Our Nursery
Lots of space - indoors and out! Our specially designed Early Years playground has a fabulous climbing hill and space for sand and water play. The nature garden is a great area to explore and is a constant source of fascination to the children, particularly its pond and the wildlife it attracts.
Practitioners build secure relationships with children, which encourages resilience, confidence and independence.
— ISI Report, November 2023
What do we do?
Using a fun, play-based learning approach, we ensure that the three Characteristics of Effective Learning specified in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are developed: Playing & Exploring, Active Learning and Creative and Critical Thinking.
The Under 2s focus on the three Prime Areas of Learning and Development: Personal, Social & Emotional, Physical Development and Communication & Language. Once children have a sound basis in the Prime Areas we begin to look at the Specific Areas of Learning and Development: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts & Design.
The overall effectiveness of the Early Years is outstanding.
— ISI Report, November 2023
Our Indoor Space
Five light, bright and well equipped classrooms provide a warm and homely environment. The rooms are spacious and designed with your child’s needs in mind and there’s plenty to stimulate curious minds and give children what they need. They enjoy a range of activities and experiences, which are introduced as they become ready. There’s a sensory room, which is filled with lights, colours and soft play objects, a library, inspired by the School’s Pre-Prep library, and a dining room. Fun and education combine to give your child the very best start.
Two dedicated Sleep Rooms give a quiet place to rest and re-charge batteries. Their black-out blinds and monitors make them safe and peaceful places for babies to get the rest they need.
Ben loves his nursery. He runs along to his room in the morning and is never in any hurry to come home at the end of the day.
— Current parent
Our Outdoor Space
There’s apparatus, climbing, digging, building equipment and lots of space to enjoy the fresh air. Easy access to Berkhampstead School’s all-weather surface means that the outdoors is always accessible.
Our Mud Kitchen is hugely popular - the children love whisking, mixing and rustling up pies!
A large scale construction area gives scope to develop motor skills and creative play. Our children use their imaginations, they learn by doing and they have great fun making up games and playing together.
Children are well prepared for future success as they learn important values and are taught to be polite, kind and to persevere
— ISI Report, November 2023
Ethos
Strong family values permeate every area of the Day Nursery. Children deserve to grow and develop in a happy, supportive and friendly atmosphere and they get it at Berkhampstead.
Our children explore, try things and ‘have a go’; they develop a ‘can do’ attitude. We understand that children develop best when they are engaged, captivated and actively involved in the learning process, in a non-pressured environment - and that’s what we provide.
Aims
- To provide a happy, caring and fun environment where children feel safe to try new experiences.
- To provide an environment where all children feel included, respected and valued.
- To ensure all children are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and feel secure to do so.
- To focus on all children as individuals and respond to their needs accordingly.
- To encourage independence, good social skills and self-confidence.
- To provide high quality care in a nurturing environment that promotes every child’s physical and emotional wellbeing.