Our Rooms and Nursery Curriculum
Within our Little Hedgehogs, Little Squirrels and Little Badgers rooms, we follow and work closely with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Babies and children are encouraged to stimulate all aspects of their development through an extensive range of opportunities and activities. It’s all designed to be great and exciting fun! Our staff carefully plan activities for children, which are differently designed to meet the needs of all involved.
Little Hedgehogs: Younger Babies
Your baby's home routine will be followed. In baby's first years, the excitement of sound, sight and touch are well accompanied by a series of special firsts. Our staff provide the highest of expert care in an environment which encourages babies to learn through play. Babies will spend each day exploring and investigating the surrounding environment, playing with sensory toys, interacting with adults and other babies and listening to stories and music. There is direct access to outside play areas.
Little Squirrels: Older babies up to 2 years
Your baby's home routine will be followed. Clever Clogs nursery in Durham provides a safe and interactive learning environment where children can investigate and explore their surroundings. Within our Little Squirrels room, children spend their day having fun with a range of educational/developmental toys and resources and are encouraged to express themselves through play, building their independence and confidence. There are many opportunities on offer each day and the children have lots of independent choice. These include: sensory play, messy/creative play, a construction area and role play/dressing up. There is also direct access to outside play areas.
Little Badgers: Toddlers 2-3 years
Your child's home routine will be followed, however we do encourage a basic routine, which allows us to prepare children for the move into pre-school. Children are encouraged to develop at their own pace giving them many opportunities to grow and thrive. In our caring and loving environment, children will be involved in all aspects of development and learning, where they can explore with a wide range of educational and fun toys. Our toddlers benefit from areas that include construction, creative/messy play, a reading/comfy area, computer access and a home corner. Children also enjoy direct access to outside play areas.
Little Owls: 3-5 years Pre-School
Within this room, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in preparation for your child starting school. Various opportunities and activities encourage children to work towards the early learning goals within the six areas of learning:
- Communication, language and literacy
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
- Creative development
- Knowledge and understanding of the world
- Physical development
The same framework continues on into reception class when your child goes to school. Activites are planned based on children's interests and our observations, thus encouraging children to maximise their potential in advance of infant school attendance. Our Pre-School children benefit from many areas, including a reading corner, small world and construction, computer table and ICT, knowledge and understanding of the world, a science area and a creative/messy play area. There is also direct access to large outside play areas.
We are approved to offer Nursery Education, funded by the government. Children are entitled to a maximum of five sessions per week and will qualify for this the term after their third birthday.
In all of our rooms, we promote early personal hygiene. In our Little Squirrels, Badgers and Owls rooms, sinks and potties/toilets are nearby for children to learn and develop their concepts of early personal hygiene and to fulfil potty/toileting requirements. Clever Clogs staff will promote and support this at all times.
Sleep Room
We have a separate sleep room, where babies and children will be able to have restful sleep without any disturbance from other activities. Babies and children are able to sleep in cots, in pushchairs or on bed mats - this will be in accordance with their home routine/your wishes. The sleep room has vision panels and is monitored by staff at all times. We play soothing music, ensuring relaxation and comfort and any dummies, teddies or blankets are given to children for sleep times. Bedding is changed and washed after use by each child.
Outdoor Play
We have three outdoor areas with different facilities to encourage physical development of all of our children. All rooms have direct access to these areas to ensure our children get lots of fresh air and exercise. These areas are fully enclosed and are monitored by CCTV at all times.
Upstairs Physical Play Area/Dining Hall
We have a large spare room upstairs for extra physical activities when the weather keeps us inside, as well as a fully equipped kitchen, office and staffroom. This room is also used as a dining hall as required.
