The children are grouped by age from 4 months to 2 years and from 2 to 5 years, each having their own dedicated room, garden and team of staff who plan for the children’s learning and ensure consistency of care.
Our rooms
Children are grouped by age, from 4 months to 2 years and from 2 to 5 years.
Children aged 4 months to 2 years old
The Explorers’ Room caters for children aged 4 months to 2 years old. There are a maximum of 12 children each session who are cared for by a team of 4 key staff and a lunchtime assistant. The room benefits from a large play area, 2 sleep rooms, a separate milk kitchen and nappy changing room. It also has direct access to its own garden, complete with willow dome, sensory pathway, water feature, climbing frame/slide and ample grass and flagged areas.
The room is well appointed with a variety of specialised equipment and resources which the staff can use to stimulate and support all the areas of learning and development for the babies. The nursery has its own double pushchairs so that the babies can experience regular walks to the park and surrounding areas.
Parents provide their own nappies and formula milk but the fully equipped milk kitchen means bottles can be made on site and stored in the babyroom fridge.
Children aged 2 to 5 years old
The Discoverers’ Room provides care for children aged from 2 to 5 years old. It is a large room with ample space both inside and out to cater for up to 42 children. Nine staff work in the room, usually seven at any one time, six of whom work as key people.
The room is divided into different areas which provide many diverse learning experiences for the children. The spacious interior allows for lots of continuous provision and freedom of choice for the children, to help promote independent learning and decision making. There are two bathrooms and a separate bedroom area for those children who still require a nap after lunch.
There is direct access from either end of the room to a sizeable garden area. This is equipped with a large climbing frame and slide, climbing/music wall, large sandpit, mud kitchen, water wall, 2 playhouses and an obstacle trail. The children have free access to the garden for the majority of the day.
For small groups of children to visit once a week
In addition to our garden areas, the nursery benefits from being adjacent to a wooded area, owned by the university. A large part of this area has been converted into our Forest School site and a group of 12 children visit the site once a week, for a period of 6 weeks, so that they can build on their experiences.
The sessions are run by our qualified Forest School Leader who plans exciting activities for the children supported by two additional staff. There is a fire pit within the site and the children can learn about fire safety and on their last week they enjoy a sausage and beans lunch, cooked on the campfire.
