Ducklings and Ladybirds are our babies and toddlers, cared for by the same staff each time they attend, forming a bond important to their development and well being. Our settling in process is very important to us as we ensure that we get to know them and you, we learn about their likes, dislikes, medical history and daily routines. We do this by forming an early relationship with you right from your first enquiry to ensure that you feel happy and safe in leaving your little one with us. We can offer phased entry to nursery to allow extra time for your child to settle if needed.

Your child will have a designated key person to ensure security, reassurance and continuity of care. We will encourage them to explore and discover new and exciting activities including sand, water play, sensory, messy and heuristic play, music and dance. Your child’s key person will be spending time with your child and yourselves to develop a strong and positive relationship.

Your key person will be able to offer any additional support to enable your child to experience an enriching environment and to settle into the routines of Tom Thumb.  They will also ensure that there are opportunities to learn and play with things that interest your child, be it dressing up, Peppa pig, train sets and so on.

As your child’s first educator, we believe that you know your child best and we will give you opportunities to contribute to assessment by sharing information about what your child likes to do at home. We follow an in the moment form of teaching as opposed to formal topic planning. Each child has a focus week every 6-8 weeks and a sheet is sent home asking for current likes and interests and any events or recent experiences at home. This helps us to set out invitations to play to promote learning at your child’s pace.

We are always available at Tom Thumb and welcome you to call or message during the day to check on how your child is, giving you peace of mind to relax while they are in our care.

They will flourish in our loving home from home environment. A quiet area for sleeping and resting is always available and your child’s routine is followed. A daily record book is provided to pass information between home and nursery.

When ready, the toddlers move into their own designated space and will experience a slightly more structured routine to their day, we will offer a wide range of fun activities and experiences to support their continued learning and development.

Our toddler room offers opportunities and space for children to practise their new emerging skills. We provide lots of exciting and challenging activities that are age appropriate and useful in supporting these new found skills.

Areas include;

  • Messy play area for sand and water play and creative activities

  • Quiet area for reading and rest times

  • Construction (large and small)

  • Small world play

  • Role play

  • Outside play area with mud kitchen

We place great emphasis on language, communication, personal and social skills, helping the children to foster friendships and build on their confidence and self esteem. We do this through praise, encouragement and promoting a ‘have a go’ approach by playing and exploring to create resilient learners that are happy and willing to try.

Photos of our little ones