into Year 1 and beyond. These include:

• #30 Yummy Picnic in Nursery
• #23 See It Live! in Reception
  … plus another 48 exciting adventures along the way!

Each week, we share the experience we are focusing on in school, and we encourage families to continue and build upon these experiences at home too.
Find out more here: Norfolk’s 50 Things to Do Before You’re 5

All of the 50 Things experiences are carefully linked to the EYFS Statutory Frameworks, ensuring children make progress across all areas of learning and development.

Alongside the 50 Things curriculum, children will:

• Learn phonics through the Little Wandle programme
• Develop their understanding of mathematics with White Rose Maths
• Enjoy a wide range of storytelling, singing, and rhymes to build a love of language and reading

Reception Classes at Nelson Academy

We are very proud of our Reception team, who provide a nurturing, engaging, and inspiring start to school life:

• Attenborough Class (Reception)
  • Teacher: Miss Gipp
  • Teaching Assistants: Miss Cowell, Miss Knapp, Mrs McDonald
• Anning Class (Reception/Year 1 mixed)
  • Teacher: Miss Cunningham
  • Teaching Assistants: Mrs Carmen, Miss Veal

In Anning Class we are unique, as we have both Reception and Year 1 children. Our Reception children follow the Reception curriculum and have the same learning opportunities as Attenborough Class. Year 1 children are taught the Year 1 curriculum, just in a slightly different order to Banks Class.

We have aligned the topics with the Reception curriculum to allow children to consolidate their learning from last year and then build on the new Year 1 skills and knowledge set out in our curriculum. Although Year 1 have a more structured timetable, children also have access to continuous provision, giving them further opportunities to develop social and emotional skills, as well as fine and gross motor skills, which will help them become effective learners as they progress through the school.

We are passionate about creating a welcoming and supportive environment where every child can grow in confidence, develop a sense of belonging, and reach their full potential.

The EYFS team looks forward to working in partnership with you to make your child’s Reception and Year 1 journey truly special.

 Miss Gipp – Attenborough Class
Miss Cunningham – Anning Class

Year 1 – Banks

Welcome to Year One!

Within our Year One team, we have Miss Eggleton and Mrs Armstrong.

As we start our learning in Year One, we will build upon the children’s previous skills from Reception. In English, we will continue to develop the children’s reading and writing skills using some of our favourite stories to help us, such as Little Red Riding Hood, and Monkey Puzzle!

We will build upon the children’s previous Phonics knowledge, with a recap of the sounds learnt in Reception. We will then introduce new sounds and tricky words and will continue our reading practise groups weekly.

We will focus on ‘place value’ in Maths this half-term, ensuring that the children have an extremely solid understanding of place value and the number system. We will be comparing, ordering and representing numbers.

In Science this term we will be learning all about animals and their needs, through reading aloud, observations and activities looking at the common characteristics and needs of animals. They will also be making the connection that animals, like plants, need food, water and space to live and grow. We will also be looking at animal classifications, including endangered and extinct animals. This means Dinosaurs!

Reading books will be given out and changed every Wednesday, so please ensure you remember to bring it back! This year, each child will have a physical book to bring home, along with their reading record. We will also visit the school library every Tuesday, where children can choose a book to borrow for a week.

We also have P.E on a Thursday, so children need to come into school in their P.E kit.

We hope your children enjoy their time in Year One and we are sure they will leave our classes knowing more, remembering more and achieving more!

Miss Eggleton

Year 2 – Boudica and Cleopatra

Welcome to Year 2! 

We are Miss M-B and Miss Knapp, Cleopatra and Boudica class teachers. In our classrooms you will also find Mrs Plummer and Mrs Tasker. 

Everyone has started the year with a positive attitude to learning and friendship and we look forward to lots of exciting times ahead. 

In our year two rooms, we have created an inviting space for learning, including cosy reading areas and ambient lighting.

There is so much to look forward to as we start the Autumn term.

In English, we will continue to develop the children’s reading and writing skills through the teaching of phonics, moving on to bridging the gap to spelling and a wide range of topics. We will include a number of experience days to help the children to develop their understanding of the world and to further develop their exposure to new vocabulary. 

In maths, we are looking at place value within 100 and the different ways you can partition these numbers. 

In history we will be travelling back in time to Ancient Egypt. Exploring ancient traditions, gods, ways of life and so much more!

