
I am an MA student researching Education Development at Birmingham University and Online Education development at Oxford University. As an experienced teacher (& Ofsted registered childminder) I work on much smaller ratios than a nursery or pre-school. This means that care and education plans are focussed on the individual using up to date research delivered by government advisors in education.
Time is taken to carefully settle your child. This is done in a variety of ways. Both parents/carers and the child have the opportunity to have short visits here to enable yourselves to feel comfortable. Also, I visit the child in their own home so that the child knows I'm not a stranger. This also means I can identify some routines or patterns that I can copy from your home to mine to allow some familiarity. For example, having photographs of the child's immediate carer's here and a collection of photographs of the child through different ages of development aids a feeling of history and attachment from the beginning. Other ways that the settling in process is achieved is through the play sessions at Families First (discussed below) or at my shopper's crèche which allows a parent to drop a child off for just a couple of hours.
At Wildwood Childcare, cosy environments are created where children can enjoy learning through play and exploration. Wildwood Childcare has close proximity to an allotment, wood and playground. Activities are designed around free flow play and nature. Tailor-made childcare and education exists here because of my small staff-to-child ratio.
My permanent free-flow play philosophy promotes exploration and independent learning. Mark making opportunities are provided continuously via the sand pit, multi-sensory pit, chalk board, white board, paint easel and other multi-sensory opportunities such as flour mark making, evidenced below.
On Wednesdays, come and meet us at Families First: making friends from children around the world and enjoying culturally inspired artwork
Wildwood Childcare has a commitment to equal opportunities, inclusion and British values, for example, no matter how young, each child has an opportunity to select a picture of a nursery rhyme (their vote). When the child chooses we all sing the rhyme (well children are egocentric after all!)
At Wildwood Childcare your pre-school child will also be able to participate a huge array of exploratory, guided (joined) and independent learning opportunities:
Mark making activities are available at all times as well as additional, guided, fine motor activities such as clockwork toys, threading and activities exploring other media (as shown below). I have a large array of activities in my resource list. In fact, so much that the inspector wished I had only got out a baby walker!
To be clear, some activities are in sight but out of reach since the areas sufficiency data target is speech development …
Safeguarding: experienced staff with Ofsted complaint paediatric first aid certificates and full risk assessments mean that children can be taught to do activities such as toasting marshmallows safely. This raises each child's self-esteem and helps them to make sensible choices.
Our activities are inspired by nature, baby-led weaning, sensory play and Twinkl and planned in accordance with EYFS, early years outcomes and foundation stage profiles
both myself and the early years government advisers at Birmingham University prefer an earlier EYFS model rather than the current, non-statutory, 2020 version. We are currently re-writing areas via a consultation process. We also prefer broader success categories than the current babysdays system.
Be assured that your kids will be in safe, understanding, capable hands.
Diversity is also celebrated through Stafford's Friends of Faith Community.
Here, Cllr Louise Nixon, director of Wildwood Childcare Ltd. and Vice Chair of Stafford & District Friends of Faith is pictured, with Mayor and Mayoress of Stafford Borough Cllrs Ray and Jenny Barron.
"For though my faith is not yours and your faith is not mine, if we are each free to light our own flame, together we can banish some of the darkness of the world""
source: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Planning Charnley Road destination playpark at Families First