Caterpillars
Our cosy, intimate baby room offers a very small number of places, allowing our specialist team to offer a truly personal service to families of little ones aged from 3 to 15mths. Our dedicated staff have chosen to work specifically with babies and are passionate about continuing to develop their skills & knowledge, supporting the babies who attend our nursery to thrive in these crucial few months. Within this room the focus is on the three prime areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage however we know that the skills they learn are so much more and will happily share with parents who these first nursery days lead to later learning in literacy, maths & expressive arts.
Our Deputy Manager & Learning Leader for under twos, Michelle Williams can also soothe away the discomfort of teething or colic that babies often experience with daily baby massage. Should parents wish to learn these techniques themselves Michelle can offer a 1 to 1 session to share these.
Our indoor play space had been carefully considered with babies physical development in mind. In their earlies days at nursery babies will benefit from our underfloor heating as they spend much of their time on their backs and tummies. Mirrors have been placed at low levels allowing babies to see their reflection and link their movements to what they see. It can be tricky to perfect the art of sitting but our soft cushions and fluffy rugs provide a safe surface to practice on. the room offers plenty of space for babies to practice rolling and crawling, with growing confidence the low level furniture is just the right height to pull themselves up, stand and cruise.
French doors lead out to a decked area allowing babies to crawl in and out. Once outside they can enjoy the water feature, wind chimes and herb plants; exciting all their senses. The wider gardens can be explored too with grassed areas to move freely and trees to lie under. Our location is ideal for a walk in the park, a stroll around the market, stories in the libraries and so much more; afterall babies in nursery should experience the wider world too.
Inside our team select items that will spark a babies curiosity and encourage early exploration. Collections of everyday objects invite babies to investigate textures, tastes and sounds. Staff are always present, they engage with the babies through singing, and using Makaton signs to build the foundations for communication & language.
When ready to rest, our sleep area with it's twinkly lights and lavender bunting offers the perfect place for babies to snuggle up in a dream coracle listening to lullabies played through the nursery sound system. Parents and carers can be reassured that our team will follow all safer sleep best practice.
Alongside nappies, wipes and creams, babies are provided with Kendamil formula & cereals selected specifically to reflect our nursery's nutritional ethos. For mother's who wish to continue breastfeeding we will support hem to do this, a comfortable feeding chair in a calm, quiet space is ready for any mummy popping back to feed their baby during the day. Our Nursery Cook provides freshly prepared purees for babies as they wean, she will be happy to introduce herself and discuss our menus with families.
Over the years we have built in a number of steps that lead upto a babies regular nursery days. We recognise & value the trust being placed in us and parents can expect the time to get to know & learn more about the key people in nursery, building those all-important trusting relationships. Michelle & the team will spend time talking with each mummy & daddy to find our everything we need to know to meet babies individual needs. Once baby is settled, their keep person will continue to communicate with parents; a personal handover at the end of the day, an electronic daily dairy at the end of the day while babies development is shared through our online Learning Journal.