Our small and intimate setting offers an alternative approach that’s personal and tailored to each child and their family, ensuring a quality childcare experience during those precious early years.
About Us
We are a family run setting that places education and community at the heart of everything we do.
Through personal, hands on experience, we have developed a unique approach to early years care. Our gentle approach celebrates every child as an individual, with a learning programme built around your child’s specific interests, designed to support your child through each developmental stage at a pace that’s right for them.
We can’t wait to share our values and commitment to excellence with your family.
Our learning environment is carefully prepared to stimulate curiosity, through inspiring, culturally rich resources and opportunities that encompass the numerous ways children learn, so that all children can reach their full potential.
Curriculum
The importance of the early years
Early childhood care and education should be more than just preparation for primary school. It should encompass the development of the whole child to meet their social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs, in order to build a solid and broad foundation for learning and wellbeing from the very early stages.
Early childhood research highlights how significant the environment and experiences during the early years can be in shaping a child’s brain and creating the security and predispositions to learn. In neuroscience, this critical period is defined as a period of heightened plasticity, when the brain can easily make new neural connections in response to all kinds of information. Science tells us that each new word a child learns helps to strengthen the structure of the brain and as it is strengthened, a child’s capacity for new vocabulary grows.
Redefining early childhood care and education
At the Arches Nursery we apply a gentle, social learning approach that emphasises play, relationships and learning through the outdoor environment. We focus more holistically on the quality of care and education we deliver and the fun experiences we create, through our specially prepared child-centred setting.
Our educators focus on how they can scaffold the children’s learning through language rich play and activities that foster independence and support children with their social interactions and how to manage their feelings and emotions. Our philosophy empowers children to develop confidence, self-awareness and a wide vocabulary and set of skills that reflects the breadth of their experiences.
Our Commitment
Cultivating a love for nature
We are committed to ensuring that urban children experience the awe and wonder of the natural world.
Authentic learning
Our nursery is designed with discovery and active learning in mind. Children have access to a broad, balanced and stimulating environment, which challenges and motivates them. We build our curriculum around the children’s interests and carefully consider in our planning what we can offer to support and compliment home learning.
Eco-friendly environment
We advocate ways of working that supports sustainability. Our recycling hub and vegetable garden will support children in learning how to recycle and educate them on the processes of growing food and how we can live in a more eco-friendly way. We opt for natural learning materials, avoiding plastic toys and love sourcing materials for our nursery that can be upcycled.
Inspiring creativity
We embrace creativity and strive to facilitate many forms of expression through a range of exciting activities. We value these processes in supporting the emotional development and well-being of the child. Our programme of mindfulness activities encourage children to be able to calm and centre themselves, supporting them on their journey of self regulation.
Celebrating the unique child
We foster a positive atmosphere of mutual respect and trust among children and staff members, cherishing each child for who they are and value their contribution to the group.
Growth mindset
In order to provide the best possible care and education, we are committed to reflective practice and continual professional development. Whilst always striving to acquire further knowledge and new ideas, at the same time we hope to inspire our future generation to develop a life-long love of learning.
