The Benefits of Nursery

Choosing the right childcare is one of the biggest decisions parents will face when returning to work and deciding what is best for your child is a task that requires a lot of thought, time and research. With many options available and with the guilt associated with leaving your child in the care of others, it can feel like a leap into the unknown. Thankfully there is an incredible amount of expert advice available, numerous articles to read, friends to speak to and social media which can all help you make that decision. However, to complete thorough research it is imperative to talk to a variety of settings, ask questions, look at the surroundings and most importantly see whether the children are happy and engaged.

No-one can tell you whether your child should go to a nursery, childminder or stay home with a nanny, it is dependent on so many personal factors and the needs of every family differs. However, after reading this blog we really hope you get a better understanding of the benefits of attending a nursery.

There are many personal skills that are nurtured in nursery and being able to develop social skills is a big advantage, meeting and making friends, learning to share, being kind and respecting the feelings of others. All our rooms have rules that the children help to draw up and from an early age they have a real understanding of appropriate behaviour and how to treat other people. We also encourage independence so that when they start school they are confident individuals, from dressing themselves to holding a pencil and feeding themselves.

We have all read about play and just how important it is for the developing mind of a child. Through play a child learns literacy, communication and social skills amongst the many other benefits. It is, therefore, exceptionally valuable and whichever childcare route you decide to take we would expect play to be a large part of the day. In our nurseries we have a learning through play ethos, and we encourage child led play which allows children to build confidence and independence. It is wonderful to observe their creativity and curiosity without a care in the world. Nurseries can provide a real variety in daily activities that have been carefully planned and tailored to each individual child. In fact, we worked out that our team spend around 1,815 hours a month preparing fun learning sessions – that is a lot of thought and consideration to ensure that children are learning and making steady progress towards the Early Learning Goals and most importantly enjoying their time with us.

Additionally, we have a calendar of MiniVIP Events, these are extra special sessions where experts come and run fun sessions which link to international festivals or national days of interest. We have met opticians, dentists, nurses and firefighters. The children have participated in junk modelling competitions judged by the council and heard stories from famous authors for World Book Day. They enjoyed the many visitors who have talked about a whole host of religious festivals. We think their favourite was both a visit from the National Animal Welfare Trust for National Pet Month and also ZooLab who brought in a number of creatures for the children to pet. Not to mention the extra special science experiments during ‘Science Week’ and baking on ‘National Cake Day’.

Nurseries should also provide plenty of outdoor play and exercise, not only do the children love to jump around but it is so important to develop a healthy approach to life. We run weekly dancing and music sessions which the children adore and we have now added more fitness and exercise classes to our schedule.

When your child attends a nursery they are with a team of individuals who all have very different expertise and work together to ensure your child is benefitting from their knowledge and care. There is a great support network so the team can ask for ideas from their Managers or go to our Area Manager or Nursery Support Manager who are always available to give further advice. The Management Team take a hands-on approach and can often be found observing in the rooms and suggesting ways of improvement. We encourage all staff to keep up to date with the latest research through in-house training courses and to complete further qualifications – so you can be assured that your child is being looked after by qualified individuals who have your child’s best interests at heart. Moreover, look for a nursery who have SENCO (special needs) specialists and can therefore engage and nurture every individual child whatever their requirements.

Not only do you get the expertise of the team but also a key person who works individually with your child, continuously observing and planning specific activities to interest and support your child then transferring outcomes to written reports so that you are fully updated on progress and any potential areas that require support. When a child leaves to go onto school they receive their ‘Learning Journey’ a great keepsake which showcases their progress made – a lovely and memorable journal.

We have highlighted just some of the main benefits of attending a nursery that should provide you with some useful advice. Whatever your choice we do hope your children enjoy their time, are nurtured in a safe environment and wish you the very best for your exciting journey ahead.