Between the ages of 18 months and 2 1/2 years old, children join us within our Snowy Owl Nursery. Here we have created a warm and caring home from home environment into which our toddlers are welcomed. The Snowy Owl nursery has its own dedicated entrance and consists of 3 individual rooms.
Snowy Owls
Physical Play indoor Room
Within this room our children are offered a large wooden apparatus to enjoy which enables the children to develop their large motor skills. This offers our children with the opportunity to engage in physical play whilst still being inside their nursery.
“Children are highly motivated to explore and learn in this vibrant setting where they are able to choose freely from an exciting range of activities and resources that cover all seven areas of learning.”Ofsted 2014.
Sensory Room
Our separate sensory room offers a calming space to explore and engage the senses as well as doubling up as a sleep room to provide a restful space for children to sleep if they need to. Our Snowy Owls have their own security coded entrance which leads to the toddler and baby garden which has been designed to meet the needs of our youngest children at nursery.
About Snowy Owls:
Our Snowy Owls nursery has been designed to meet the needs of our ‘toddlers’ at the nursery. Snowy Owls offers a bespoke play space which include a large area for playing and exploring, a carpeted area which offers a small indoor climbing frame, music and movement, yoga, and an abundance of equipment to support the development of their motor skills and their communicative abilities.
Our Snowy Owls have a separate changing area for nappies and personal care also.
Snowy Owls is Lead by Emma Chandler who has been in the role for many years now – Emma is supported by a team of qualified and experienced practitioners. We have a maximum of 16 children in Snowy Owls.
What’s New?
The restructure throughout Toftwood has afforded us the opportunity to look at our age groups and adapt our structure to meet the emerging needs of our children and families. Having our Toddlers in a smaller group and a smaller age range than previously will be of benefit to the children as this will create a quieter, calmer environment in which to play and learn within. Previously our Snowy Owls nursery offered 28 places – the reduction in numbers will mean in the team having more time for parent handovers and the quality of keywork will be overall enhanced.
Our Early Years Education
At Little Owls we learn through play. We believe the most important factors in the early years is giving the children the opportunities and experiences that help them develop their sense of self and pride in their unique and individual skills and abilities.
80% of the children’s day is interest driven play which is enhanced and scaffolded by our team of experienced nursery practitioners. Our continuous provision means there is always an abundance of literacy, imaginative play, opportunities to recreate roles and experiences, opened ended creative play, malleable and messy play, engagement with our natural world and opportunities to construct and create.
20% of the children’s day is ‘Adult Led’ this term refers to activities and experiences that the adults plan and deliver specifically based on children’s stage of development. In planning for this our team triangulate the principles of meaningful learning by considering – what the children already know, what their interests are – and what’s going on in the world around them. Meaningful learning experiences are then planned and delivered to support your children’s continued progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage & Birth to Five Matters.