Beechwood nurseries operate from 7.30am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year, we are closed for a week over Christmas and on Bank holidays. We offer full day care, morning and afternoon sessions, wrap around, and before and after school care. For Parents wishing to introduce children into nursery, we offer short sessions for children aged two and above. Please contact the nursery of your choice directly for details and to discuss your individual requirements.
Our nurseries all use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as the basis for planning and assessing children’s learning. This curriculum guidance covers children from Birth to Five Years and is used in all areas of our nurseries and for younger children in our school clubs. Our highly qualified staff use their experience to plan a variety of engaging and educational experiences to enhance your child’s development. They use the wide range of resources available to them to ensure your child has lots of fun while they learn. All settings make full use of their outside area to extend the opportunities available to children, whether it is learning to pedal and climb, or growing fruit and vegetables.
Beechwood makes use of a secure online assessment tool to record your child’s development. Tapestry enables staff to observe your child as they play and match these observations to particular statements in the EYFS. This record can include photographs and examples of children’s work, as well as written statements. You will be given secure access to your child’s record and are encouraged to make your own entries to supplement ours. This system enables staff to keep a comprehensive record of your child’s learning and at the same time identifies areas which might need additional practice.
Our baby rooms offer a home from home environment where children’s individual needs are met by qualified nursery staff working closely with each child and family. The ratio of one adult to three children ensures that each child has plenty of individual attention. Staff in the baby rooms plan activities around each child’s routine; creating a fun and enjoyable experience to encourage all areas of your child’s development. This allows your child to feel safe and secure and promotes learning. A wide variety of toys and experiences, both in the nursery and in the garden, encourage learning through play. Children also move at their own pace from infant feeding patterns to the more structuring meal times of the older children in nursery. Each stage of your child’s development is discussed with you and records are kept on Tapestry. We encourage you to share new skills your child acquires at home so we can continue to plan for their ever changing abilities.
In our Tweenie rooms, children continue to learn through stimulating activities and staff work closely with them to discover their individual interests. This enables us to ensure activities capture their attention and keep them engaged and learning. They have lots of fun while being encouraged to try lots of exciting new experiences as well as familiar, favourite activities to further develop their knowledge. They have fun recreating everyday situations, pretending to be you is particularly popular! We provide lots of resources to support them and staff interactions challenge and extend their learning. Children are encouraged to become more independent and self-help skills like feeding themselves and toileting are practiced. Children are also guided to share and be kind as they begin to play with others.
Our Preschool rooms offer children plenty of opportunities and experiences to further extend their learning. The EYFS is used to plan activities that encourage our children to explore and investigate their environment. We want them to be curious, excited and eager to learn. They play more with other children and want to be part of the group. They can play for extended periods, plan complex games and negotiate what will happen next. They can express their thoughts and wishes They continue to develop their physical skills, both gross and fine motor. Children begin to know letters and numbers and that words convey meaning. They are preparing for formal education and we provide great opportunities for them to learn the basic skills they need to succeed.
Our preschool rooms are also used by wrap around children attending school nursery for the other half of the day. We liaise with the school concerned to ensure continuity of care for these children.
We provide nutritious cooked lunches for all nursery children attending over the lunch period, provided by experience outside caterers and appropriate for the age of the children. We also provide a variety of snacks and drinks throughout the day. Menus are posted in the nursery each week so you can check what is on offer!
You can download our Prospectus 2018 for more information.