Our Toddler Room is a fun, stimulating and safe environment where children are supported and encouraged to learn and develop at their own pace. It consists of defined areas which are well resourced and suitable for the age and stage of the children in the room.  Activities are planned to meet the individual needs of our children while simple challenges help to develop self-esteem and foster a sense of accomplishment.

In the toddler room the children have a slightly more structured routine to their day. The children learn through a wide range of fun activities and experiences that are planned by their Key Worker, for their continued learning and development. The room is designed to encourage play in the following areas; creative, imaginative/role Play, literacy and maths, sensory, communication and language, music and movement, and knowledge and understanding of the world. The children have access to the Garden Area, Soft Play Area, Sensory Room and our ‘Kiddi Bus’.  

Monthly and weekly planning is used to focus on the prime areas and next steps for each child incorporating both independent free play, as well as adult led activities. Around this age children display a greater competence at moving, talking and pretending. They also show increased confidence in themselves and their skills at making relationships.  Depending on what session’s children attend we provide breakfast, a hot lunch cooked on site, tea and healthy snacks which include fresh and dried fruit for the toddlers during both morning and afternoon sessions.

Our Nursery’s online Learning Journal enables our practitioners and parents to communicate effectively to build a very special record of a child’s experiences and journey through their early years. This is designed and developed specifically for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). By using photos, videos and diary entries, our practitioners, along with the child’s parents, ‘weave’ the story of your child’s progress. The platform then works seamlessly to enable these memories to be kept as a permanent record of each child’s unique life. Parents receive a daily report through our online platform, reporting on nappy changes, meal times, daily activities and any other information required.

Our large, well equipped, Pre-School room caters for children aged 2.5 – 5 years in the period before they leave for ‘big’ school. The Pre-School room is set up into sections using the seven areas of learning (Early Years Foundation Stage). Personal, Social & Emotional; Communication and language; Physical development; Understanding of the World; Mathematics; Literacy and Expressive art and design. The Pre-school room is a free flowing, continuous provision that allows each child to access a number of our well-resourced areas:

• Arts and Crafts Area
• Enables children to assert individuality (drawing a pumpkin that is different in colour and design).
• Assists children to express feelings (selecting bright colours for a painting to match a playful mood).
• Develops an understanding of cause and effect (observing what happens when blue paint is added to yellow).
• Creates the ability to label shapes and objects (painting a yellow circle and calling it a sun).
• Helps develop planning skills (determining which colour finger paint to assemble before starting work).
• Provides opportunities for children to learn directionality (painting a circle with one continuous brush stroke).
• Continues to develop fine motor skills.

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The Pre-school room is neutral and homely and provides a busy, friendly environment in which children have the opportunity to form friendships and build on their knowledge and understanding. We provide activities for the children that enable them to develop skills which will be used in later life, namely social and communication skills. Our preschool room consists of defined areas which provide a free-flow feeling so that each area links to the next; enabling the children to connect their ideas and apply them to all areas of development. The Pre-school Room has a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities as well as small and large group circle times which are intended to promote the children’s learning and prepare them for their Reception year at school.

Our Preschool Explorers have access to the Sensory Room, Garden Area and Soft Play Area. Our Explorers often venture out to our local Park for nature walks, Easter egg hunts and Teddy Bears Picnics, as well as annual trips to our local zoo, library and museum.

At this age children will be experiencing the change from nappies to potties and toilets. The Nursery holds an annual ‘Potty Training Boot camp’ that each child has the option of participating in. Whatever the challenge, you can be assured that our staff are well trained, motivated and committed and work alongside parents/carers during this transition.

Information is shared between Carer and Practitioner at your Settling in Sessions. As well as our meals provided daily, regular snacks and drinks are provided during the morning and afternoon sessions. Our Nursery’s online Learning Journal enables our practitioners and parents to communicate effectively to build a very special record of a child’s experiences and journey through their early years. This is designed and developed specifically for EYFS. By using photos, videos and diary entries, our practitioners, along with the child’s parents, ‘weave’ the story of your child’s progress. The platform then works seamlessly to enable these memories to be kept as a permanent record of each child’s unique life. Parents receive a daily report through our online platform, reporting on nappy changes, meal times, daily activities and any other information required.

Our state of the art Sensory Room is a specially designed room which combines a range of stimuli to help children develop and engage their senses. We have lights, colours, sounds, sensory soft play objects and different smells all within a safe environment that allows the children using it to explore and interact in a calm and stimulating environment. Sensory rooms have an important role to play for many children. They are a great place for children to escape to and unwind from the busy nursery room. Instilling a calm and tranquil space enables children to relax and let their exploratory minds evolve. As soon as babies are born they are developing their senses from day one. The benefits of a sensory room are:

• Sensory Stimulation
• Learning through play
• Improved balance
• Movement & Spatial Orientation
• Helps to tackle problems with behaviour

Our amazing two floor soft play area was designed specifically for us. This is a great place for children of all ages to burn off energy! The children use the soft play all year round but it is particularly great when the weather outside is not suitable for outdoor play.

Learning through play is simply more fun outside, so outdoor play is built into each morning and afternoon’s activities, unless the conditions are too severe to venture out. The benefits of outdoor play are endless and provides children with many opportunities to express themselves and be free to run, jump, skip, explore and shout.  Some children learn best and are more focused when they are outside.  The outdoor environment is just as important as the indoor environment and they should complement each other because outdoor play is vital for a child’s mental and physical development.  Some of the many benefits of outdoor play include; encouraging a healthy lifestyle, develops social skills, understanding risk, promoting well-being, encourages independence and helps to build self-confidence.

At Queensway Nursery and Preschool we believe in the importance of outdoor play and sensory enrichment for young children. Our children are encouraged to play and learn outside. The children are encouraged to splosh about with water, build with wet sand, cook in our play kitchen, dig in the dirt, plant flowers, hunt for mini-beasts, paint, read, run around, complete obstacle courses and get creative with natural materials. Our outdoor area is split into different age appropriate areas and has been specially landscaped to create a safe and fun environment for the children to learn and play including our colourful soft flooring.

No matter how good our indoor facilities, our outdoor area is key to the children’s happiness.