Wingerworth Wonder Years Nursery

📱🌱 Effective September 2026: Guidance on Screen Time for Nursery Children in England A significant update to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework will come into effect on 1 September 2026, requiring early years providers in England to adhere to government guidelines on children's screen use.

This new guidance is not a blanket ban on screens in nurseries or a strict daily time limit for every child. Instead, it focuses on ensuring that screen use is purposeful, appropriate, and balanced, while maintaining ample opportunities for:
🧸 Imaginative play
🎨 Creativity
📚 Books and stories
💬 Talking and communication
🏃‍♀️ Physical activity
🌳 Outdoor exploration
👫 Social interaction
For our youngest children, real-life experiences, relationships, and hands-on play remain at the heart of learning and development.
Under 2 years: Screen use should generally be avoided, except for occasional interactive activities such as video calls with family, which encourage bonding and conversation.
Age-Specific Guidelines
Ages 2–5 years: Screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day, ideally less, and should not replace active play, social interaction, or outdoor experiences.
Purposeful and Educational Use: Screens should be used intentionally for learning, creativity, or interactive purposes, such as age-appropriate apps, music, or storytelling. Content should support language development, curiosity, and creativity, and be slow-paced and predictable rather than fast-moving or overstimulating.
Supervision and Engagement: Children must be fully supervised during screen use. Adults should co-view and engage with children, discussing content and encouraging interaction, rather than allowing solo or unsupervised use.
Screen use should not occur during mealtimes or close to sleep/rest times, and regular breaks should be provided.
Health and Well-being Considerations: Limiting screen time supports healthy development, including sufficient sleep, real-world play, and responsive adult engagement.
Screen-based assistive technologies for children with SEND are exempt from time limits if they provide essential benefits for communication, well-being, or quality of life.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-screen-time-guidance-for-parents-of-under-5s

🚗💙 Car Seat Safety – Every Journey Matters 💙🚗

Whether it's the school run, a trip to the shops, or a family day out, making sure your child's car seat is suitable and fitted correctly is one of the most important ways to keep them safe.

Here are a few key reminders:

👶 Children should use the correct car seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm tall (whichever comes first).

🔄 Under i-Size (R129) regulations, children should stay rearward-facing until at least 15 months of age, as this provides the best protection for their head, neck and spine.

🪑 Whenever possible, fit your child's car seat in the rear of the vehicle and ensure it is installed correctly using ISOFIX or the vehicle's seat belt, following the manufacturer's instructions.

⚠️ Never place a rearward-facing car seat on a front passenger seat with an active airbag.

🚨 If your child's car seat has been involved in a road traffic collision, it should be replaced, even if there is no visible damage.

A correctly fitted car seat can make a life-saving difference. If you're unsure whether your child's seat is still suitable or fitted correctly, take a few minutes to check—it could make all the difference.

For the latest legal requirements and guidance, please visit the official GOV.UK Child Car Seat Rules.

💙 Let's work together to keep every child safe on every journey

We had a lovely visit to Wingerworth Library with some of our children. It was wonderful to explore the books, enjoy stories together, and spark the children's curiosity and love of reading. Seeing their smiles and excitement reminds us how special these community visits are. Thank you to everyone at Wingerworth Library for such a warm welcome - we can't wait to visit again!
What is your child's favourite bedtime story?? 📖

🎓🌱 Supporting School Readiness at Nursery 🌱🎓

School readiness is an important part of a child’s early years journey, and here at Wingerworth Wonder Years we understand that being “ready for school” is about much more than recognising letters and numbers.

Through our everyday routines, play experiences and interactions, we support children to develop the skills and confidence they need for a positive transition to school.

🌟 We encourage children to:
• Develop independence and self-care skills
• Build confidence in communicating their needs and ideas
• Listen, concentrate and follow instructions
• Develop positive relationships and learn to share and take turns
• Manage emotions and develop resilience
• Explore, investigate and solve problems
• Develop early literacy and mathematical skills
• Become curious, confident and enthusiastic learners

Most importantly, we recognise that every child is unique and develops at their own pace. Our role is to provide a nurturing, stimulating environment where children can build confidence, develop independence and enjoy learning through play.

