Schools Profi le Education
not thinking too much about nursery education. Yet if you are considering sending your child to nursery, especially when they are under a year old, you need to start planning as soon as possible. Many nurseries are so popular that parents put their children’s names down at birth. But before you rush out to join a waiting list, what are
At
the experts’ views on nursery education? Should your child attend one at all and if they do, at what age? Most child psychologists agree that some kind of pre-
school learning enables children to settle into school more easily. But with nurseries catering for babies from a few months old, to rising fi ves, how do you decide what is best for you? An overriding factor will be whether you hope to
return to work when you baby is young, and what type of childcare would be best. If you have neither family nor friends to care for your baby, what should you do? Dr Pat Spungin is a child psychologist and author
with a particular interest in parenting. Her website, Raising Kids is extremely popular with parents looking for help. Her view on nurseries is quite straightforward. “I don’t think that very small
that special moment a few days after your baby’s birth, or even when you fi rst discover you are pregnant, you could be excused for
talked to on a 1:1 basis and cuddled. The staff should not stand in huddles talking to each other.” Both Spungin and Bliss emphasised the importance
of motivated staff , who are well qualifi ed, and who enjoy their work. Bliss explains, “A nursery with links to a training
course is a good sign because there will be visiting lecturers going in and out.” All nurseries have to be inspected by Ofsted, and
work within the Government’s Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. As a starting point, check out a nursery’s latest Ofsted report. You need to be looking for a Good or Outstanding award. Second, check the staff /child ratio: for babies there
should be ideally at least one nursery worker for every two children. And third, check out their training: NVQ Level 2 is a minimum, but some nurseries insist on Level 3. Other qualifi cations include qualifi ed teacher status – Early Years – or Montessori training where applicable. A warm, friendly atmosphere where you feel valued
babies should be in nursery full time – that’s all day for fi ve days a week.” Pressed on why this was not a good idea, Dr Spungin explained, “Babies who are not mobile need close one-to-one interaction. They need frequent eye contact and nurturing behaviour. There’s a lot of subtle non-verbal communication that happens between a mother and her baby. It’s hard to fi nd a substitute for this in a nursery setting, although a motivated, caring adult who is not the mother could off er this type of care. Babies form a strong attachment at 7 to 8 months with their primary carer. If they have to leave them, they can become
distressed, not simply by crying but also
by withdrawing.” However, after the fi rst
year, Spungin advises, “Once a baby is mobile, then they are much happier to be left with a primary carer.” She stresses that it doesn’t matter whether that person is the baby’s mother, as long as the carer interacts and responds
to the child’s needs. Teresa Bliss, child psychologist, endorses all of this. “Part time, but not full-time nursery care under a year is acceptable if there is enough quality interaction: interaction should include being
Nursery care under a year is acceptable if
and welcome is paramount. Spungin suggests that parents look for signs of children being hugged, babies cuddled and, as required by Ofsted, access to outdoor play with the right equipment. Don’t place an overriding importance on the state of the buildings; some nurseries will be in modern, purpose-built buildings, but others might be in church halls, or converted buildings. Some nurseries will have a
there is enough quality intereaction including being talked to on a 1:1 basis and cuddled
waiting list; for instance, an extremely popular nursery in Oxford - St Thomas’ Day Nursery - is so over-subscribed that parents must put their baby’s name down before birth. The nursery, which has places for 35 children aged four months to four years, was awarded Outstanding at its Ofsted inspection in March 2011. It is run as a not-for-profi t
organisation with parents forming the management
committee. St Thomas’ welcomes parents, who can volunteer their skills and come into the nursery at any time. There is a record of all children’s work, and parents can talk to the staff at the beginning or end of sessions. In contrast to the small scale family environment of
St Thomas’ is Bright Horizons. This nursery group has 111 nurseries in England, 9 in Ireland and 14 in Scotland. Initially they were established to provide on-site nursery care for employees’ children, and this is still part of what they off er. Carole Edmond is the group’s Managing Director.
“My daughter attended one of our nurseries. She started when a small baby and left when she was four and going to school. Trust is at the heart of everything for us; we off er safe, stimulating places where children can grow.” Carole stresses that as far as they can, they try to
extend learning from nursery to home and vice versa. “We have gardening and cookery clubs, and invite parents to our ‘Lunch and Learns’ where parents can come along to access ideas and advice.” Again, a happy staff is crucial and Carole is proud of
the fact that Bright Horizons is consistently listed in The Financial Times’ Top 50 Great Places to Work. If, when you return to work and need fl exible
childcare, and are self-employed or thinking of starting your own business, then The Third Door Nursery
www.fi rstelevenmagazine.co.uk Michaelmas 2011 FirstEleven 21
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