First Class Newsletter – January 2026

First Class Nursery Newsletter

Welcome Back to Nursery
We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday. The children have returned with lots of smiles, and it has been lovely to see them reconnect with their friends and staff. We are excited for the term ahead and all the learning opportunities we have planned.

Dates for the Diary

January

• Wednesday 28th January – National LEGO Day
• Thursday 29th January – National Puzzle Day

February

• Friday 13th February – Last day for funding sessions (Half Term)
• Saturday 14th February – Valentine’s Day
• Sunday 15th February – Real Bread Day
• Monday 16th – Friday 20th February – Half Term Holidays
  (No funding sessions during this week)
• Tuesday 17th February – Chinese Themed Menu Day
• Tuesday 17th February – Pancake Day
• Wednesday 18th February – First day of Ramadhan (Approx.)
• Wednesday 18th February – Ash Day
• Monday 23rd February – Funding sessions recommence

🎒 Children Starting School in September

If your child is due to start reception in September, please remember that applications must be made online via the Kirklees Council website.

• Closing date: 15th January
• Applications must be completed by parents/carers
• Late applications may affect school placement

If you need any support or guidance with the application process, please speak to a member of the nursery team.

🗣️ 5 Words a Week

Each week, we focus on five key words to support children’s language, communication, and understanding of our nursery themes.

• On display outside each room – so children can see and use them all day
  • Shared on Famly each week – so you can explore the words at home too
  • Fun at home – try using the words in conversation, play, or stories

Weekly Words 

5th Jan – cold | soft | hard | dark | light

12th Jan – through | warm | under/over | facing | now

19th Jan – inside | out | dry | front | cold

26th Jan – jerky | smooth | fast | slow | moving | high/low

2nd Feb – like | happy | frightened | unkind | excited

9th Feb – fast | slow | both | equal | help

16th Feb – circle | thin | thick | several | hungry

🌱 Our Learning Themes This Term

This term, children across the nursery will be exploring a range of themes that support their confidence, communication, physical development and understanding of the world. Activities will be carefully adapted to suit each age group, ensuring all children are supported at their own stage of development.

Across the nursery, our themes include:

• New Beginnings & New Year
  Helping children settle back into nursery routines, build confidence, independence and friendships.
• Winter to Spring & Seasonal Changes
  Exploring changes in the weather, nature and animals, including learning about hibernation and cold climates through Arctic Adventures.
• Staying Warm & Healthy Lifestyles
  Learning how to look after our bodies by staying warm, being active and developing good oral health and healthy habits.
• Let’s Get Physical
  Encouraging movement through dance, outdoor play and physical activities to support coordination and strength.
• Kindness & Feelings
  Supporting children to recognise and talk about their emotions, show kindness and build positive relationships.
• Working Together & People Who Help Us
  Learning how to share, take turns and work as part of a group, while discovering the roles of people in our community.
• Outdoor Learning & Maths (Over 3’s focus)
  Developing early maths skills such as counting, measuring and problem-solving through outdoor activities.
• Cultural Celebrations & Traditions
  Exploring Pancake Week, Chinese New Year and Ramadhan through stories, role play, creative activities and discussions, in an age-appropriate way.

All learning is delivered through play, stories, songs and hands-on experiences, with activities carefully differentiated to meet the needs of both our Under 3’s and Over 3’s.

👶 Baby Room 

The Baby Room focuses on settling, relationships and early life skills, working closely with the Bumblebees Room to support a smooth transition when children are ready.

Key focus areas include:

• Ensuring children feel safe, secure and confident
• Supporting new starters to settle comfortably
• Developing early life skills such as sitting on larger chairs, using cups and finding/putting on their own belongings
• Encouraging empathy, compassion and understanding of diversity
• Building strong parent partnerships to create a solid foundation for learning

🐝 Bumblebees Room (2-Year-Olds)

In the Bumblebees Room, the focus is on independence and self-help skills, while also helping children from the Baby Room settle into their new environment.

