Organising Groups In A School Nursery

[Guest]

Hi,

I'm am about to start as an NQT in a nursery school. The nursery is part of a primary school and only operates morning sessions as the school is a 1 form entry. I am really not sure how I am going to organise the children. Previously they have been split into 3 groups as there are 2 TAs and myself. However, the head is keen for me to do all the teaching. I am a little concerned about this as feel that 30 nursery children on the carpet for a session at once is a lot to manage and getting them all engaged and interacting in the short time they are there is going to be very difficult. I really dont want to rock the boat too much, but feel that the children may be better split into 3 groups of 10 for the teaching sessions.

What ideas can anyone offer.

Many Thanks

Lolli

[Susan]

Hi Lolli and welcome

 

I think you are right that you will find it difficult to do anything successfully with 30 nursery children, especially if they are all new entrants. I wonder why your head wants you to do that exactly? You are ultimately as the teacher the person who is responsible for the learning of the children in your class, however and will need to work closely with your support staff. It would not be impossible for you to have some whole class sessions, supported by your staff, but you will also need to split into smaller groups at times.

 

Good luck.

[Guest Wolfie]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

 

Maybe you should check what the head means by "teaching"? It may mean, for example, that you may lead any teacher directed activities at a certain time of the morning, with individuals/small groups of children, whilst the TAs support other child-initiated activities alongside? I agree with you and Susan that 30 children at carpet time isn't ideal and won't be conducive to any kind of "teaching". You will certainly be taking the lead in planning and assessment, and leading th team of staff in the nursery, but have a chat with the head about what they actually want you to do. Has the head got good knowledge and experience of early years or is everybody at the school all very new to you?

 

 

You'll get plenty of advice and support here anyway -we'll have you all sorted for the start of term!!

[hali]

hello and welcome, good luck

[Guest]

Hi Lolli

I teach in a school nursery - supported by a qualified nursery nurse and a TA. Having the three members of the team at different grades means its difficult to operate a key group system for all teaching as have to be aware of job descriptions of different grades. Have also always felt that all children should work with all adults - so we have a variety of teaching groupings going on throughout the session...

 

9.00 - children come in with their parents - all staff 'floating' & available to chat with parents/settle children and/or some 1-1 activities.

 

9.25 - whole group carpet time (I have 26 children in a session) - I usually lead this and NN sits with children supporting as needed - but we do swap roles as well.

 

9.45 - activity time - i member of staff 'manages' inside supporting child-initiated activities, 1 carries out the focus activity (possibly what your head would see as the 'teaching') and 1 works outside as children have free access to outdoor area. We all alternate roles so i might be indoor manager monday, focus tues and out weds - important thing with this is to ensure management realise 'teaching' in foundation stage isn't just the planned activities but in order for child initiated activities to be of true value these need to be supported and observed by you also.

 

10.55 - small group time - children are split into 3 ability groups for focus teaching activities - again staff members rotate round the groups working with one each week.

 

11.15 - whole group story/songs - usually led by NN with myself sitting with children to support.

 

Good luck.

[Guest]

Hi nsunshine,

I really like what you are doing with your day and ideally would follow this kind of structure. However, we are not able to have the parents in first thing or have the children free flowing outside. The reason for this is because we are in a temporary classroom in the junior school until our new nursery is built. There is limited space and definately not room for 30 parents to join in and the children need to be led down steps to the outside area.

 

I was thinking of starting with registration at 9.00 as a whole group and then lead on to whole group carpet time with the 30 children. During this time I would perhaps read a story, use puppets etc which is linked to the focus activity of the day.

At 930 the children would go off for activity time, the 3 groups taking it in turns to go outside - one adult outside per day (rota system). I like the idea of taking it in turns to be either outside, focus leader or inside manager and think this will work well. Would it be advisable to carry out a daily FA outside as well?

I like the idea of small group time, but I think I will leave this till the children have settled in a bit, so maybe not in the first term.

Tidy up at 1050 (snack bar open until 1040) and then the children on the carpet as a whole group for a story or song at 11. The parents come to get the children at 1130.

 

How does this sound to everyone? I am worried about teaching the whole group at once as I know it is hard with reception children, let alone children a year younger.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Lorraine

[JacquieL]

I find that in Nursery children are better coming in and getting on with something straight away, and gathering on the carpet later as sunshine suggests. The children usually arrive raring to go and want to play, after all they are very young and that is how they learn, and then it gives the adults time to deal with any problems, and time to listen to something a parent or child wishes to say to you. A little mixing and playing time first helps them to settle down.

Short carpet times are better as young children don't like to sit for too long, and I think 30 mins is far too long for them. I wouldn't do that with reception until possibly much later in the year. I find ten to fifteen minutes long enough. You can speed up registration time by getting them to self-register, and then designate one of the adults to check that the official group register is correctly filled in as soon as possible. That usually has to be sent to the Office, or somewhere depending on you own school, by a certain time as it is a safety issue, apart from anyything else. Sitting on the carpet with one or two adults supporting them, and making everything interesting and frequently interactive, will hold their attention.

Remember your 'teaching' sessions' are your focus activity as well as your carpet time, and so is the way you have organsied your environment. Carpet time is only a small part of your 'teaching' time, and having the children together then as a whole group, such as for story, is possible with 30 children. You'll just love it!

[Guest Wolfie]

I agree with everything Jacquie has said, and yes, 30 minutes sitting is far too long for children that age - it'll stress you out no oend if you're trying to do that every day!

[Marion]

I agree keep whole class sessions short ........I don't keep my reception children sitting for 30 minutes.

[Guest]

I would definately say if you can let children come straight into activities rather than sitting on carpet this is much better for helping them settle and responds to their natural desire to get busy straight away - even if you can't involve parents.

 

Our carpet time does seem quite long when written down (even to me!) but it isn't all sitting down and is chunked into several 'bits'... we gather the children by playing some music and do our braingym (we use the activate programme) first - 3/4 pieces of music and exercises. Then all sit to sing hello song, find out day's leader who then fills in weather board. Then a 5-10 min activity - big book, numeracy etc. It helps to keep it as active as possible and I use loads of little songs for each part of routine as these keep children's attention without having to keep insisting on everyone quiet to listen to you.

 

Our children self-register and staff mark the formal register as they come in, I wouldn't recommend trying to sit this age group for registration.