Together with families, we can give children the strong foundations they need to make a happy and confident start to school. 💛

Attached is a link to a website all about school readiness and helping your child prepare for starting school -https://startingreception.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Starting-Reception.pdf

☀️Summer is the perfect time for outdoor learning 🌴☀️
At our nursery, outdoor play isn't just fun - its an essential part of children's learning and development.
Through exploring nature, water play, imaginative adventures, and active games, children develop:
🌱Confidence and independence
🏃Physical strength, balance, and coordination
🧠Problem-solving , and critical thinking skills
🤝Communication, teamwork, and social skills
🎨Creativity and imagination
💚A love and respect for the natural world
Summer is the perfect time to take or curriculum outside. Everyday, our outdoor environment provide exciting opportunities for children to learn, explore and develop through meaningful play .
Fresh air, open spaces and hands-on experiences help children develop important skills , make lasting memories and discover the joy of learning in nature.
We can't wait to see what adventures this summer brings our way 😀

Are you seeking comprehensive support and resources for a child or young person with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in Derbyshire? The Derbyshire Local Offer provides a centralized platform designed to empower families and enable young people (aged 0-25) to build confidence and achieve greater independence. This valuable resource offers a structured pathway to support across four key areas: early years (0-5), education and learning, preparing for adulthood, and leisure and activities. Whether you require services in your local area or further afield, or need specific information on support plans, the Local Offer is dedicated to helping you navigate your options. By consolidating these resources, the program aims to ensure that children and young people with SEND have the necessary tools to grow, learn, and fully participate in society. To explore these services and find the guidance best suited to your family's needs, please visit the official website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/localoffer.

🎓✨ Congratulations to Our Wonderful Graduates! ✨🎓

Today we celebrate a very special milestone as we say goodbye to our amazing preschool graduates. We are so proud of each and every one of you and all that you have achieved during your time at Wingerworth Wonder Years.

It has been a joy to watch you grow in confidence, make new friends, learn new skills, and create so many wonderful memories. Your smiles, laughter, and curiosity have filled our days, and you will always hold a special place in our hearts.

As you begin your next adventure at school, remember to be kind, be brave, keep asking questions, and never stop believing in yourselves. We know you are going to do incredible things!

To our wonderful families, thank you for trusting us to be part of your children's early years journey. It has been a privilege to watch them grow and flourish.

Good luck to all our graduates—we'll miss you all so much, but we can't wait to see all the amazing things you

Can we also say a big thank you to the parents, careers and family members that helped walk the children down to enjoy their graduation party last week, it was very much appreciated, Thank you

With love from everyone at Wingerworth Wonder Years ❤️🎉

At Wingerworth Wonder Years, we're always looking for ways to go above and beyond for the children in our care. 💙
A few weeks ago, our team completed additional paediatric first aid training, helping to further strengthen their knowledge and confidence in responding to emergencies.
While this extra training isn't currently mandatory, we believe that investing in our teams skills is another way we can provide the safest, highest-quality care possible. The wellbeing of every child entrusted to us will always be our highest priority.
A huge well done to our amazing team for their commitment to continuous learning and giving our children the very best start. 🌟

Our little champions worked so hard during sports day! 🏅 From racing and balancing to throwing and hopping, everyone gave it their all. A huge well done to all the children, and a big thank you to parents/ family members/ carers who came along to cheer them on! 👏💙

In our nursery, we introduce playdough creation as a foundational cooking skill, fostering the development of measurement, mixing, and sensory exploration abilities. This activity enhances fine motor skills, stimulates creativity, and provides essential hands-on experiences for early learners.
By incorporating playdough creation into our curriculum, we're not only promoting cognitive development but also encouraging imagination, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
By providing a variety of textures, colours, and tools, we're creating a rich and engaging environment that inspires creativity, exploration, and most importantly, fun!