Parent & Carer
Parent & Carer
Our Nursery
Our Values and Beliefs
At the heart of our playful learning approach is the child’s freedom to make choices, to be curious and experience joyfulness, which contributes to development across all areas of learning and promotes wellbeing. Learning deeply about families and children reveals; Who they are and what they bring to nursery? Understanding the child’s exposure to play, prior and ongoing experiences, will help practitioners meet the child’s individual needs and will give the child a sense of belonging. Children arrive with different life experiences and starting points so knowing the child and family’s cultural background will keep the child at the centre of the curriculum, guide the learning experiences and build secure attachments. Keeping children safe is at the forefront of everything we do so we focus on building positive relationships with families, providing a safe space and supporting emotional literacy and wellbeing.
The Building
The building has been designed to give a homely, welcoming feel. Soft furnishings and muted colours have been carefully selected to achieve such an environment. A glass viewing panel links our three rooms so that staff and children can see what is happening in each room.
Play and Exploration
Tiny Tots meet the child’s learning and emotional needs through both self-directed and collaborative play, co-regulating emotions, tuning in and creating secure attachments. Woven through our current practice is preparing the children to be able to self-regulate their emotions, to encourage independence and prepare them for future success at their own pace. Practitioners identify interests, schemas and gaps in a child’s development through observations, documentation and conversations with children, parents and other practitioners.
With an emergent play curriculum, we ensure that the play experiences and opportunities available to our children, particularly the most disadvantaged, are adapted to meet the needs of the children daily. Co-constructing the curriculum involves reflective dialogue with the child, parent/carer, practitioner and wider community. Only then will the environment and resources connect the child to their culture so they are being seen and heard, for example respecting home languages, reflecting cultural values through books, loose parts etc.
Add to the above paragraph the existing sentence: We intentionally provide open-ended, sensory resources that challenge children to use their imagination and critical thinking skills.
Dragonfly Room
The open plan layout of the Pre-school room with its adjoining café style counter to serve snacks and lunches contributes to the homely feel. Our Pre-School room is partitioned to create zoned areas for creative, messy and imaginative play. The room boasts two direct access points to the covered patio area and the garden beyond.
Ladybird Room
Our Toddler room is light airy and welcoming. The feature of a ‘child height’ kitchen area for the children to explore, is a firm favourite for imaginative play and promotes an awareness of a healthy lifestyles. This room has direct access to the outside play space, which the toddlers share with the Pre-school children. This helps to eliminate the transition between rooms and so the children become familiar with all of the staff.
Caterpillar Room
The Baby room is self-contained with its own milk kitchen, washing facilities and sleep room. It again has direct access to the garden, with a picket fence separating the babies from the older children.
The Garden Area
There is a secure natural play space that challenges and supports young children to develop emotional confidence and skills.
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We have made use of natural materials, such as bamboo, stumps, rocks, sand and grassy undulating hills. The centre piece is the climbing rock. All of this will engage the children in imaginative play, storytelling, narrative play, body play and movement.
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To extend the learning beyond the classroom, we have created a sensory area using planting to connect the children with the seasons and excite the senses through sound, texture, sight and smell.
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There is an investigation area with an insect habitat pile to attract wildlife into the garden, a music area, a cooking area, a bamboo retreat and opportunities to grow fruit and vegetables as part of our commitment to becoming more sustainable and learn about the world.
The Woodland
At Tiny Tots, we have a strong ethos for outdoor play and are very lucky to have direct access from our garden into an area of private woodland. This area is extensively used by all of our children to explore Forest Schools activities. Visits to the woods are carefully planned in accordance with the EYFS and risk assessed to ensure safety at all times.
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The reasons for using the woodland:
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Learning outside the classroom supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles.
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Learning outside the classroom gives children contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors.
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Playing and learning outside helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and lifecycles.
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Outdoor play supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity.
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Children need an outdoor environment that can provide them with space, both upwards and outwards, and places to explore, experiment, discover, be active and healthy, and to develop their physical capabilities.
Meet Our Teachers
Tiny Tots Nursery is run on a day to day basis by Janine Pethick (Sole Director), who co-manages alongside Mikaela Rofe. We both have a wealth of experience as professional teachers, working in local primary schools, in Early Years and KS1. As working mums with four children between us, we also appreciate the demands of managing childcare, work and home life and ensuring you feel you have made the correct choice for your child's care and early education.
Janine Pethick
Qualified Teacher L6
Designated Safeguarding Coordinator
Co Manager
Mikaela Rofe
Qualified Teacher L6
Co-Manager,
SENCO,
DDSL
Libby Davey
Room Leader - Dragonfly Room
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Laura Buckthought
Room Leader - Ladybird Room
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Tegan Oakley
Room Leader - Caterpillar Room
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Harley Bateman
Nursery Practitioner
Ladybird Room
Emily Sycamore
Qualified Teacher L6
Dragonfly Room
Louise Dingle
​Nursery Practitioner
Caterpillar Room
Lauren Standing
Nursery Practitioner
Caterpillar Room
Lucy Matson
​​Nursery Practitioner
Ladybird Room
Christine McCourt
​Nursery Practitioner
Dragonfly Room
Claire Sprules
Nursery Practitioner
Ladybird Room
Chloe Rounsevell
Qualified Teacher L6
Maternity Leave (Feb 25)
Sofi Crowhurst​
Nursery Practitioner
Caterpillar Room
Tanya Martin
​Qualified Teacher L6
Ladybird Room
Shawnie Gregory ​Childcare Apprentice
Nursery Cook
Tina Green
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Cover Staff
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Shirley Chapman
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Cover Staff
