Professional Nursery and Pre-School Child Care

The range of activities provided each day are designed to build each individual child’s confidence and independence.  Children learn new tasks and develop skills to help them achieve their learning & development objectives in a caring, stimulating environment.  Each room is equipped with educational toys that foster Active Learning through Purposeful Play.  All rooms are divided into areas designed to develop different skills e.g. a quiet, physical, creative and sensory areas.

We use a wide variety of carefully selected toys that includes construction and tactile toys as well as Music, books and creative materials.  At Cherry Childcare we aim for a friendly, happy atmosphere that encourages children to be kind and considerate towards each other.

All of the creative play and educational activities work within a programme of 6 themes throughout the year to help your child reach their full potential.

At Cherry Childcare we operate a “Child Development records System”.  Each child is assigned a member of the team in their group room.  This Child Development Supporter is responsible for helping both you and your child to settle into the nursery.  They will explain the daily routines of the nursery with particular emphasis on aspects of your child’s individual needs e.g. potty training, dietary requirements, likes and dislikes, etc.

Your Child Development Supporter will talk to you informally when you arrive to collect your child, letting you know the events of the day.  During these times she is also available to discuss any items of immediate concern e.g. if your child has not slept, is feeling unwell or has not eaten.

The progress of all children is monitored using our Child Development Records These are updated regularly and provide a very effective way of monitoring your child’s progress throughout their nursery life.  Annually, we have a Parent’s Evening when your Child Development Supporter will talk to you in detail about your child’s progress; the Development Record is used as the basis for the discussion but are available to you at any time.

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfill their potential.  A Childs experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances.  A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. The EYFS principles are grouped into four distinct themes.

• A Unique Child – Every child is a competent learner from birth, who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured.
• Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/ or a key person.
• Enabling Environments – The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
• Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.

These reflects every child’s right to grow up safe; healthy; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and with economic well being.

There are six areas of learning within the EYFS:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Physical Development
• Creative Development

All of these areas are equally important and are delivered through planned, purposeful play with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Within the Cherry Childcare curriculum we incorporate various key elements from a range of learning systems, for example:

• We believe in the importance of good behavior building Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural values  - right/wrong, caring, sharing, kindness, consideration - Establishing positive images and respect for other people and society e.g. Policemen, Firemen, Doctors.
• Language & Litracy are developed using “Phonics”.  This is consistent with the teaching in many local schools and we encourage parents to support the children by using Phonic materials with their children at home.
• Each nursery has a computer for the children's use.  This is loaded with a range of educational software and is accessible throughout the day as well as being used in small group sessions.

Cherry childcare is committed to providing good, healthy nutritious meals for the children in our care.   All our meals are freshly prepared in-house and are analysed for nutritional content using a software program produced by the Caroline Walker Trust.

Each week our menu provide a balance of protein foods, featuring a Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Fish and Vegetarian item using a range of tasty recipes that rotate over a four week period i.e. Tuna Risotto, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Mediterranean lamb with cous cous.

We encourage the children to have five serving of fruit and vegetables a day.  Every day we serve a minimum of two vegetables, at least one of which will be a fresh seasonal vegetable.  We don’t use canned vegetables.  Children also receive two fresh fruits in the morning and a different two fresh fruits in the afternoon.

The children are given whole milk with their fruit and drinking water is available throughout the day.

We are committed to the welfare and protection of all children in our care and will endeavour to protect children from harm.  Cherry Childcare will ensure that concerns about children’s safety are properly investigated.

Child protection procedures are set in place at all our nurseries and we are fully aware of and will abide by these procedures.  In following these guidelines we will work together with parents.