In Science this term we will be learning all about forces. Discussing and exploring how forces affect us and objects around us.

Geography this half term will be focusing on World Geography. Looking at exploring the wider world and how countries can be different to that of the UK. This will link in great with our history unit and discovering differences and similarities to Egypt.

Our creative subjects also include links to our topic, Egyptian artwork, forces and moving objects, outdoor learning and many more cross curricular opportunities!

Our RE learning this half term will be looking into Christianity further and answering the question: Is it possible to be kind to everyone all of the time? 

We hope your children enjoy their time in Year Two and we are sure they will leave our classes knowing more, remembering more and achieving more!

Miss Murthwaite-Bedding – Cleopatra Class

Miss Knapp – Boudica Class

Year 3 – Archimedes and Drake

Welcome to Year 3! 

Our team is made up of two classes: Archimedes Class and Drake Class. The adults in Archimedes class are Mrs Sykes (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) and Mrs Lawrence (Thursday and Friday) along with Mrs Short. In Drake class the adults are Miss Abbott and Mrs Wilson. 

Our first topic this term will be Ancient Greeks. We will be comparing the lives of Spartans and Athenians, looking at the ancient philosophers, reading Greek myths, painting Greek mythology and making and eating Greek food. 

Science: We will be learning about magnetism, leavers and pulleys, insects and life cycles.

English: our first unit will be creating our own myth and mythical creature report. 

Maths: This term will be focused on place value and the basic operations of addition and subtraction. We will be using lots of equipment to secure an understanding of numbers and applying this to reasoning and problem-solving. 

Geography: We will be exploring the local area services within our community and land uses. 

Each week we will do SPaG lessons, times table lessons, spelling lessons and also guided reading lessons. Guided reading lessons will usually link to a current world event and include a range of multi-cultural and gender diverse texts. 

Our PE day this year is a Wednesday. Please ensure your child comes to school wearing the correct PE kit. We will also be completing short active sessions throughout the week to ensure your children can remain active. 

Homework will be online. This is spelling practice (Spelling Shed) and Times table practice (Timetable Rockstars). Online homework is free to access and can be accessed on all digital devices; phones, laptops, tablets and games consoles. Other exciting home learning projects will be issued and set via our class dojo pages; these will reflect our learning in class. 

Children will have their reading books changed weekly. Children will also be able to bring home a school library book on a Friday and these also need to be returned on a Friday. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Year Three team. We look forward to an exciting year! 

Mrs Sykes and Mrs Lawrence - Archimedes Class Teacher 

Miss Abbott - Drake Class Teacher 

Year 4 – Cromwell and Wren

Hello and welcome to Year 4: Wren and Cromwell Classes! 

In Wren, our teacher is Mrs. Nyarko with Mrs. Clark and Miss Jory to support.  

In Cromwell, our teacher is Mr. Bidder and our TA Mrs. Clarke.  Mrs Cupit will also be involved with the teaching. 

In the Autumn term, we will start the year recapping the basics in English and Maths then we will build and develop knowledge throughout the year. After the exciting summer reading challenges, we will build on our experiences by reading a variety of books – both for pleasure and to extend our learning through research. Children will continue to have weekly library sessions and will be able to bring books home to share with family.  Our library day is Monday.

During the Autumn term in History we will explore the house of Stuart, Union of the Crown and Gun Powder Plot. This will follow on from history learning in year 3.

In science, we will be exploring and investigating animals and classification, so if you have any related books or have been to any museums or on trips that are related to this topic, please let us know. 

We will definitely be getting creative through art lessons, DT and in cross-curricular ways too!

There will sometimes be homework set that relates to work in class.  We also ask that you spend 5 minutes a night on Timetable Rock Stars in preparation for the MTC (Multiplication tables check) later in the year.  There will be more details to follow.  Please use Spelling Shed to complete assignments each week and help to learn spellings for a test on a Friday.  

In Year 4, we ask that you read as often as you can with your child – a combination of reading to and listening to them is great. Please use the Reading Journals to let us know what you have read and return to school, so that books can be kept up to date and a range of texts are enjoyed. We have special reading rewards for regular reading so let us know what you have read and make recommendations for us in our reading area.

We are very much looking forward to learning with you over the next year. Please come and see us or send us a dojo message if you have any questions or you would like to share some news from home. 

From 

The Year 4 team! 

Year 5 – Hepworth and Tubman

Hello and welcome to Year 5: Hepworth and Tubman Classes!  

