Contact Us At:
2 sessions operate daily-
Monday-Friday 8.50am-11.25am
12.20pm-2.55pm
NURSERY STAFF 
Mrs Tynan: Nursery Teacher
Mrs Young: Nursery Teacher
Mrs Swinton: Nursery Nurse
Ms Kennedy: Nursery Nurse
Headteacher: to be appointed
Principal Teacher/ Acting Headteacher: Miss Gardner
School Administator: Mrs Murdoch
Business Manager: Mrs McColl
Service Support Officer: Mr Brown
The nursery is staffed by a qualified teacher and nursery nurse to achieve a ratio of 1:10. At many times throughout the year, we welcome students from Edinburgh University, Stevenson and Telford Colleges, Speech and Language Therapy and work experience pupils.
AIMS At Drumbrae Nursery we aim to ensure that: we provide a happy, secure and stimulating environment, which promotes your child's social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. we provide high quality learning experiences, which take account of national and authority guidelines and encourage your child to achieve his/her full potential. our children and staff build up a strong foundation of healthy lifestyle choices through effective strategies, which promote physical and mental well being and self-esteem. we build and maintain effective partnerships between the nursery and its parent/carers, support agencies and the wider community. we are committed to equality and inclusion and provide effective support systems for all learners. all staff share in the leadership of learning through an open, consultative leadership and management approach involving reflective self evaluation and quality continuous development. we build on your child's previous experiences to create a solid foundation for their future. CURRICULUM At Drumbrae Nursery we follow the Early Years curriculum "The Child at the Centre". This is divided into five main areas: . Communication and Language . Knowledge and Understanding of the World . Emotional, Personal and Social Development . Physical Development and Movement . Expressive and Aesthetic Development Communication and Language fosters a child's awareness and develops skills in early reading, writing, listening and talking. We approach these through: . Book corner . Daily story time . Recognition of initial sounds . Recall of stories . Following instructions . Selecting own name around the nursery . Group time . Library books and story sacks. Knowledge and Understanding of the World helps children, through play acquire the basic concepts of counting, sorting, shape, measurement, volume and capacity and encourages problem solving and logical thinking. Activities include: . House play . Brick corner . Awareness of changing seasons/weather . Maths concepts in educational computer games . Dough and clay . Glueing . Baking . Games and puzzles . Sand and water play . Computers and technology Emotional Personal and Social Development gives children the chance to learn to cope with people and situations out with their home enviroment by increasing self-confidence and developing social relationships particularly with other children. Included are . Developing independent skills Physical Development and Movement involves the encouragement of confidence and enjoyment in physical play by increasing a childs control in balance, speed, strength and mobility and encouraging a sense of physical well-being. We do this through: . Experiments with sound . Tapes of stories and music . Painting and making models Children take varying lengths of time to feel secure in a new situation. You are welcome to stay in the nursery until your child has happily settled. The nursery entrance is from the playground. This is a safe and secure entry for your child. We would be grateful if you left buggies and prams outside. We provide shoe bags for each child and ask that children change into soft shoes when they arrive. Nursery offers the ideal situation for children to get used to a school routine and regular attendance is expected. If however, your child is unwell, please keep him/her at home- even when your child would like to attend. If your child will not be attending a session at nursery, please contact the school office on 339-5071 by 9.15am for morning sessions or 12.45pm for afternoon sessions. If the occasion should arise that normal arrangements have to change, please write on the board in the entrance or inform a member of staff. These are a vital aspect of the nursery curriculum. Each year your child will enjoy several outings. In recent years groups of children and adults have visited Lauriston Castle, Gorgie Farm and Pets World. Trips may involve travelling on public transport or mini-bus. We need parent helpers to either go along on the trip or help in the nursery.
Social interaction
Co-operation
Safety
Care
Independence
Concentration and perseverance
Turn-taking
We do this through
Fine motor control activities
Dancing
Hand/eye co-ordination
Braingym
Outdoor play
Mouse control at the computer
Dough and clay
Expressive and Aesthetic Development provides children with opportunities to develop imaginative and creative expression.
. Imaginative play
. Dressing up for role play
If you require information regarding any of the above please ask to see the nursery policies.
Please provide your child with a hat to wear for outdoor play during the summer. Sunscreen should be applied before children come to nursery during sunny days.
We suggest that you consider carefully how your child is dressed for nursery. Many children find using the toilet difficult on their own and so clothes that involve undoing buttons, belts or braces can be difficult to manage. Joggers or trousers with elasticated waists help children cope independently. Please remember that some nursery activities can be messy! And we encourage all children to participate.
We ask you to provide gym shoes or velcro trainers for your child to wear inside and in the P.E. hall. Shoe bags are available in the entrance area.
T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing the nursery motif can be ordered from the school admin office or just pick up a leaflet from the parents'board.
Milk or water is provided each day. As fruit is a major ingredient of the daily snack we prefer that you do not send a substitute drink. The end product of cooking or baking activities are used at snack time. We always make healthy, savoury items.
If your child has any dietary needs, please inform your child's key-worker who will ensure your child's needs are met.
We make these special by involving each child in baking their own cake, so please don't bring sweets or gifts for nursery children on these occasions. If a birthday occurs at the weekend the celebration will be held as soon as possible before or after the big day.
Some parents may wish to provide a birthday cake from a shop, this is welcomed but not essential. Parents/carers should ensure that these cakes are nut free.
We can always use cereal packets, kitchen roll tubes, yogurt tubs, scraps of fabric and odd balls of wool. Natural materials such as shells, pine cones, seeds and dried flowers are also very useful. Off-cuts of wood can be used at the woodwork bench and are always welcome.