Key focus areas include:

• Supporting children to manage everyday tasks such as dressing, eating and tidying up
• Helping new starters feel safe, secure and confident
• Encouraging independence, curiosity and confidence through age-appropriate activities
• Building strong relationships with staff and peers

Pre-School Room (3 – 4 Year olds) 

In the Pre-School Room, the focus is on building independence, confidence and school readiness, while continuing to support children’s learning through play and exploration.

Key focus areas include:

• Developing self-help skills such as dressing independently and putting on shoes and socks
• Supporting children to feel confident and capable in daily routines
• Exploring cold climates and learning about the animals that live there through stories, play and creative activities
• Learning how to look after our teeth and make healthy food choices
• Continuing to use the Feelings Board and Colour Monster Board to help children recognise, understand and talk about their emotions
• Developing communication and language skills through group discussions, stories and role play
• Supporting early maths skills including counting, sorting and problem-solving
• Encouraging early writing skills through mark making, drawing and name recognition
• Building positive relationships, kindness and friendships with peers
• Preparing children for school by encouraging independence, listening skills and confidence

🏠 Home Learning

Home learning helps children extend their learning at home and gives families simple, fun ways to support development.

January Home Learning: (All Children) 

• Take your child on a frosty nature walk and upload a picture of your walk onto Famly.
• These pictures will be shared during group time at nursery, giving children the chance to talk about their frosty walk and develop their observation and communication skills.

February Home Learning:

• Baby Room & Bumblebees:

Source a seed at home to plant. Bring it into nursery to support our family learning activity on growing and planting.

• Pre-School: 

Bring in magazines from home. At nursery, children will cut out pictures from the magazines. These pictures will then be used to create a story sequence at the Family Learning Event, with parents helping children arrange and tell their story. This supports creativity, storytelling, fine motor skills, and family involvement.

👪 Family Learning Events

We love welcoming families into nursery to learn and have fun together!

January Family Learning Events

• Baby Room: Tuesday 20th January, 10–11am – Making soup 

• Bumblebees Room: Thursday 22nd January, 10–11am – Making soup 
• Pre-School: Thursday 22nd January, 2–3pm – Cooking stew

These sessions give children the chance to explore ingredients, practise skills, and work alongside their parents and carers, making learning fun and interactive.

February Family Learning:

• Baby Room & Bumblebees: Friday 27th February, 10–11am – Growing & Planting (linked to home learning seed activity)
• Pre-School: Wednesday 25th February, 10–11am – Story Sequence with magazine cut-outs, with parents helping children create and share their stories (linked to home learning activity)

These events give children the chance to practise skills learned at home, work together with peers and parents, and share their ideas and creations in a fun, interactive way.

“We are looking forward to a fun and busy term! Thank you for your continued support in helping your child explore, learn, and grow. If you have any questions, please speak to your child’s key person – we love working together with families to make learning enjoyable for everyone!”

Reminders

✔ Running Late? Call ahead to avoid late collection fees (£10 for the first 15 minutes, then £1 per minute).
✔ No Toys from Home: To prevent loss or distraction, children should not bring personal toys.
✔ Sickness: Please ring the nursery on each day your child is unwell to inform us and also update on Famly.

Funding & Childcare Updates

• 30 Hours Funding Deadline: Apply by 31st March 2026 if your child turns 3 before this date.
• 15 Hours Funding: If your child is aged 2 or 3, they may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare per week. Please check your eligibility and apply as soon as possible to secure a place.
• Funding for Babies: Some families may be eligible for funded childcare for babies under 2 years old, depending on their circumstances. Please speak to our team for more information on how to apply.
• More Info: Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for eligibility details.

Contact Information

📍 First Class Childcare Huddersfield

📞 01484 950746

📱 07526932683

📧 firstclasshuddersfield@gmail.com

📍 Address: 16a Portland Street, HD1 5PB

📲 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Google Reviews to stay updated!

📝 Leave us a review on Day Nurseries and Google – your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for being part of the First Class family! We appreciate your support and look forward to another fantastic half term of learning and fun! 🎉