Halesowen Day Nursery
Our Environment
Once a house, the nursery building has been renovated to create a homely environment for all children; four neutrally decorated playrooms, where the children and their valued creations are the real colour, have flexible arrangements to meet the needs of the children in our care. Our strong continuous provision encourages a natural curiosity within the care of a team of nurturing teachers. Practitioner to child ratios are a key part of what we do and we are vigilant in ensuring that these are maintained.
Our Environment
Keeping in line with the ratio requirements detailed in the Early Years Foundation Stage, these are as follows:
Babyroom and Toddler Room: Under 2 yrs – 1:3
Kindergarten: 2 yrs – 1:4 (1:5 is current government guidance)
Preschool: 3 and 4 yrs – 1:8
Our playrooms are each resourced with the age range they are intended to cater for firmly in mind. In all of our rooms, the children can access the majority of the resources themselves and they access the outside daily.
Baby Room
Our baby room is a cozy, home-from-home environment with a ‘quiet cave’ for some privacy if the babies feel that they need it. The room is a ‘no-shoe zone’ so that the babies can safely crawl around a clean carpeted floor.
Toddler Room
With more space to navigate and a climbing frame to explore, our toddlers are well supported in their need for more physical play! There’s also a full length, one-way window which is a big hit with our transport fans.
Kindergarten
Practical though it may be, this is often the room where toilet learning takes place. For this reason, the children’s bathroom is located directly off this room.
Preschool
With a need for more independence, this room has direct access to the outdoors. We operate free-flow between inside and outside for the children for much of the day which enables them to exercise their autonomy and sense of responsibility in the final year before they begin school.
Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone is an additional room used by our Kindergarten and Preschool children on a sessional basis. It is designed to enhance STEM learning, and serves as a perfect space for focused sessions (eg. Early Talk Boost, Wellcomm activities, Key group times, small group investigations and yoga sessions).
Our
Outside
Area
We have a large outdoor garden which is separated by a picket fence into an area for the over twos, and an area for the under twos. Although there is a divide, both areas can and are used by both age groups on a daily basis to gain an understanding of the natural world around them, develop physical, imaginative and social skills in the fresh air, and take part in regular exercise.
The over 2’s garden is equipped with areas for sand, water, nature exploration & discovery, physical play, creativity, role play, climbing and bike and car play. The under 2’s area hosts a similar age-appropriate range of equipment, activities and experiences. Both gardens have areas of shade and weather cover. The children freely spend time in the gardens together enhancing their learning and social skills. We encourage the children to enjoy the outdoors in most weathers, always ensuring that they are warm, dry and suitably dressed.
