Creative Learning
Nursery:
Elland.
Elland Nursery
Creative Learning Childcare in Elland opened in June 2015, to care for up to 60 children daily, and has been graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted following an inspection in 2019.
The nursery is owned and managed by Mrs. Denise Gwizdak BA, EYT, PGCE; she is assisted by Bethany Gwizdak BA(H), EYT and her deputy Michaela Wadsworth BA (H). All senior staff are responsible for the daily running of the nursery.
The setting is divided into 3 rooms; Under 2’s, Toddlers (for 2 to 3 year olds) and the Pre-school room for 3 to 5’s.
Under 2's
We understand that for any parent, choosing the right setting for your baby can be an enormous decision. We want you to be confident that your child will be nurtured and cared for in a safe and stimulating environment - we can provide such a place. Staff will support your child’s first few days in the nursery, getting to know your baby and your family’s routines as part of settling in.
Before your baby starts with us, you will be encouraged to spend time in the nursery so that we can get to know you and your child, and you can share with us everything we need to know about your baby.
At Elland nursery we are able to take children from 3 months old in our Under 2’s room. We have a large room with lots of natural light and bi-fold doors; this allows us to provide a quieter area for your baby to play or rest whilst providing opportunities for older babies to explore experiences such as construction, imaginative play and the investigation of materials.
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Toddlers
Children move on to our Toddler room at around 2 years old. When your child is ready to transition, this will be discussed with you and we will work closely to ensure the move is as seamless as we can for your family. Wherever possible groups of friends will be moved together to enable these friendships to be kept intact and support the children with the peers they know.
In this room your child will explore construction, imaginative role play and begin Forest School and Mud Kitchen sessions in our on-site woodland area, as well as a variety of activities carefully planned by our Early Educators, based on interests, experiences and opportunities for development.
Pre-school
Following on from our Toddler room, your child will move upstairs to our Pre-school room. In this room we provide dedicated spaces for sand and water play, construction, exploration, imaginative play and mark making. Pre-school children will also work with light boxes and our overhead projector, here they can investigate light and shadow and explore patterns and shapes.
Children will engage in early science as they cook and bake in our fully functioning children’s kitchen, discovering a range of different foods and learning about the importance of healthy, balanced diets.
The children are encouraged to develop their individuality and creative expression in our well-resourced art studio, often this expression leads on to long-term projects which are supported by Early Educators and have previously been displayed and presented to parents through exhibitions in local gallery spaces.
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Workshop
Our workshop is a unique facility that we are very proud of. Here children aged 3+ are supported as they work with wood, tools and other materials through long and short-term project work. Woodwork is a powerful tool for developing a child’s creative and critical thinking and there are multiple opportunities for children to solve complex problems and express their limitless imagination.
Our workshop projects allow your child to experience risk in a controlled situation, providing opportunities for making judgements and learning to self-risk assess. Woodwork also helps counteract a ‘consume and dispose’ mentality, by teaching children to design, build and repair. Most of the materials used are recycled offcuts and other ‘repurposed’ items.
Outdoor learning
Our outdoors facilitates a wealth of learning in our extensive and varied grounds. Your child will have the freedom to explore the many different areas on offer, from growing fruits and vegetables in our growing pods, climbing our fallen trees and climbing frame or having a place to relax with friends in our Hobbit House.
Our outdoor space provides you child the opportunity to practice and perfect their co-ordination and gross motor skills as they learn to ride bikes and manoeuvre wheelbarrows and carts. There is a wealth of learning opportunities to be had in our Mud Kitchen, from mud pie and potion making to mathematical concepts such as weight and capacity.
“The ethos of Forest School is based upon a fundamental respect for children and young people and for their capacity to instigate, test and maintain curiosity in the world around them." - Forest School Training FSTC
Forest School
Our Forest School can be accessed by children aged 2 and above. The younger children begin by using our on-site Forest School area, and progress to off-site visits to the local woods. We have a fully qualified Level 3 Forest School leader.
Through our weekly Forest School sessions your child will have the opportunity to learn through hands-on experiences with natural resources and materials that can be used in a variety of ways. Forest Schools are ethos driven and believe in children’s right to play, the right to access the outdoors and understand and appreciate the vibrant reality of the natural world.
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We understand how important it is for parents to be involved in their child’s learning and we share their progress with you through our online Tapestry Learning Journal. This is a secure site where you can access observations, photos and videos of your child’s time at nursery and share them with your family. We also invite parents to share photos and videos of your child’s experiences at home, on which we base our planned activities and group times. We will also arrange to meet with you from time to time to discuss your child’s development.
Parental involvement