In Tubman, our teachers are Mr.Rossiter (Monday, Tuesday) and Mrs.Boyes (Wednesday -Friday). Our TA is Mrs.Galley. 

In Hepworth, our teacher is Mrs.Sekatawa (aka Mrs.Sek) and our TA is Miss. Jeffries.  

Mrs.Rosier will be working in Year 5 too, supporting children from Packham Class. 

We can’t wait to welcome your children to our classes and we are going to have the best year yet! 

We ask that you continue to spend 3 x 10 minutes a week (at least) on Timetable Rock Stars to embed all the learning from previous years and keep facts fresh. You should also visit Spelling Shed to complete assignments each week. See if you can become a royal bee! 

In Year 5, as children are mainly reading independently, we ask that you check in with them about what they are reading. It is still really beneficial to read with your children too.  Please use the Reading Journals to let us know what you have read and return to school, so that books can be kept up to date and a range of texts are enjoyed. We have special reading rewards for regular reading so let us know what you have read and make recommendations for us in our reading area to get a treat!  We will continue to have weekly library sessions and will be able to bring books home to share with our family.  

Our PE day is a Thursday, children should come to school in PE kit on this day. We are very excited to also be having 3 special rugby slots during Autumn1 (2nd, 9th and 16th October). Later in the year, we will have swimming lessons – more detail to follow after Christmas. 

During the Autumn term in History we will explore the end of the Stuarts, and why the Georgian period began. This will follow on from our history learning in Year 4 and paves the way for all that is to come later!  

In science, we will be exploring and investigating rocks and soils (linked to our Journey to the Centre of the Earth English), so if you have any related books or have been to any museums / on trips where you have seen anything exciting, please let us know.  

We will be getting creative through art lessons, DT and in cross-curricular ways too! Our first art  unit compares Rococo and Modernism – two very different styles, equally interesting to learn about. Very early on in the year, we will be producing work for our annual exhibition on a worldwide theme. We will share invitations to see this very soon.   

Please send a water bottle in each day and feel free to bring a healthy snack for breaktimes. Lunches should be ordered via the Aspens app. At the end of the school day, we will bring children to door onto the field.  

We are very much looking forward to learning with you over the next year. Please come and see us or send us a dojo message if you have any questions or you would like to share some news from home. Pritt Sticks are always welcome too 😉 

From  

The Year 5 team!  

Year 6 – Darwin and Fleming

Welcome to Year 6

In Year 6, our teaching team is Mr Taylor (Darwin Class) and Miss Atkinson (Fleming Class), supported by Mrs Klyn and Mrs Barnes.

PE and swimming take place on Wednesdays, with swimming running during the first term only.

Homework is set every Monday and includes tasks in maths, reading, and grammar. Children also have access to Times Tables Rock Stars and Spelling Shed, which provide engaging ways to continue practising their spelling and times tables at home.

This year, we will place a strong focus on mastering the core skills to give every child the best possible chance of success as they prepare for the next stage of their education. Our curriculum map, available on the school website, outlines the exciting topics and learning experiences planned for the year.

As the oldest pupils in the school, Year 6 children are encouraged to be excellent role models — looking smart, working hard, and showing respect for others and for our school community.

Year 6 is also a time to prepare for the transition to high school, while making sure pupils enjoy the very best final year of their primary school journey.

Above all, we want Year 6 to be a time when children challenge themselves, enjoy their learning, and feel safe and supported every step of the way.

Rosen Class

In Rosen class, our team of adults are Mrs Limbert, Mrs Whiting, Miss Smith and Miss Liles.

Rosen is an enhanced provision class, for children who need additional support in accessing the curriculum.  Our daily routine includes a combination of discreet teaching sessions in small groups and the use of continuous provision activities, that give the children free choice to explore a variety of resources.

We spend time each week in the school library, enjoying stories and learning how to handle books with interest and care.

On Mondays, we use the hall to develop various physical skills including cardio drumming. Each child then enjoys a PE lesson with their peers in their year group.

Our classroom benefits from an outside area, which includes a mud area, water play and sand pit.  We are also lucky to have a sensory shed, which provides a quiet space with stimulating toys to help regulate any big emotions.

ASD SRB Unit 

ASD SRB 

About us-

Our ASD SRB is for pupils with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (or who are on the ASD pathway) who need specialist input to enable them to overcome barriers to accessing mainstream lessons.