Welcome to Cygnets Nursery

At Cygnets Nursery, we are delighted to welcome you and your child into our caring, friendly, and nurturing environment. We understand that starting nursery is a big step—for both children and families—and we are here to support you every step of the way.

From the moment you arrive, our aim is to create a place where children feel safe, valued, and excited to learn.

Settling In

We know every child is unique, and some may need a little extra time to feel comfortable. If you would like to arrange settling-in sessions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office—we are always happy to help make this transition as smooth as possible.

A Typical Day at Nursery

Our nursery day is thoughtfully structured to provide children with a sense of routine, security, and enjoyment.

  • Children are dropped off at the main entrance
  • They find their peg and place lunch boxes and bottles in the designated areas
  • We say goodbye in the cloakroom, helping children build independence (parents do not enter the classroom)

Throughout the day, children take part in a rich balance of indoor and outdoor learning. We believe strongly in learning through play, supported by both child-led exploration and adult-guided carpet sessions and experiences. Our activities are hands-on, engaging, and designed to spark curiosity and confidence.

Mealtimes

Children may either order a school lunch or bring a packed lunch from home. They enjoy their meals together in the dinner hall, which is a valuable part of preparing them for the transition into Reception and the wider school environment.

Building Skills for the Future

At Cygnets Nursery, we focus on developing the essential skills children need to thrive. We gently encourage children to:

  • Follow simple two-part instructions
  • Use the toilet independently
  • Ask for help when needed
  • Begin dressing themselves, such as putting on coats and shoes

These important life skills help children grow in confidence and independence, enabling them to reach their full potential as they prepare for Reception.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We are proud to be an active part of the wider school and community. Children regularly take part in:

  • Weekly PE sessions and Welly Walks
  • Whole-school events such as World Book Day, art projects, and fundraising activities
  • Stay and Play sessions with parents
  • Visits to the local church to learn about celebrations such as Harvest and Christmas
  • Visits from members of the community, including the local librarian

We also work closely with Reception classes, organising shared activities and assemblies to build strong relationships and support a smooth transition to the next stage of learning.

Working in Partnership with Parents

We value strong communication with families. We use an online learning journal, Tapestry, to share your child’s experiences and achievements at nursery. We warmly welcome parents to contribute too—this helps us build a fuller picture of your child’s development and supports their communication and language skills.

Session Times and Collection

  • Morning, afternoon, and full-day sessions are available
  • Morning drop-off takes place at the main entrance
  • Afternoon session drop-off is via the main office
  • Collection takes place from the garden door

At Cygnets Nursery, we believe every child deserves a joyful start to their learning journey. We are committed to creating a positive, supportive environment where children can explore, grow, and flourish.

We look forward to welcoming you into our nursery family

We are a teacher led nursery class, opened in September 2023 and take children after their third birthday until they start in Reception. We are offering 15 hour and 30 hour places and are open 38 weeks of the year.

Children can attend either:

  • 30 hours a week – 4.5 full days  - 8:45- 3:15 (Tuesday-Friday) & 8:45-12:45 (Monday with an option to extend this to a full day at a cost of £10 per week)
  • 15 hours a week -  5 mornings  - 8:45- 11:45
  • 15 hours a week - 5 afternoons - 12:15- 3:15           

If your child is or will be 3 years old in the next academic year and you would like to apply for a place, please complete the Nursery Place Enquiry form below and return it to the school office:admin@wistaston.cheshire.sch.uk. We will then send out a registration pack and confirm your child's place as soon as possible.

Please explore the tabs below to find our more about how our nursery operates. The Parent's Guide is a great place to start as it contains all the important information and hopefully answers lots of the questions you may have.

Please provide the following :

  • water bottle filled with fresh water everyday
  • coat/raincoat (puddlesuit is fine too)
  • welly boots (they can stay in school)
  • two sets of spare clothes (t-shirt, jumper/cardigan, trousers/leggings, socks/tights, pants)
  • warm hat, scarf for winter 
  • sun hat, sun screen for summer

All children are eligible to receive 15 hours of free early education entitlement (FEEE) starting from the term after they are 3 years old. This funding is provided by the local authority and comes straight to school. We will need parents to complete a FEEE form before their child starts in order for for us to access their funding.

Some families are entitled to receive 30 hours of funding each week, rather than 15. Please see the Cheshire East website for more details:

Cheshire East Funding Information

To check your eligibility please see:

Apply for 30 hours free childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please be aware that it is parents' responsibility to apply for 30 hour funding by the required deadline (as detailed in the Cheshire East Funding Information above) and to renew their funding codes as per the conditions of this funding.

If you wish for your child to start immediately after their third birthday, weekly fees will apply until their funding starts the following term. Similarly, if you wish for your child to attend for 30 hours, but they are only eligible for 15 hours, weekly fees will apply.

If your child is entitled to the 30 hours FEEE funding, this will cover them for:

4.5 full days  - 8:45- 3:15 (Tuesday-Friday) & 8:45-12:45 (Monday)

If you require your child to extend their 30 hours to include Monday afternoon (12:45-3:15), a reduced fee of £10 per week will apply. This will be invoiced monthly in advance via KidsClubHQ. 

Parents can, if needed, access our Swan Stars before and after school club to provide wrap around care.  For more information about Swan Stars, please see their webpage: 

https://www.wcla.co.uk/461/swan-stars-before-and-after-school-club 

Below shows the fees we charge for before and after school club, lunchtime and any unfunded hours.

Session Cost
Before School £6.00
Morning/Afternoon Session £15.50 per session
Lunch Time Supervision £2.00 if applicable
After School Club £12.00
Full Unfunded Day 8:45- 3:15 £33.00
Full Unfunded Day 7:15 - 6:00 £51.00
Monday afternoon for 30 hour funded children £10.00

Our nursery class welcomes all children once they have turned 3 until they start in Reception. We have places for 26 children to attend at any one time.

Attendance at our Nursery class does not automatically mean that children will be awarded a place in our Reception class. School admissions are decided and administered by Cheshire East Council and parents still need to apply for a school place for their child at: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/admissions/start-school-september.aspx

Parents are welcome to make enquiries and register their interest for a place in the nursery class whenever they wish, and places will be confirmed the term before the children are due to start. Although we do our very best to provide places for all children, early expressions of interest do not necessarily guarantee a place.

If there is a situation where the demand for places is greater than the number of places available the following criteria will be used to decide to whom the places are offered:

  1. A child who has been offered a place in our Reception class for the following September by the local authority. This criterion will only be used from April onwards when school places are confirmed and is so that children can start to make friends and settle at Church Lane.
  2. Siblings - pupils with brothers or sisters, step-brothers or step-sisters, foster brother or sisters, half-brother or half-sisters, adopted brothers or adopted sisters living together as part of one household, already attending Church Lane and who are expected to continue at the school at the time of admission.
  3. Children of staff at the Church Lane - Priority will be given to children of full-time members of staff who have been employed at the school for two or more years (at the time of application) and for new staff recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
  4. Pupils living nearest to the school – measured using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) which measures straight line distances in miles from the address point of the place of residence to the address point of the academy

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