Education Schools Profile
The right nursery helps children prepare better for school
could be perfect. It combines office space for
parents and a nursery in the same building. At present there is only one in Wandsworth, south London, which opened a year ago, but Director Shazia Mustafa has plans to open one in every town across the country. Shazia, who has two young children,
told me, “I was Global Brand Research Manager for Nokia. As my maternity leave was coming to an end, I realised that corporate life just wasn’t for me. I planned to work on brainstorming possible new business ideas but found I could not focus while tending to my daughter’s needs. I needed a place where I could work productively for a couple of hours and leave my daughter in trusted care nearby. And so, the ‘Third Door’ concept was born.” The Third Door offers a unique concept in
Each
child has a diary which
is completed by staff
so that parents can see what their child has achieved during the day
childcare. Parents who are self-employed can book office space or meeting rooms for a few hours a week or more, and their children can be booked into the nursery. Nursery care is available independently of office space. Currently there are places for 24 children. The nursery manager is a qualified teacher, and all activities are child led. It’s interesting that many nurseries, like The
Third Door, have been established by mothers who needed their own childcare. Sarah Steel founded her nursery company The Old Station Nursery after she left the army, where she held the rank of captain. With her army husband away on tours of duty, and two young children to care for, Sarah decided to call a halt to her army career when a posting to Kosovo was suggested. Instead she set up The Old Station Nursery in Farringdon, Oxfordshire. Sarah told
me, “I was looking for high quality child care, and found many had waiting lists.” Since the first nursery opened its doors in 2002, Sarah now owns 13 nurseries in the UK, with some on MOD bases. Sarah has been a member of both the Department for Schools and Families Children’s Plan Expert Group, and the Early Years Stakeholder Group, both of which advise government on Early Years Education. Sarah is adamant that good quality training of nursery staff is key to a successful nursery: many of her staff are trained at local colleges, which ensures the highest standards. Well away from the
corporate or forces’
lifestyle is Windmill Nursery in Middleton Cheney, near
Banbury. Established in 1968 by Venetia Tustian who decided not to
return to nursing after having her own children, it offers childcare in a farm setting. Venetia converted the dairy of her farm into a nursery for eight children. Surrounded by countryside, lambs and horses, the children learned, as they still do today, through a mixture of indoor and outdoor play, where the use of the beautiful rural setting is maximised. A typical day includes free play where the children choose their own activities, key worker guided play, and free flow between the indoor and outdoor setting. Outdoor activities might include den- making outside to
22 FirstEleven Michaelmas 2011
www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk
encourage team building, or nature study to develop knowledge of science. Windmill now has 100 children on roll and is
registered for 41 children. The nursery accepts children between the ages of two and five years, either full time or part time. In some ways it draws on Montessori principles: children choose many of their own activities, and have all-day access to a healthy snack bar so they learn independence. Each child has a diary and this is completed by staff so that parents can see what their child has achieved. Venetia is now a grandmother to five
grandchildren; even though she has officially retired she still lives effectively on the premises, so as she explained “Sometimes I feel I haven’t retired at all. I am still involved in everything that is going on,” and indeed, it was Venetia who took my call when I telephoned outside nursery hours. Choosing the right nursery for your child will
involve decisions about location, fees, and the type of nursery you feel will suit your family. The Government funds 15 hours of nursery care from the age of two, but you have to pay for younger children. The cost can be high in some places such as London, and a decisive factor if you have more than one child. Most parents enthuse about their child’s nursery experience long after they have left, and there is no doubt that the right one helps children develop socially and to prepare better for school.
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