Cubs - our room for babies

This room provides provision for babies aged three months to approximately 18 months to 2 years old.

The adult to child ratio in this room is one member or staff to three children.

The room, extension area, and sensory room offer a range of stimulating and tactile activities designed to engage and support the development of your inquisitive baby. Our specially trained staff are skilled in creating an environment that encourages exploration and challenges your baby's development. Independent exploration is encouraged, alongside adult-led activities such as painting. Our staff adhere to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, a statutory framework that supports children's development from birth to five years old. Activities are tailored to meet the individual needs of each child, fostering a sense of individuality and recognizing their efforts and achievements. At this stage of development, communication plays a crucial role in your child's life. Our staff are dedicated to helping your child develop their communication skills through sustained shared thinking, planning activities that promote communication, and early role-play.

MEERKATS

This room and outer area provide provision for children from around 18 months to 30 months.

The adult to child ratio for children over 2 years is one member of staff to four children.

The primary focus of this room is to foster independence in children. They will be encouraged to make choices regarding activities and toys, clean up after themselves, dress themselves, and make decisions autonomously. At this stage of development, children may begin socializing with peers and forming friendships. Our staff will support and enhance your child's communication and interaction skills by facilitating group play, circle time, small world play, and mealtimes. Throughout the day, children will have the freedom to select toys and games, along with access to structured, adult-led learning activities. Daily planning, visibly displayed in the room, guides the selection of activities. We recommend parents/caregivers take an interest in this planning to reinforce learning at home. Children will engage in creative activities such as painting, play dough, and sand and water play. Our staff follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework to monitor each child's development and tailor activities to meet individual needs.

Tigers

This room provides provision for children aged approximately between 2 1/2 years to 3 1/2 years.

The room is designed with a large free play area for children to engage in imaginative play, such as the 'construction site', along with several smaller self-contained rooms like 'art attack', 'ocean room', 'Granny May's cottage', and 'little explorers'. These spaces offer children the chance to explore their surroundings and resources independently. Our nursery strictly adheres to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, with staff tailoring activities to meet the individual needs of each child. We understand that every child is unique and will progress at their own pace. Our daily schedule includes a mix of structured educational tasks, free play, and relaxation opportunities. To foster social skills, children participate in group activities, whether in small or large groups, or in one-on-one sessions with staff members. We encourage children to be as self-sufficient as possible, with staff available to assist with potty training and other needs.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles is our Pre-school room and has been designed for the older children over 3 ½ years.

The pre-school room is designed to be more like a school nursery where the older children can stay until they are ready to move into a full-time reception class at school.

This room builds upon the foundation laid by the staff in the Tigers room, maintaining consistent aims and objectives while catering to the needs of older children. The daily routine combines free play with structured learning activities, including small and large group adult-led sessions focused on literacy, phonics, and numeracy. Equipped with a toilet suite, an IT room featuring an interactive smart board and dedicated computer system, as well as a purpose-built sand and water area, this space offers a variety of opportunities for specialized activities. Additionally, there is a messy area where children can engage in creative pursuits such as painting. Educational outings to the library, museum, local parks, and city center, including the railway station and market, are planned to enrich the children's learning experiences. Access to outdoor facilities at the Central Children’s Hub further enhances their development. Encouraging independence, snack time allows children to choose and serve themselves pieces of fruit and a drink during morning and afternoon breaks. Our curriculum aligns with that of school nurseries, with the distinction that we offer flexibility in scheduling and extended care beyond funded hours. We provide meals for a fee of £2.70 each, a service not commonly offered by schools. Maintaining a staff-to-child ratio of 1:8, we prioritize individualized attention and support for each child's learning and development, in contrast to the 1:14 ratio typically found in school.