To all our families,
I can’t quite believe we’re already halfway through our final term of the year – time has flown! It’s been a joy to watch your children grow and flourish this year; they’ve achieved so much and made us all proud.
In Acorns, the children have been busy caring for their plants, watching their caterpillars grow, and making the most of our new hilltop equipment. In Willow and Beech, our preschool children have been exploring bugs in the garden, learning to make sandwiches, and diving into the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Exciting News for September!
We’re thrilled to announce that from September 2025, we’ll be opening a brand-new classroom for 2-year-olds – ‘Little Acorns’. This space will offer 18 additional places for our youngest learners and will be located where the Children’s Centre currently hosts Stay & Play sessions.
We’re delighted that Lisa, supported by Kirsty and Dawn, will lead Little Acorns. The new room will have strong links with the main Acorns room throughout the day. If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Here’s a look at next year’s teaching teams:
| Little Acorns | Acorns | Willow | Beech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa | Kirsty | Johnny/Gavin | Dave |
| Dawn | Amber | Kim | Rachel |
| Kacey | |||
| Emma | |||
| Vanessa |
You may have noticed that we have some vacancies – we are hoping to get some excellent practitioners to join our lovely team – watch this space!
School of Sanctuary
Did you hear? We’re proud to be the first nursery in Bristol to receive the School of Sanctuary award! This recognises our ongoing commitment to welcoming and supporting refugee and asylum-seeking families. We’re honoured to lead the way and will continue embedding this work across all we do.
Culture Café – Thank You!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Culture Café. It was a wonderful celebration of our diverse community, filled with delicious food, warm conversation, and new connections. Special thanks to Kacey for her amazing organisation and networking – we can’t wait to do it again next year!
FFANS News
Join us on Saturday 5th July, from 10:00am – 12:00pm, for our Summer Fayre!
- Free entry – cash only
- Tombola (for children and adults)
- Face painting
- Fun activities
- Refreshments
If you’re able to help out on the day, or know someone who can, please get in touch – thank you!
Help with Childcare Fees – changes from September 2025
Final phase of childcare expansion: get 30 hours childcare – apply now
From this September, 15 hours childcare for working families with children under 3 will expand to 30 hours, meaning eligible working families* can now apply for 30 hours of childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months until they reach school age.
This expansion is designed to support your child’s early education and help you better balance work and family life. It’s the final phase of the childcare expansion, which could save families up to £7,500 per year.
Apply for your childcare code by 31 August to start using the support from September.
What you need to do:
- Check if you’re eligible: Visit Childcare Choices. Working parents in England may be entitled to up to 30 hours of childcare per week for children aged 9 months to school age, during term time (38 weeks per year).
- Apply online via GOV.UK: If you’re eligible, apply now for your childcare code – you’ll need this to access your hours.
- Apply by 31 August: To start using your hours from 1 September, make sure you apply before the deadline.
- Speak with your childcare provider: Verify that they offer the desired hours and confirm their arrangements.
- Keep your code up to date: you’ll need to reconfirm your details every 3 months via your GOV.UK account. You’ll get a reminder when it’s time.
Already using 15 hours childcare for working families? You don’t need to reapply for a new code. Simply continue to reconfirm your details every 3 months on your GOV.UK account and your existing code will update automatically to enable you to take up 30 hours from September.
For a step-by-step guide on how to apply, watch the video below with Early Years Educator, Steff, explaining the process: How to get help with the cost of childcare: government-funded support in England
Get free childcare if you’re working: Apply for free childcare – GOV.UK
* This childcare offer of up to 30 funded hours per week is a fantastic support for many families.
However, some children aren’t eligible due to their family’s immigration status, which means they miss out on this vital early years education & support.
At our setting, we value inclusion, equity and respect. If you’re unsure about your eligibility or are affected by this, please speak to us in confidence. We’re here to help and advocate for fairness for all families.
Parking
Thank you for your support and understanding about not parking in our car park, we have seen some improvement in parking conditions. Can we please remind parents and carers to be mindful of our neighbours when parking on the roads near nursery and avoid parking on the yellow zig-zags on Blakeney Road. For more information, please click here.
Thanks again!
As always, if you need to speak with your child’s key person or any member of staff, please do so at drop-off or pick-up times. If your matter is sensitive, please arrange a time with them, and a quiet and more private space can be booked.
Thank you,
Kate and everyone at FANS