Children’s Day Nursery3 months to 5 yearsLITTLE NIGHTINGALES

Children’s Day NurseryNightingale Cottage, Barnet Road, London Colney

St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL2 1BGwww.littlenightingales.cominfo@littlenightingales.comTelephone (01727) 827533

Fax (01727) 827543 A small, friendly, home-from-home day nursery

M25

LONDON COLNEY

Nature Reserve

Willows Farm

J22M25

Hypermarket

Barnet Road

Shenley Lane

A1081

North Orbital RdNorth Orbital Rd

River C

olne

Willo

wside

Barnet Road

PARKING

DROP OFFPARKING

Des

ign,

Art

wor

k &

Pho

togr

aphy

: dal

mai

ne.c

om

Welcome

Little Nightingales is a small, friendly, home-from-home day nursery. We provide places for 50 children and are located in the lovely conservation area of London Colney with its traditional village sense of community. The nursery itself is a carefully converted 200-year-old cottage, where the layout reflects and retains its warm homely atmosphere.

We’re lucky enough to be within walking distance of the River Colne where our own Little Nightingales have great fun feeding the ducks at the same time as learning about, interacting with and experiencing nature. Willows Farm is a close neighbour and there are frequent visits for the children to learn about the animals. There’s rarely a dull moment at Little Nightingales, which means you take home a cheerful child, stimulated daily by new sights and sounds and eager to return the next day.

We warmly welcome children from 3 months to 5 years and by offering a range of different sessions and providing an all-inclusive package, we aim to make your life simpler by eliminating many of the day-to-day childcare stresses and concerns.

Our Philosophy

Just to give you a brief idea of the way we think and how we run our nursery:

• We provide a warm and welcoming, home-from-home, caring environment where all our babies feel happy, secure and relaxed while our older children can’t wait to come in each day.

• We recognise, respect and enjoy the individual personalities of all our children from the youngest to the eldest and believe in giving them the space they need to develop and grow.

• Our aim is to help each child learn to be strong and confident within a secure and social setting.

• We work with the speech and vocabulary development so vital for future learning and are delighted to welcome all children from lookers and communicators to talkers and performers.

• Our carefully selected and caring staff play a vital role in encouraging every child’s individuality. We believe we can never spend too much time listening to them, valuing their thoughts and feelings and helping them learn to value those of their classmates.

• We’re very firm on good habits of hygiene and health and on teaching respect and consideration towards others.

• We actively encourage you as parents to include us in any issues that may be affecting your child.

“There is something special about Little Nightingales. Maybe it is the fantastic manager, Sally and the wonderful, caring nurturing staff, each and every one of them; the fantastic homemade food, made on the premises; the real ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere, it is warm and unintimidating- perfect for the more ‘introverted’ children such as my son; the great activities on offer every day for the kids or just the little extra things they do...

Whatever it is, I am genuinely thrilled that I chose Little Nightingales as a nursery for my son, who absolutely loves it there.”

Anna

Provided by Little Nightingales

• Staff to child ratios of at least 1:3 for under two years old. 1:4 for children aged between two and three years; 1:8 for children over three.

• A nominated key-worker who will liaise with you and be responsible for monitoring every aspect of your child’s care.

• All meals, snacks and drinks, including formula milk for babies. We cater carefully for dietary requirements and allergies. All meals are freshly prepared every morning in our own kitchens.

• Nappies and wipes are included within the price.

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste.

• All bedding, blankets, towels and flannels, which are laundered dail on the premises.

• Sanitation units inside and outside all rooms.

• Parents Forum at which all issues can be raised and freely discussed.

• Sun cream.

What your child should bring to Little Nightingales:

• Two full sets of spare clothes.

• Please ensure each item is clearly marked with your child’s name.

• We cannot be held responsible for loss of clothing.

• Outdoor boots/wellingtons.

• Suitable coat.

• Sunhat in the summer months.

• Gloves and hat in the winter.

• A comforter if required (we do appreciate the importance of these and take very good care of them!).

• Nappy cream if required.

fun and fresh food

good friends

play and learn

grow confidence

Our Facilities

We have an airy open-plan kitchen which has been cleverly brought into the twenty-first century, whilst still retaining much of the earlier hand-made, solid wood and stainless steel. Here our children are given the opportunity to learn about and observe daily preparation of fresh food and tasty, healthy, homecooking, all taught by an important member of our team – our resident chef.

