Our Unique Environment

Our Unique Environment

We LOVE our nursery building and outside area! We re situated on a wonderful plot on the secure school site which means that, when looking through our floor to ceiling height windows, the children have views of the school fields, trees and the fishing lake in the distance. When sitting in the windowsills our children can literally watch the world and the seasons go by.

Inside and outside we have lots of high quality resources and equipment, most of which are made of natural materials. They are stored, labelled and arranged attractively (including our outside equipment in the sheds) so that children can choose and return them independently. The playroom is arranged in a variety of areas, some of which are quieter so that children can have smaller and cosier spaces in which to sit, play, chat or rest. We display all children’s creations attractively, demonstrating our value for them.
Celebrating Play - Bertie’s is firmly committed to a play-based approach for children. Our principles and practice focus on children learning and developing through play and active learning, both inside and out. Structure at Bertie’s is present in both our routine and what we offer – we use hands-on, practical and active experiences in a desire to promote awe, wonder, amazement, motivation and involvement. We want to ignite children’s enthusiasms so that they become ‘hooked on’ lifelong learning.
Being ‘safe enough’ - The safety and security of each child is paramount. The nursery environment and activities are risk-assessed very regularly and this includes a daily check, both inside and out, to ensure the safety of every child and adult. However, we firmly believe that children should be given opportunities to experience challenge and develop their own sense of assessing risks and making considered judgements, with adult support and discussion that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child. For instance, children are shown how to carry scissors safely around the playroom or outside, ‘real’ tools are used with wood and real cutlery is used in the home corner and for cutting snack. Outside, children use sticks and are encouraged to balance and climb in our wooded area. They go down the slope on trikes whilst being encouraged to be aware of others around them. This approach enables children to test their skills and make new discoveries within agreed and ‘safe enough’ boundaries – all the time being supervised and supported by responsible and attentive practitioners.
In addition, there are some aspects of what we do that are very special and particularly important to us – they make Bertie’s what it is and are described briefly in each drop-down section.
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