Howdon Nursery is registered for 63 children and caters for children aged 0-5 years
We offer a mixture of fee paying and funded places as well as free flexible entitlement for children aged 3 and 4.
We also offer funded care and education to 2 year olds where selected criteria are met.
The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am-6pm 52 weeks of the year, closing only for bank holidays.
We have several playrooms and an excellent outdoor facility which compromises of a separate area for babies, a secret garden area and a grassed area as well as soft surfacing.
The garden is divided into 5 areas, which can be used separately or opened up. All the playrooms have direct access to the outdoor space and children are offered free flow during the sessions which allows them to choose if they would like to play indoors or outdoors, which maximises learning opportunities. Appropriate clothing is provided for the younger babies to explore the outdoor environment.
The nursery is divided into three playrooms:
- Daisy room is specifically designed for young babies under the age of 2. We provide a homely environment with soft furnishings, and areas are divided into key experiences. This offers a wide range of opportunities for babies to fully explore. It also includes a quieter, sensory area, with rest baskets where babies can relax and further explore using all their senses.
- Buttercup and Primrose rooms are accessed by children age 2 to 3. It is divided into key experience areas and offers toddlers opportunities to develop their decision making skills through free choice. The children have daily access to a wide range of tactile and sensory experiences, building upon their existing knowledge and encouraging them to make good progress in their development. Children are able to freely choose where they want to play and investigate, including a rest area where they can choose to relax.
- Honeysuckle room is specifically for children age 3 to 5. The room is divided into areas of learning to provide experiences, and children are able to make choices in relation to where they prefer to play as well as take part in adult led experiences.
All rooms are designed to offer a safe and stimulating environment that provides age appropriate experiences and opportunities, which children can explore holistically to enhance their learning.
All staff hold relevant childcare qualifications including NNEB, CACHE, and NVQ Level 2 and 3 and some have completed further training up to Degree Level 4,5 and 6. The full staff team have an up to date paediatric first aid certificate and all have safeguarding awareness.