Meals are enjoyed in the dining area, which is located at the end of our kitchen. There is a completely separate milk kitchen situated in the baby room. We also have a dedicated laundry room.

2. Baby Unit – ‘The Nest’

We’re proud to launch our unique brand new, unit provides spacious, safe, soft and stimulating surroundings for babies from three months old. There is an additional, sectioned-off, sensory area full of cushions and gently twinkling lights for them to enjoy.

The Baby Unit is overflowing with a variety of playing and learning activities and experiences. We like to keep all the equipment out, so the children have the widest choice of things to explore. Our staff to baby ratio is one adult to three babies with no more than six babies in the room at one time.

3.Toddler Room – ‘Woodpeckers’

Located at the heart of the nursery, this is where children are encouraged to make individual choices of play which are carefully supervised and combined with the EYFS curriculum. Ratio here is one adult to four toddlers.

4. Transition - ‘Robins’

The Robins room is situated upstairs and is used as a transition room. The children are aged between 32- 38 months. This room provides a wide range of age appropriate activities including reading/cosy corner, role play area, writing area, information technology, construction and many others. Our main purpose of this room is to prepare children for the next stage of their development – The pre-school.

5. Pre-school – ‘Nightingales’

The pre-school for our older pupils is situated upstairs and consists of three large rooms both of which provide a wide range of activities including sensory play (sand, water, dough, jelly, corn-flour, dried pulses and pasta, the messier the better). We also have a spacious acting area where the children are given the chance to express themselves by throwing themselves (often literally) into enthusiastic roleplay. The emphasis in our pre-school is on teaching early life skills that children need to succeed at school, including reading, writing and numeracy. We provide a rich and varied programme of activities, including fortnightly French lessons taught by fully trained instructors. The pre-school room is divided into “learning areas”, each equipped with resources that focus on a particular area of learning. These include emergent writing, mathematics, reading, information technology, media, role play, construction and many others.

Our aim is to help the children in our care to approach a major change in their lives – starting ‘BIG’ school – we want them to be able to do this with confidence, skills and enthusiasm for learning that will give them a valuable head start in life. Our ratio here is one to eight.

6. Garden

Little Nightingales has its own securely enclosed garden, offering safe play areas and decking. There is a choice of activities including water and sand play and a wide range of toys to push, pull or climb on. We have a musical sensory section and are very proud of our seasonal growing patch. What was previously the back garden of the house is now our parking area from which there’s a convenient path leading directly to the nursery front entrance. This doubles up as a secure play area for the pre-schoolers.

Curriculum

Children at Little Nightingales are encouraged to learn through play. However we do follow the Government’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework which sets the standards for learning, development, and care for all children from birth up to 5 years of age.

There are seven areas of learning in which the team support the children to learn and develop as individuals. Of these 7 areas 3 are considered to be Prime areas in which children develop first:

• Personal, social and emotional development: Which includes helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others. To form positive relationships and develop respect for others. To develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings. To understand appropriate behaviour in groups and to have confidence in their own abilities.

• Communication and language: Development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment, to develop the confidence and skills in expressing themselves and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

• Physical development: Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children are also helped to understand the importance of physical activity and how to make healthy choices in relation to food.

“I attended our first Parents’ Evening last week, Millie is the youngest and working to the level of the oldest children. So well done to your staff, the level of education is first class.”Ms Hart

Nursery Uniform

Little Nightingales is a small, friendly, home-from-home day nursery. We provide places for 40 Nursery uniform is compulsory for all pre-school children 3 to 5 years old. We believe the uniform reinforces our sense of identity. We’re very proud of all our children and for them to be recognised as Little Nightingales when out in public.

We hope every parent will support our nursery in maintaining its smart and clearly identifiable appearance by ensuring that your child is in thecorrect uniform.

