Headteacher's Welcome
Welcome to Sir James Knott Nursery School and the Nest
We are a Maintained Nursery School with a proud tradition of providing high-quality early education and care, alongside our birth-to-two provision, the Nest. Together, our settings offer a nurturing, inclusive and inspiring environment where every child is supported to grow, learn and flourish from their very earliest days.
At Sir James Knott Nursery School and the Nest, we believe that strong foundations matter. Our curriculum is carefully designed to meet the developmental needs of babies and young children, supporting their communication, emotional well-being, physical development and curiosity about the world. Learning is rooted in warm, responsive relationships and high-quality interactions, ensuring children feel safe, valued and confident to explore.
We are committed to inclusion and equality, and we work closely with families and professionals to ensure that every child, regardless of starting point, is supported to thrive. Partnerships with parents and carers are central to our work, and we value open communication and collaboration as children develop and progress through our settings.
Our dedicated staff team is highly skilled, reflective and passionate about early years education. As a Maintained Nursery School, we take pride in our role within the wider education system, working in partnership with other schools, services and the local community to share expertise and continuously improve practice.
We hope our website gives you a sense of who we are and what we value. Whether you are a current family, a prospective parent or a professional partner, you are very welcome, and we look forward to working together to give every child the very best start in life.
Parents and carers may request paper copies of any information on this website free of charge by contacting the school office.
John Croft
Headteacher
Sir James Knott Nursery School and the Nest
The uniqueness of maintained nursery schools
Why choose a Maintained Nursery School?
Sir James Knott Nursery School is a Maintained Nursery School (which has been operating since 1937), a specialist type of school within the education system dedicated entirely to early years education. Maintained nursery schools are state-funded, non-profit schools, held to the same high standards of leadership, governance and accountability as primary and secondary schools.
What makes Maintained Nursery Schools unique is their combination of:
- highly qualified teachers and leaders with specialist expertise in early childhood development,
- a rich, research-informed curriculum designed specifically for children from birth to four,
- strong inclusive practice, particularly in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities,
- and a clear focus on quality, continuity and long-term impact, rather than short-term outcomes.
As a Maintained Nursery School, we play an important role within the wider education system, working closely with families, local schools, health services and other professionals to ensure children receive the best possible start to their education. We are also committed to sharing expertise and supporting improvement across early years provision locally.
At Sir James Knott Nursery School and The Nest, this unique status enables us to place children’s learning, well-being and development at the heart of everything we do, ensuring every child is supported to achieve, belong and thrive.
relationships and behaviour
At Sir James Knott Nursery School and the Nest, we believe that positive relationships are at the heart of children’s learning, wellbeing and development. We are committed to creating a nurturing, inclusive and emotionally safe environment where every child feels valued, respected and supported to achieve, belong and thrive.
Our approach to relationships and behaviour is rooted in the understanding that young children are still developing the skills needed to manage emotions, build relationships and communicate their needs. We recognise that behaviour is a form of communication and that children learn best when supported by calm, caring and emotionally available adults.
Through secure relationships, consistent routines and high-quality interactions, we help children develop confidence, resilience, empathy and self-regulation skills. Staff use nurturing and relational approaches, including Emotion Coaching and co-regulation strategies, to support children in understanding feelings, building positive relationships and learning socially appropriate ways to express themselves.
We place a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing and creating environments that help children feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Children are supported to develop kindness, cooperation, independence and respect for others through play, modelling and everyday experiences within nursery life.
Partnership working with families is central to our approach. We work closely with parents and carers to ensure consistency between home and nursery and to support every child’s emotional development and wellbeing.
At Sir James Knott Nursery School and the Nest, we want every child to feel listened to, understood and supported as they develop the foundations for positive relationships, emotional wellbeing and lifelong learning.
The uniqueness of maintained nursery schools
Why choose a Maintained Nursery School?
The Nest – Our Birth to Two Provision
The Nest is our birth-to-two provision, designed specifically to meet the unique needs of babies and toddlers in their earliest years. At the Nest, learning and development are rooted in warm, responsive relationships, secure routines and high-quality care that supports emotional security, early communication and physical development.
Our experienced staff understand that the first two years of life are critical for brain development, attachment and well-being. The environment and curriculum at the Nest are carefully planned to support curiosity, exploration and early independence, while ensuring children feel safe, nurtured and valued.
The Nest works seamlessly alongside Sir James Knott Nursery School, providing continuity as children grow and transition. Families benefit from a shared ethos, consistent expectations and a clear pathway from birth through to nursery education, ensuring children feel a strong sense of belonging and security throughout their early years journey.
About Sir James Knott Nursery School
The Nest (Birth to Two Provision)
At Sir James Knott Nursery School, we are proud to offer our satellite site: the Nest. Our dedicated provision for children aged birth to two years. The Nest provides a warm, nurturing and carefully designed environment where our youngest children are supported to feel safe, secure and ready to explore the world around them.
A Nurturing start
We recognise that the first two years of life are a critical period for development, particularly in relation to brain development, attachment and communication. Our approach is rooted in the principles of the EYFS, Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters, ensuring that every child receives responsive, high-quality care.
Children in The Nest are supported through:
• Strong, trusting relationships with a consistent key person
• A calm, emotionally secure environment
• Individual routines that reflect home experiences
• Sensitive and responsive caregiving
Learning Through Exploration
At the Nest, learning is carefully planned through continuous provision, enabling children to explore, investigate and develop at their own pace.
Our environments are designed to:
• Encourage curiosity and exploration
• Support communication and language development
• Promote physical development and movement
• Foster early social interaction and emotional wellbeing
Practitioners observe children closely and respond to their interests, ensuring that learning experiences are meaningful and personalised.
About Sir James Knott Nursery School
Communication and Language
We place a strong emphasis on developing communication and language, recognising its importance as the foundation for all future learning.
Children are supported through:
• High-quality interactions with skilled practitioners
• Songs, rhymes and storytelling
• Opportunities to listen, respond and communicate
• Language-rich environments
Partnership with Families
We believe that parents are a child’s first and most important educators. Strong partnerships with families are central to our practice.
We work closely with parents through:
• Home visits and settling-in processes
• Daily communication and updates
• Shared understanding of routines and care
• Ongoing discussions about children’s development
Inclusion and Early Support
The Nest is an inclusive environment where all children are valued and supported.
We work in partnership with:
• Health visitors
• Early Years Inclusion Service
• Other professionals
to ensure early identification and support for children’s individual needs.
