Our Philosophy

Our Philosophy here at First Steps Nursery focuses on incorporating the Early Years Foundation Stage, alongside a child centred approach to learning.  We aim to create a welcoming, calm and nurturing environment in which the children have the freedom to learn, play and explore.

• Provide excellence in care for children age between 3 months and 5 years by ensuring that standards set throughout the establishment are always at the highest level.

• Ensure that every child is cared for in a safe friendly and stimulating environment.

• Promote a balanced stimulating curriculum catering to each child’s individual needs, enabling each child’s full potential to be recognised.

• Provide a wide range of activities for each child, to enable a wealth of knowledge through various learning experiences.

• Ensure a valued partnership between nursery, children, parents, carers and schools.

• Provide various opportunities for children to experience physical activities.

• Promote equal opportunities for all children and respect and value individual achievements and encourage children to develop sensitivity towards the needs of others thus developing and understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

Our building is full of character and charm, which is filled with neutral and calming tones, giving it a home from home feel, and a feel that does not distract a child from their play and curiosity.  We strive to maintain a stimulating and nurturing environment, enabling the children to participate in a range of play experiences through natural materials, loose parts play and flexible resources, rather than prescriptive ones, which expands their imaginations and provides them with the opportunity to explore and play in their own ways. Despite being a city centre nursery, we aim to continue this ethos in our garden and hope to use this space as much as possible.

Our approach to learning allows the children the freedom to follow and explore their own curiosities and interests in their own time with little adult interruption, thus promoting critical thinking and active learning. The adults are here to engage in and extend what a child is doing, providing the staff with the information needed to scaffold their learning. Adult lead activities are planned, to inspire the children and to further their interest and knowledge, at a time that suits the child and their individual needs.  This approach to learning helps to encourage our children’s confidence to try new things throughout their journey here at First Steps. Our day follows a regular rhythm so disruption to a child’s play is limited, however, we come together for things like meal times, songs and stories, to encourage social skills and interaction with all.

The way we interact with the children, most importantly our younger children are guided by the Resources for infant Educarers (RIE) approach. RIE advocates showing respect for an infant’s experience, talking to them in a clear way without baby talk and allowing children to develop at their own pace. In peaceful environments with toys and resources that promote active imaginations. Specifically, the approach guides us to inform a child as to what is it we are doing with them and why so they can be prepared. Examples of this are; Nappy changes are to be completed in tune with the children and are positive experiences rather than being part of a process.

All of this helps us to achieve our aims in partnership with our parents. This is to provide a positive, safe and inspirational environment for everyone at the nursery. We also aim to promote good communication skills to the children, help develop their social and emotional needs, and promote their physical independence. This helps them to develop a secure level of development ready for their life at school. We thrive on positive relationships with our parents.