Every child within the nursery has a “keyworker” who is responsible for recording each child’s development and shall be your first point of contact on a daily basis. We use iPads within each room to record every child’s learning develops which our parents can access via their secure login details (http://www.learningjournals.co.uk). The children regularly use ICT learning resources including our 77inch Smart Board and kindles.
Our nursery benefits from input through our quality assurance officer and peripatetic teacher, provided by our local authority. This together with our own rigorous self assessment and improvement planning allows for an excellent quality service which is constantly upgraded and developed.
We actively encourage outdoor play, giving the children the opportunity to enjoy fresh air whilst learning and exploring within a natural environment. The children love to learn about nature and the garden is home to birds, bees, insects, bats, hedgehogs, rabbits and squirrels.
Every developmental stage benefits from our extremely spacious and well adapted garden which includes a range of exciting and engaging learning opportunities. Within the garden we have planted a selection of fruit trees and encourage the children to learn about sowing seeds and nurturing crops. We also have areas for the children to plant their own vegetables and flowers, including an environmentally friendly Bottle green house with seasonal vegetables. We use these vegetables for our nursery meals and also when baking with the children.
Within our Sensory garden the children have planted rosemary, thyme and Greek basil. The children smell the herbs and collect them for use in the nursery cooking or in their Mud House. The children explore their senses in this rich outdoor environment and enjoying listening to stories in the Willow Igloo.
The children learn about the seasonal changes and plant and animal life-cycles whilst outdoors. The children collect the crops including potatoes, courgettes, aubergines, onions and carrots in their buckets to be used in the nursery meal preparation.
The mud house enables the children to experiment with mud, water, herbs, sticks, stones and other natural resources. The children use the water butt outside the green house to fill their containers. This setup also promotes imaginative play in addition to numeracy, literacy and experimental skills. Beakers, pipettes, scales and measuring jugs are regularly used and encourage an awareness of measurement. Decision making and confidence is built during this exploration.
The babies have the opportunity to explore sensory resources including water and sand. The babies also practise mark making on the drawing table using various mediums (chalk, crayon, paint, stones, leaves, sticks). Stories are read upon the cushions whilst the children listen to the bamboo wind chimes.
The children love spending time in our soft play with it’s sensory lighting and music.
