Welcome to Tiny Steps!

At Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy, our motto is “Proud to work, learn and grow together” and this starts at the very beginning of your child’s time with us. For some of you this willbegin in Tiny Steps. We see our children as strong, competent and capable with enormous potential for learning. Our Early Years curriculum is progressive and carefully sequenced to allow for building on previous experiences as well as preparing the children for the next stage of their school journey and offers opportunities for children to develop personally, social, emotionally and academically. In each of our Early Years settings, children enjoy long periods of uninterrupted play, in indoor and outdoor environments, that encourages them to be independent yet collaborative, to problem solve and to develop perseverance and resilience.

Our Early Years children are supported in their learning and development by a team of experienced staff who have a wealth of knowledge and skills in Early Years practice. We are fortunate to have enrichment opportunities for our Early Years children. Each setting enjoys a Forest School session each week as well as regular visits to Cook School.
At Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy, we are fortunate to have 3 bespoke Early Years settings:

• Tiny Steps (2-3 years old)
• Nursery (3-4 years old)
• Reception (4-5 years old)

In Tiny Steps, teaching and learning is very much child led. Staff closely observe how the children are engaged in their chosen activities and come alongside them to then teach, model and support their play and further their learning “in the moment”. Tiny Steps have well-resourced indoor and
outdoor classroom with carefully planned activities suited to this age group and led by a staff team with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Tiny Steps children attend either full time or part time with some children eligible for 15 hours free childcare, depending on the fulfilment of certain criteria.

Relationships

Reciprocal relationships between adults and children are essential and we respect and value the relationships we have with our children and their parents and carers. We welcome parents and carers sharing with some of our activities such as our regular half termly “Stay and Play” sessions, Christmas activities or Parents Evenings.

We value our relationships with the wider community too, with the rest of the school and with our partnership Nurseries in the village. We also take part in wider whole school events.

Daily Timetable

Session Times:

• Morning only: 8.30am-12pm
• Afternoon only: 12-3pm
• Full day: 8.30am-3pm

Session Fees

Tiny Steps children attend either full time or part time with some children eligible for 15 hours free childcare, depending on the fulfilment of certain criteria.

For children who are two our hourly rate if £7.50 making a 3 hour session £22.50 and a full day (6.5 hours) £48.75

Once children are three and in receipt of the 3&4 year old funding the hourly rate is £5.60 making our sessions £16.80 and a whole day £36.40

Once eligible for funding, this may be used to pay for up to 15 or 30 hours, depending on eligibility. Any sessions above this amount will need to be paid for.

Parents may also pay for sessions using Childcare Vouchers.

Lunch

Hot dinners are available to Nursery children at a cost of £2.55 per day for a nursery meal. These can be ordered and paid for in advance on our online Appetite system. Alternatively, children may bring their own packed lunch.

The Nursery children also eat their lunches in the Brown Hall situated in the main school building. They mix with their FS2 friends and it helps enormously with the transition to FS2.

 If children do a whole day and they are entitled to Free School Meals this can be claimed please ask at the school office for further information.

Session availability

We take children from the age of 2. They are able to attend mornings, mornings plus lunches, afternoons or full days.

Children may be entitled to 15 hours free funding for 2 year olds.  (Or 30 hours from September 2025) Please visit the Childcare Choices website for more information https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

The term after a child turns 3, they are entitled to a Universal 15 hours Government funding. 

Some children may also be eligible for an Additional 15 hours funding depending on the meeting of certain criteria

For Nursery enquiries contact: admin.rws@ebor.academy

Uniform

Nursery children wear a red sweatshirt to show that we are part of the wider school community and this is required for all children. Some children wear the full school uniform – we are very flexible, but do ask that all children wear a red sweatshirt.

As we learn outside in all weathers, we ask that each child has a pair of wellies to keep at Pre-School as well as a waterproof suit that is big enough to go over the top of any thicker coat they might also wear. Our Forest Schools uniform can be found here

Inclusion

We are fully inclusive of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and children who have other additional needs. All staff work alongside these children and their parents, as well as the SEND Team within school to  employ various supportive strategies so that the children make progress and enjoy successful outcomes and access the curriculum alongside their peers.