Our Provision

At Wickersley Nursery, our planning is shaped by our ethos - developing children who are active thinkers, learners, and friends.

Our practitioners begin by observing and understanding each child’s interests, learning styles, and developmental needs. This helps us plan experiences that truly engage and challenge them.

Every half term, learning is built around a theme and a carefully chosen key story that inspire imagination, introduce new ideas, and encourage rich conversations. These stories bring learning to life and provide meaningful links across all areas of development.

Within each room, we use stepping stones to support children’s progress towards their end of room goals. This approach celebrates what children can already do and helps identify what they are ready to learn next - ensuring every child’s journey is personal, purposeful, and full of joy.

Stories, songs, and rhymes are at the heart of life at Wickersley Nursery. They help children build language, confidence, and a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

Each room has a selection of key texts - high-quality picture books and nursery rhymes that are explored over several weeks. This gives children time to become familiar with the story, develop new vocabulary, and grow in confidence as storytellers themselves.

We use story sacks, puppets, and real objects to bring stories to life, helping children connect words with meaning. Families are encouraged to join in the fun too - we share key vocabulary on outdoor chalkboards and send home word mats to support language learning beyond nursery.

Some of our much-loved key texts include, Owl Babies, Dear Zoo, Whatever Next and The Gruffalo. 

The key person approach is at the heart of everything we do at Wickersley Nursery. Each child is supported by a dedicated key person who builds a warm, trusting relationship, ensuring every child feels safe, valued, and understood.

Our practitioners skilfully balance play and teaching, knowing when to step back and when to join in. They use meaningful interactions and sustained shared thinking to stretch children’s ideas and move their learning forward.

We believe adults are more than educators — they are partners in play and champions of every child’s potential.

Children have access to the outdoors every day, in all weathers, helping them stay active, develop physically, and connect with the world around them.
We have age specific outdoor areas, each designed to meet the needs of different age groups. From the age of 2 years, children can move freely between indoors and outdoors, choosing where they want to learn and play.

Our carefully planned indoor and outdoor spaces encourage in-the-moment thinking, quality interactions, and joyful learning. Each area is filled with opportunities to play, talk, imagine, and create - supporting children’s confidence and independence.