Shiphay Learning Academy
Welcome to The Orchard Nursery
Welcome to The Orchard Nursery!
Our approach is built upon the understanding that every child is a unique individual with unlimited potential.
All children are born learners with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a natural curiosity to figure out how the world works. Placing children at the centre of everything we do, our intent at the Orchard Nursery is to provide a wonderous, rich, holistic environment bursting with exciting opportunities for learning. With the belief that knowledge is not something to be delivered but explored, we aim to teach children 'how' to think and not 'what' to think and have the confidence to develop their own theories about the world.
The Orchard Nursery is a place to learn, a place to play, a place to grow, flourish and thrive, and we hope to welcome your little one into our family very soon.
Please click on the menu links for more information on admissions, the nursery team, nursery curriculum and starting nursery.
Focused on the holistic development of the child, the Orchard Nursery is a place to learn, a place to play, a place to grow, flourish, and thrive. An extension of the family home, the Orchard Nursery is a calm environment filled with neutral tones, soft furnishings, plants, and tranquil play spaces, creating a state of 'hygge', where children feel a sense of belonging, safe and secure to snuggle down or explore with confidence.
Our learning environments, carefully curated to promote curiosity, imagination and independence, are filled with loose parts, natural resources, authentic objects that reflect cultural diversity, and real resources that allow children to use their imagination and explore endlessly.
We have moved away from brightly coloured traditional manufactured plastic toys that have a set purpose and can limit play and have replaced them with open-ended intelligent resources that spark curiosity, awe, and wonder and allow children the freedom and creativity to problem-solve, use their imaginations, and extend their play in any way they choose.
The Orchard Nursery 2025-26 brochure
Welcome to The Orchard Nursery 2025-26 BROCHURE
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Orange Bird Feeders Caring for Our Feathered Friends To celebrate the Big Schools' Birdwatch, the children made their very own orange bird feeders. They carefully inserted sticks to create perches for the birds, then filled each orange half with a nutritious mixture of mashed banana and sunflower seeds. Once complete, the children proudly hung their feeders in our forest area, watching as their creations found a place among the trees. We even made some extra feeders to hang in the nursery garden, ensuring our feathered visitors would be well looked after in different spaces. This hands-on activity supported fine motor development, teamwork, and Understanding the World, as the children learned how to care for animals and the environment around them. A thoughtful and meaningful way to connect with nature and celebrate the joy of birdwatching together. #BigSchoolsBirdwatch #LearningThroughPlay #UnderstandingTheWorld #CaringForNature #OutdoorLearning #EYFS #BestStartInLife
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Preparing Orange Bird Feeders Little Hands, Big Skills To celebrate the Big Schools' Birdwatch, the children helped to prepare the resources to make orange bird feeders later in the day with their adults during INSITE. The children carefully cut the oranges in half and used a juicer to squeeze out the juice, working with determination and focus. Using the juicer was a fantastic way to develop fine motor skills, strengthening hand and wrist muscles while improving coordination and control. The children were delighted that their hard work was rewarded by being able to drink the freshly squeezed orange juice themselves a real sense of pride and purpose! They then mashed bananas ready to be mixed with sunflower seeds to create nutritious bird food, continuing to build hand strength and coordination through purposeful, hands-on activity. It was a lovely example of meaningful preparation, where children developed important physical skills while knowing their work would be shared later with their parents and carers during INSITE making the learning even more special and memorable. #BigSchoolsBirdwatch #LearningThroughPlay #FineMotorSkills #UnderstandingTheWorld #FamilyLearning #EYFS #BestStartInLife
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Preparing Orange Bird Feeders Little Hands, Big Skills To celebrate the Big Schools' Birdwatch, the children helped to prepare the resources to make orange bird feeders later in the day with their adults during INSITE. The children carefully cut the oranges in half and used a juicer to squeeze out the juice, working with determination and focus. Using the juicer was a fantastic way to develop fine motor skills, strengthening hand and wrist muscles while improving coordination and control. The children were delighted that their hard work was rewarded by being able to drink the freshly squeezed orange juice themselves a real sense of pride and purpose! They then mashed bananas ready to be mixed with sunflower seeds to create nutritious bird food, continuing to build hand strength and coordination through purposeful, hands-on activity. It was a lovely example of meaningful preparation, where children developed important physical skills while knowing their work would be shared later with their parents and carers during INSITE making the learning even more special and memorable. #BigSchoolsBirdwatch #LearningThroughPlay #FineMotorSkills #UnderstandingTheWorld #FamilyLearning #EYFS #BestStartInLife
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Preparing Orange Bird Feeders Little Hands, Big Skills To celebrate the Big Schools' Birdwatch, the children helped to prepare the resources to make orange bird feeders later in the day with their adults during INSITE. The children carefully cut the oranges in half and used a juicer to squeeze out the juice, working with determination and focus. Using the juicer was a fantastic way to develop fine motor skills, strengthening hand and wrist muscles while improving coordination and control. The children were delighted that their hard work was rewarded by being able to drink the freshly squeezed orange juice themselves a real sense of pride and purpose! They then mashed bananas ready to be mixed with sunflower seeds to create nutritious bird food, continuing to build hand strength and coordination through purposeful, hands-on activity. It was a lovely example of meaningful preparation, where children developed important physical skills while knowing their work would be shared later with their parents and carers during INSITE making the learning even more special and memorable. #BigSchoolsBirdwatch #LearningThroughPlay #FineMotorSkills #UnderstandingTheWorld #FamilyLearning #EYFS #BestStartInLife