OXFORD GARDENS PRE-SCHOOL NURSERY CLASS
In the 1970's I worked as a Nursery nurse in Oxford Gardens Primary School. The teacher and I spent several weeks buying equipment and setting up the classroom ready for the children to start.
The nursery class consisted of two classrooms knocked into one, giving us a large area for various activities we set up each day. We would usually have a theme running for a few weeks and our activities would be centred around this. One of our cleaners, Maggie, had a friend who kindly knitted outfits for our boy and girl dolls. I made lots of bedding for the prams and cots, and cushions for the children to sit or lay on.
The outside area was fenced off from the infants playground and some permanent climbing apparatus was erected. We also used wooden planks to build various shapes for the children to climb on. We had a small garden area to do planting which the children enjoyed. We then gradually introduced the children just a few at a time until we had a full morning and afternoon group of 25 each session.
Later we started a full time class with fifteen children staying for lunch which we served in the classroom. At this point, we had a classroom assistant who would come in and help me serve lunch. We would have two tables with one of us at each. This proved to be a very social time. The children would help lay the table and also clear away afterwards.
The register would be taken at the beginning of each session, and then the children would be free to go to any of the activities set out for them.
In good weather the doors to the outside play area would be open almost all the time with the children coming in and out as they pleased. When the weather permitted we would take sand, (wet and dry) and water outside, along with some of the activities.
At the end of each session the children would come together in the book
corner for story time and singing before going home.
Gill Shirley, 2005
