11 Harold Road, Upper Norwood, London, SE19 3PU - 020 8771 7727 - info@firststepdaynursery.co.uk
WE LOVE LANGUAGE
We have a wonderful team of multicultural staff allowing us to meet the needs of bilingual and multi-lingual children. Children at First Step Day Nursery are encouraged to sustain their mother languages until they are ready for a second language. Indeed we understand the benefits of children speaking more than one language and having an understanding of various cultures. Your child's self-esteem and identity will be maintained at all times so that we are able to work with you in allowing your child to flourish.
KEY WORKERS
Each child is allocated a ‘Key Worker’. This system enables parents to have a point of reference for their child and for the staff to be aware of the individual needs of children in their group, ensuring that each child’s are met.
The Key Worker will establish a strong working relationship with the child and parents/carers, which enables and encourages continuity of care and strong communication between home and nursery.
EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE
At First Step Day Nursery we like to work closely with parents, as we recognise that parents are the first educators of their children. This could be by incorporating some of the same routines and guidelines that they learn at home, so that we are able to jointly develop happy and confident young children.
We work at a minimum staff-to-child ratio of 1:3 in the baby rooms, 1:4 for the toddlers and 1:8 in the pre-school and, but as we practice overstaffing (keeping higher numbers of staff), all babies and children are well covered and supervised.
At First Step Day Nursery we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework to focus on the needs of children from birth to 5 years old. Play is a crucial element, which also outlines the legal welfare requirements that everyone registered to look after children must follow to keep your child safe and promote their welfare.
---
The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs and will use their observations of your child to develop activities that take into account his/her particular interests.
The EYFS framework sets out the characteristics of effective learning and development to help your child become an effective and motivated learner.
These characteristics are:
- Playing and exploring — ENGAGEMENT
- Finding out about and exploring, playing with what they know, being willing to ‘have a go’
- Active learning — MOTIVATION
- Being involved and concentrating, keeping trying, enjoying achieving what they set out to do
- Creating and thinking critically — THINKING
- Having their own ideas, making links, choosing ways to do things.
Your child will be learning new skills, acquiring knowledge and showing their understanding through the 7 areas of learning.
Children mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are:
- Communication and Language - For speaking, listening and attention skills
- Physical Development - For fine and gross motor skills, self-care skills and how to be healthy
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development - For self confidence and self awareness, how to make relationships and how to manage feelings and behaviour.
These prime areas are the most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning, but as children grow we help them develop skills in a further 4 areas.
These are:
- Literacy - Where children develop early reading and writing skills
- Mathematics - Where children learn about numbers, shapes, measures and early problem solving skills
- Understanding the World - Where children learn about the world around them and technology
- Expressive Arts and Design - Where children use a variety of media, instruments and imaginative play to express their imagination and creativity.