FAIRFIELD PARENT NEWSLETTER SUMMER TERM 2025

What a lovely warm start we have had to the summer term so far, we have been busy little bees in the garden, making the most of the glorious weather taking part in lots of different activities, exploring nature and making connections with the world around us. 

A big thank you to everyone that helped to raise money for our Heli Hop event which the children thoroughly enjoyed moving in lots of different ways with their friends. Thanks to your generous sponsorships—and Portland Nurseries matching every penny—we were thrilled to present a £2,600 cheque to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance following our HeliHop event! 

As we teach our children about different occupations throughout the year it would be lovely if any parents would like to come and share some of their skills with our preschool children, we have in the past enjoyed talks from dentist and doctors and created lots of sticky knowledge which they have then used in their play. 

Fast approaching is the end of the year where we say goodbye to our children leaving to start their new adventure in reception, many of our children have attended Fairfield since they were babies so over 4 years seeing their little faces every day, we are going to miss you all! 

Diary Dates

Reception leavers picnic 

Tuesday 15th July  2pm – 4pm

Friday 18th July is the last day of term for our term time children

Stay and Play 

Wednesday 30th July baby unit 10am -11am

Tuesday 29th July Toddler & Preschool 3pm - 4pm

Learning focus at the moment

Preschool 

The preschool children have been exploring lots of different activities outside in the garden, we have been observing the flowers growing and being bug explorers with the magnifying glasses and boxes. We have been learning all about bumble bees and celebrated “World Bee Day.” We know that bees make honey when they collect pollen from our flowers in the garden, we learnt there is only one queen bee and all the others in the hive are worker bees. We have used our creative skills to make bees with moving wings incorporating our love for STEAM. 

Toddlers

Our toddlers have been getting messy when making marvellous creations, we have been strengthening our fine motor skills making insects out of clay and playdough. We have been using our gross motor skills when playing outside in the garden, using bats and balls to build our core body muscles. We have been painting on large scales using shower curtains and watching in awe and wonder as we mix and change the colours. Toddlers have also enjoyed STEAM activities making “rainclouds” using shaving foam and colours to create reactions similar to the sky. 

Babies

As lots of our older babies are now getting ready for their transition to the toddler team we have been focusing on our independence skills during daily routines. We have been connecting with the outdoors making obstacle courses and having running races down the slope, practising our listening skills when waiting “ready steady go!” We have been dining alfresco in the garden as the weather has been so beautiful giving us lots of opportunity to practise our single words being out in nature, they have been using lots of malleable materials to strengthen core muscles to help with independence skills, wandering across the bridge, using stepping stones, pouring in the water, filling and emptying in the sand with variety sized containers. All these things help the babies to be independent and ready for their move to the toddler room. 

30 hours funding

From September 2025, eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of funded childcare per week for children aged nine months and above. This is an expansion from the current 15 hours for younger children. The funding is available for 38 weeks of the year, typically aligning with school terms, but we offer a stretched offer over the year with fewer hours per week. 

We have limited spaces available so please if you are intending to increase your hours please contact your nursery manager as soon as possible.

Safeguarding - Positive Parenting

Balancing the various demands parents have to cope with isn't easy and all parents can come under pressure or stress from time to time.

This NSPCC guide shares practical advice and tips for positive parenting techniques that work well for children - from babies to teenagers. These techniques encourage better behaviour and help parents find out what works for them and their child. 

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/leaflets/positive-parenting

Reading with you child

Reading to young children, particularly in their early years, has a significant positive impact on their future life outcomes. Shared reading experiences foster language development, improve literacy skills, and boost cognitive abilities, while also promoting mental wellbeing. These benefits extend into adulthood, with increased chances of academic success, better employment prospects, and improved mental health.

The Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust have joined forces to launch a National Year of Reading to start in January 2026.

The campaign aims to bring together parents, nurseries, schools, libraries, businesses and literacy experts to foster a love of reading for pleasure in children and young people.

Findings from the National Literacy Trust’s annual survey carried out last month found that just 1 in 3 children and young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025.

Funding for the National Year of Reading has been donated by a number of organisations and publishers, including Premier League, Julia Rausing Trust, and the Arts Council England.

To kick start the campaign, the National Literacy Trust will distribute more than 72,000 new books to children in areas with the highest rates of child poverty to support positive reading habits at home.  

The charity’s Summer Reading Challenge also aims to ensure more children have the opportunity to take part and build a love of reading over the school summer holidays..

CEO of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said, ‘At a time when we are witnessing the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and daily reading in a generation, we are delighted to be working with the government to deliver the National Year of Reading 2026 - a bold, society-wide campaign to reimagine how we understand, support and promote reading. Reading is the foundation of a successful life - the key to unlocking potential, strengthening social cohesion, enhancing wellbeing and boosting skills.’  

https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/parents-urged-to-read-more-to-boost-childrens-life-chances/

First Aid for Parents, Carers and Grandparents

We are holding our ever popular Parents, Carers and Grandparents First Aid course ran by GEM Compliance Training in Autumn, on the evening of Monday 13th October at Oakwood House Nursery and Tuesday 14th October at Portland House Nursery – early booking is recommended and the cost is £15 per person. 

Gain valuable First Aid knowledge and practical skills on a 3 hour short course (at Oakwood House Nursery) and 2 hour short course (at Portland House Nursery)  preparing you to deal with everyday childhood illnesses, accidents and First Aid situations delivered by a qualified Paediatric First Aid Instructor.

The following subject areas will be covered:

• Resuscitation
• Choking
• Bleeding
• Head & Spinal Injuries
• Fractures & Dislocations
• Sprains & Strains
• Seizures
• Burns
• Meningitis
• Poisons
• Bites & Stings
• Allergic Reactions

Further Information

Mobile Phones

Please can I remind parents that the use of mobile phones on nursery premises is strictly prohibited, you must not take any photographs or videos at nursery or at any nursery events. Using your mobile phone breaks the statutory welfare requirements and is also a breach of safeguarding policies to which we must adhere.

Sun cream

Please could parents help prepare your child for outdoor play by applying sun cream before they come to nursery. We will of course be applying the sun cream routinely throughout the course of the day on the sunny days.