Sustainability and Caring for Our World
At West Exe Nursery School, sustainability is at the heart of our practice. We believe that teaching children to care for the environment from an early age helps them to develop respect, responsibility, and a lifelong understanding of their role in protecting our planet.
Our large outdoor garden and woodland area provide rich opportunities for children to experience the natural world first‑hand. Throughout the year, children observe the changing seasons with awe and wonder, developing a deep connection to nature through exploration, play, and discovery. Being outdoors supports children’s wellbeing while fostering curiosity and a sense of stewardship for the world around them.
We promote sustainability through everyday practice. The use of real, recyclable resources — such as china sourced from recycling centres — helps children learn that items should be valued, cared for, and reused rather than discarded.
We compost food waste and involve children in the process, supporting their understanding of natural cycles and how small actions can make a difference.
In line with government expectations that all schools develop a Climate Action Plan, we actively embed sustainable practices into our curriculum and daily routines, helping children understand climate responsibility in a meaningful and age‑appropriate way.
A key part of our commitment is our Tree Project. We are proud to be working towards planting a tree for every child who attends our school. Each tree will grow as the child grows, creating a living forest that represents their journey and legacy.
Our most recent Tree Day raised £200 towards this project, supporting tree planting through the Just One Tree organisation.
Just One Tree supports global reforestation and environmental projects, including restoring ecosystems and helping to clean our oceans through initiatives such as kelp restoration.
🔗 Learn more at: https://www.justonetree.life
Through these experiences, children learn that they can make a difference — nurturing not only the environment around them, but also a sense of hope, responsibility, and care for the future.
Music with Poco Drom
We are working regularly with Poco Drom, who comes in to play and sing. we are learning lots of new words and love to dance.
We recently won a grant from Tesco for our Toddler Group and Music.
What’s on your Plate Project
We have previously run a project, called “What’s on your Plate” with our local residential home. The benefits from the old and the young working together have been well researched and documented. We therefore decided to form links with both our local residential home and Age UK on Cowick Street.
Our first few visits formed great relationships between the children and the residents. We will then aim to start the cooking project together.
Here are some of the photo’s of our time together.
Residents at Cadogan Court and children at West Exe Nursery School used to visit one another regularly before the pandemic. However, determined not to let the lockdown restrictions cut off this intergenerational link, the Home and the school started to arrange a series of video calls to keep both sides connected.The link below is an article written in Exeter Daily about our Video sessions.
Recipe books from the Project are available at a cost of £3 from reception.
Here are some lovely quotes following our visits to Age UK
“Firstly, he told me this morning it’s his favourite day of the nursery week! Secondly, I have seen his confidence grow no end since he has been doing the visits. I really feel that it has had a big impact on his interaction with adults. He used to be so shy unless it was someone he knew well, and wouldn’t dream of speaking to an unfamiliar adult. He now confidently chats away to people on the bus, in cafes, out in the street – he has come right out of his shell” - Parent of pupil.
“When we walk past Age UK he often asks if we can “go and see my friends, the old ladies” - Parent of pupil.
For “S” to have the opportunity to socialise with the older generation, as parents we thought this is a wonderful thing” - Parent of pupil.
“We are so pleased that X gets to have little outings and so pleased that it is to Age UK” - Parent of pupil.
“I enjoyed the singing” - Pupil.
“I liked everything” - Pupil.
“At Age UK we did singing, had some sugar mice, we took our coats off and the best thing I liked were the old people” - Pupil.
“I have been struck by how natural and warm some of the relationships between the children and the older people are from both sides and how there seems to be a mutual attraction between certain children and adults that are enduring. It has also been fascinating to see how certain activities and even particular songs have engaged some of the older people who have seemed more isolated during session times. Overall I feel that it has been an incredibly worthwhile project which would be great to continue somehow and all parties have benefited immensely” - Nursery School Volunteer.
Watch our Project Video below:
Youth Music
“Music Makes The Family One”
(WENS Parent Quote)
As many of you know our grant application from Youth Music has been successful!
What is our Project? Our Project is….
WESTEXE SOUND CONNECTIONS
Our Project aims to focus on song and includes working with local musician Poco Drom. Check him out at:
The idea of the project is to use song to support self-confidence and enhance well-being for all. Through music we hope to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other
(West Exe Connections)
Previous music grants have helped us enable our environments and deepen our musical skills. We have brought lots of instruments and our latest purchase is a Comber Boom Box. Here at West Exe Nursery we love music and the arts. We have worked with a range of musicians, singers and dancers. We have provided opportunities for parents and children to work together. Ask us about our home music sound bags. We have listened to an increased range of music and we are now singing an increased range of songs. Children and adults have co explored instruments, songs and sounds together.
We even recorded our own CD – West Exe Sounds – available to buy from reception for £3
We are happy to announce that our Music Project has now been extended until September 2020!
