Jesters Day Nursery & Pre-School- Bicknacre

17/06/2026

EDUCATION CONTINUES TO SHINE AT JESTERS! 🥉🤎⭐

We are thrilled to announce that we have received another BRONZE WINNER AWARD for EARLY YEARS TEAM OF THE YEAR! Well deserved recognition for our Jesters Family who are 'Building futures for the next generation.'

We very proudly and confidently entered our whole JESTERS EARLY YEARS TEAM from Jesters Beaulieu, Bicknacre and Danbury into the prestigious nationwide Pearson National Teaching Awards 2026 for Early Years Team of the Year - for the 3rd year running.

'Televised by the BBC One Show, they are the “Oscars of the teaching profession” and offer the chance to shine a light on the heroes in our community. They highlight how educators inspire and encourage the next generation every single day and celebrate their dedication.'

15/06/2026

MEET THE TEAM MONDAY!

Di joined our team at Bicknacre very recently as our new Early Years Practitioner in Squirrels. Di brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Jesters.

Favourite book: Giraffes cant dance
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite season: Summer
Favourite food: Spaghetti bolognaise with cheese and beetroot.
Favourite animal: Donkey
Fun fact: Di has climbed the 02

15/06/2026

WEEK 1 this week: 🍽️😋

Jesters MENUS
WEEK 1 - Week commencing Monday 15th June
WEEK 2 - Week commencing Monday 22nd June
WEEK 3 - Week commencing Monday 29th June

Jesters Early Years Alliance Nutrition ACCREDITED MENUS can be found on our website and are regularly shared with families through our 'connect' system.
👉 https://jesterskids.org/food-nutrition/

We now have separate Alternative Menus detailing the options for children with special dietary requirements.

If you'd like to make some of the tasty, nutritious meals at home, all the recipes from our professional Nursery Kitchen partner can also be downloaded from our website:
https://jesterskids.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jesters-NK-recipes-APRIL26.pdf

10/06/2026

FREE WEBINAR from Essex County Council Early Years:

Feeding Your Under 5s - A Parent/Carer's guide to Early Years Nutrition.

In this 90-minute session, leading Baby & Child Nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed will cover everything from why the early years matter so much for your child's long term health, to balanced eating, portion sizes, fussy eating & how to make mealtimes work for your whole family...

Feeding Your Under 5s - A Parent/Carer's guide to Early Years Nutrition

On Wed 17 June in this 90-minute session, baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed will cover everything from:

- why the early years matter so much for your child's long term health
- balanced eating, portion sizes, fussy eating
- how to make mealtimes work for the whole family.

Whether you're just starting on your child's food journey or navigating the toddler years, this session will leave you feeling informed, reassured & ready to go.

Please share sign-up the link with parents and carers in your settings: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=TzK0qFwVFUKg8X7YzJqZL6qKmjf-ZgxBkOr4HuNTNapURDU5S1hBR0hFMUU3T1BWUUoySVhSNDI2Ry4u&route=shorturl 📌

08/06/2026

MEET THE TEAM MONDAY!

Lydia recently joined the team at Bicknacre as an Early Years Assistant and supports all rooms for Lunch Cover.

Favourite Book: The Love Hypothesis
Favourite Colour: Pink
Favourite Season: Autumn
Favourite Food: Sushi
Favourite Animal: Turtles
Fun fact: Lydia has a kitten named Cleo!

04/06/2026

People have a month to offer their views about which species of wildlife should be honoured on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. Read the shortlist here: https://bbc.in/4fUOAeq

01/06/2026

MEET THE TEAM MONDAY!

Ellie is one of our Early Years Assistants at our Bicknacre site. She has been part of the Jesters Family for a couple of years and works in our Under 2 unit.

Favourite Book: Peck, Peck, Peck
Favourite Colour: Orange
Favourite Season: Autumn
Favourite Food: Lemon cheesecake
Favourite Animal: Cat
Fun fact: Next year Ellie is going bungee jumping!!!

01/06/2026

Planting in the early years is about more than seeds and soil—it’s a rich, hands-on way for young children to build curiosity, confidence, and care for the world.

- Sensory Learning: Handling soil, seeds, and water strengthens fine motor skills and engages touch, smell, and sight. Children learn to notice textures, moisture, and growth changes.
- Early Science: Planting introduces cause and effect (water helps plants grow), sequencing (plant, water, wait), and observation (measuring height, counting leaves).
- Language and Maths: New vocabulary (roots, stem, sprout) and practical maths (counting seeds, comparing sizes, tracking days) grow through authentic tasks.
- Responsibility and empathy: Regular watering and tending builds routines, patience, and care for living things—foundations for self-regulation and social-emotional learning.
- Health and food awareness: Growing herbs or vegetables connects children to where food comes from and encouraging healthier choices.

Last week our children in the Squirrels Room planted some wild flowers seeds for our garden. We can't wait to watch them look after and see their plants grow.

27/05/2026

WEEK 1 MENUS this week.... 😋

MENUS
WEEK 1 - Week commencing Tuesday 26th May
WEEK 2 - Week commencing Monday 1st June
WEEK 3 - Week commencing Monday 8th June

Jesters Early Years Alliance Nutrition ACCREDITED MENUS can be found on our website and are regularly shared with families through our 'connect' system. https://jesterskids.org/food-nutrition/

We now have separate Alternative Menus detailing the options for children with special dietary requirements.

If you'd like to make some of the tasty, nutritious meals at home, all the recipes from our professional Nursery Kitchen partner can also be downloaded from our website:
https://jesterskids.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jesters-NK-recipes-APRIL26.pdf

25/05/2026

MEET THE TEAM MONDAY!

Liane is one of our wonderful Lunch Cover Assistants at Bicknacre. She supports in all of the rooms and has worked for Jesters for a few years now.

Favourite thing to do with children- Reading stories to them, especially the ones from her collection at home.
Favourite book- Peepo
Favourite colour- Green
Favourite season - Autumn
Favourite food- Nachos
Favourite animal - Rabbit
Fun fact- Liane worked in Magaluf for 3 seasons when she was younger.