Hummingbirds Nursery
BESPOKE EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
Alison and Nat came together through a shared ethos. Basic values such as care, consideration towards others, equality, inclusion and tolerance are core to our practice.
Staff and children work as a team which enables us to focus on these principles and develop a child’s independence as well as teaching them to be good team-members; for example helping to clear the table or supporting a younger child to complete a task.
We base our approach on the Swedish curriculum which states that: “Preschool is resting upon the ground of democracy”. In practice, this means that care and respect for others forms the basis of everyday experience for children.
At Hummingbirds our children are grouped for learning by age and ability: Bunnies, Hedgehogs, Foxes, Owls. Outside of age-appropriate activities, the children are freely mixed like a large family which provides an excellent foundation for them to develop confidence and to be ready for the next stage in their education. Our aim is for Hummingbirds children to be happy, caring, compassionate individuals who grow into adults with the same values.
Outdoor learning is an important part of our day and contributes towards the physical well-being, natural curiosity and co-operation of children. Many of our activities and a large portion of our free-play time will be spent outside, regardless of the weather.
Our play-time is child-led and we believe that a quest for fun rather than learning encourages both curiosity and social skills. Learning happens organically through play and we ensure that the early year’s subject requirements of the EYFS are covered in a thematic way. Subjects are included through games, songs and stories as well as lessons in Music, Spanish, Playball and Multi-Sports which are all taken by a relevant professional (please see staff page for individual teachers).
Research shows that diet has a huge impact on a child’s focus, behaviour and development. At Hummingbirds we serve the children home-made, healthy food. Our ingredients are locally sourced where possible, low in sugar and salt and rich in nutrients.
We consider sitting at the table, enjoying each-other’s company and eating a meal together a fundamental part of family life and social development and we love chatting with the children during these times.