Daily Uniform

Logo sweatshirt

Logo polo shirt

Grey skirt

Grey trousers

Grey Pinafore

Grey shorts (Summer)

Summer dress (Purple Gingham)

Black shoes

PE Kit

White plain polo

Black shorts

Black plimsolls

A Typical Day at Little Nightingales

7.30 – 8.45 Sunrise/BREAKFAST

9.00 – 9.30 Register & circle time

9.30 – 10.30 Adult initiated activities

10.30 – 10.45 Snack

10.45 – 11.15 Outdoor activities

11.15 – 11.30 Quiet time

11.30 – 12.00 LUNCH

12.00 – 2.00 Sleep & rest time

1.45 – 2.00 Wakey, wakey & snack time

2.00 – 3.00 Adult initiated activities

3.00 – 3.30 Music time

3.30 – 4.00 TEA TIME

4.30 – 5.30 Music & Circle time

5.30 – 6.30 Sunset

Children under two follow a flexible version of this routine, with their individual sleep patterns and nappy changes accommodated.

“As our children turned three we considered whether we should move them to a nursery attached to a school but dismissed this idea as they were very settled and were receiving the same ‘teaching’ as they would be getting elsewhere.

Moving upstairs to become ‘pre-schoolers’ and wearing the uniform prepares them well for school.”

Abbie

As children grow these prime areas will help them to develop skills inthe other 4 specific areas which include:

• Literacy: Encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of reading materials such as books, media and written materials to ignite their interest.

• Mathematics: involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

• Understanding the world: involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

• Expressive arts and design: involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

• As a home from home nursery we want children to feel reassured, safe and cared for within our setting. One way we make sure we do this is by ensuring each child is given their own key person. This person is there the day your little one starts nursery life. They will keep a detailed record of their developmental progress as well as complying a learning journal of your child’s achievements during their time with us.

• These records are available to be viewed and discussed any time by parents, who are always encouraged to update us on any details of their child’s experiences from outside nursery life.

If you wish to find out more about the EYFS, please follow the link below.

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EYFSStatutory- Framework-2012.pdf

We now offer FREE 2,3 and 4-year-old funding, ask for details.

“From the moment we looked around Little Nightingales, we knew it was the right place for our son. 6 years and a daughter later and I still believe it to be the best nursery in the area.

Both of my children love attending, and it has built a solid basis for my son’s learning now he is at school. His reading, writing and maths skills are advanced for his age, and I attribute a lot of this to the staff at Little Nightingales.

I have always been made to feel very welcome, and have made many friends through the nursery - when my daughter leaves this summer, I will really miss the place!”

The Whitworth Family

What Parents Say

“Jack was 7 months old when he started at Little Nightingales so we were pleased that it felt like a ‘home’ rather than ‘school.’ We particularly liked the kitchen being in the middle of the house so the children can see food being prepared. After nearly 2 years, Jack is still very happy there and I get the feeling the staff like him as much as he likes them.”

Abbie

“We have used the staff for babysitting, attended many social events at the nursery (Fireworks Night, Summer Fair, Picnic-in-the-Park, Christmas parties) and made good friends with the other parents.

All in all our experience of Little Nightingales has been, and continues to be a positive one!”

Shreen

“A big thank you to all the staff at Little Nightingales for helping Emily to blossom into a fun-loving, independent and confident little person.”

Julie & Jason

“Choosing childcare for your child is daunting, especially the first, although I knew I always wanted to go back to work and continue with my career.

Little Nightingales is Joshua’s second family and I am sure he will have very happy memories here. We will be very sad to leave when Joshua starts school in September 2014”.

Charlotte

“My daughter joined Little Nightingales shortly after it opened and from day one, she loved going there!

My son grew up at Little Nightingales and was heartbroken when he had to leave for school. My youngest now attends full time and loves every minute. The staff have changed a lot over the years but with Mrs Journet and Sally at the helm, it has always been somewhere my children call their ‘second home.’ We love the upstairs rooms and the fact that they wear uniform and get homework because it makes my little girl feel just as grown up as her big sister.

I am adamant that if it was not for the caring and nurturing way of the nursery, especially when it comes to children that want to learn, my eldest daughter would not be in such a fantastic place with her school work and love of learning.

Over the years we have had a few issues with my children but the staff have always backed me and helped me work through the problems and find solutions that work at nursery and at home. For this I will be eternally grateful because being a mum can be hard, especially when things go wrong. So sometimes having that extra person to talk things through with, or be a guiding hand, or just to say ‘its ok, you’re doing fine’ can mean the world.

I cannot speak highly enough of the nursery staff and of the nursery itself, or say thank you enough, as they have been an extended family for me and my children for 5 years now and the friendships the my children formed there are still a huge part of our lives, and hopefully always will be. Thank you.”

Sam