Our ethos

Our setting aims to:

• provide high quality care and education for children below the statutory school age
• work in partnership with parents and carers to help children learn and develop
• add to the life and wellbeing of the local community
• offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity

As a community based, voluntary managed setting we also depend on the goodwill of parents and their involvement to keep going

 

We aim to ensure that each child:

• is in a safe and stimulating environment
• Is given generous care and attention because our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer parent helpers
• Has the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together
• Is helped to take forward his/her learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already knows and can do
• Has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress
• Is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop
• Is in a setting in which parents help to shape the services it offers

 

Key persons and your child

At Little Nippers we have a Keyworker system in place. Your child will be assigned a keyworker who will be responsible for ensuring all that we provide is right for your child’s needs and interests. They plan for each individual child to support their development through each area of learning within the EYFS. We are a small team and are proud to say we have close bonds with all our children and understand their individual needs and development.

 

A day at Little Nippers

Arrive and register

The children arrive at the setting at 8.45am and put their bags, drinks bottles and lunch-boxes away independently. They then self register by finding their name and putting it on our board.

We encourage the children to sit on the carpet and we say good morning to each individual.  We talk about what day it is and what the weather is like outside.  We then all count the children and adults and put the information on our ‘today’ board. 

Free-flow learning

Our free-flow time is when the children have a wide range of opportunities to learn through play. During this time each keyworker will support individual child development with planned activities . We have a ‘Cafe style’ snack throughout the morning from 9.45am for the children to access. At 11.00am we encourage all of the children to explore the garden and get some fresh air.

Story sharing

At 11:30am we encourage the children to work together to put all of our equipment away. We then all have some quiet time sharing stories together on the carpet. We enjoy sharing a story with the children before lunch and singing songs.

 Lunch

We share lunch together from 12 noon till 12.30pm. 

 Outdoor play

After lunch we all go into the garden for physical play and fresh air. The children will then have a free-flow afternoon with planned keyworker activities.

Story and song time

At 2.30pm we sit down to share more stories and songs together before welcoming our parents in at 3.00pm for home time.

Starting at our setting

The session

We organise our sessions so that the children can choose from, and work at, a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as helping them to learn to work with others.

Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor playroom.

Clothing

We encourage children to wear the protective clothing that we supply when they play with messy activities, however they still may get wet and dirty so please send them with spare clothes.

We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off, and putting on, outdoor clothes and changing shoes to boots and back again. Clothing, shoes and boots that are easy for them to manage will help them to do this.

Please put your child’s name in all their clothing and footwear, you would be surprised how many children have the same shoes, boots and clothes. In summer please send your child with a sun hat and sun protection lotion with their name on. In the winter please send your child in warm clothes with a coat, hat and gloves. We play outside each day except in extreme weather conditions such as high winds and electrical storms.