TOADHALL MONTESSORI NURSERIES AND OUT OF SCHOOL ACADEMY

CRECHE 0-2 YEARS

All about Toadhall Montessori Creche

Toadhall Montessori Creche caters for 18 babies and toddlers from six weeks to 2½ years old.   Children can attend full time or part time; however, a minimum of two sessions is required, preferably over one day.   The legal requirement by CIW for staff/child ratios within the creche is 1:3

Toadhall Montessori Creche is open from 8.00 am until 6.00 pm Monday to Friday for 52 weeks of the year. Toadhall Montessori Creche closes for all bank holidays.

The Creche operates on both floors of the building, with the babies in the ‘Baby Nest’ on the first floor and the toddlers on the ground floor.   Toadhall Montessori Creche is a small, homely and nurturing setting, which has been set up to ensure the specific needs of our youngest children are, fully met.

Parents have been choosing Toadhall Montessori Creche for over 33 years, because it is a unique, small, home from home, family focused, ‘casa de bambini’ or ‘children’s house’ , in which they know their child’s individual needs can be fully met within a warm, loving and nurturing Montessori environment.

The Montessori Creche environment within which babies and toddlers are nurtured, is calm and relaxed, well planned and prepared and both accessible and enabling to ensure all children have equal opportunity to develop, uniquely, across all areas.   Staff show respect, serenity, grace and courtesy and are dedicated to work closely with all parents, with empathy and compassion, to ensure the needs of every child, are, fully understood and embraced.

At Toadhall Montessori Creche, we ensure all staff who are leading the Baby Nest and the Tiddler and Otter groups, have the appropriate level of qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills in this age range. Most of the staff who are at creche, have children of their own.  They have also undertaken specific training in ‘Working with Babies and Toddlers’, which includes an understanding of the importance of nurturing a ‘healthy brain’ in the very early years. We use the ‘Five to Thrive’ approach to develop the ‘building blocks to a healthy brain ‘which includes focusing upon high quality interactions between the adult and the child. These interactions focus on 5 key words, namely: – Respond, Cuddle, Relax, Play and Talk.

The five to thrive building blocks describe a sequence of relational activities that build healthy brains in young children and maintain healthy brain function throughout life. These 5 simple key words offer a bridge between professional understanding of neuroscience and everyday experience.

We also have a highly qualified and experienced Additional Needs Coordinator at creche, who works closely with all staff and parents to ensure every child’s needs are catered for.

The ‘baby nest’ is a beautiful, homely, calm and nurturing environment for your baby to play and learn in.   It is designed to enable freedom of movement and freedom of choice. As soon as your baby can reach out, roll and crawl they are encouraged to explore their environment independently.   The ‘Early Montessori’ wooden resources and equipment have been, carefully selected, to encourage babies, to grow and develop, by using their five senses and to enhance early exploration, discovery and a love of learning.   The ‘baby nest’ uses ‘treasure baskets’ and ‘sensory play’, both indoors and outdoors, to promote and develop these early skills.

The ‘toddler environment’ is equally calm and nurturing.   It is designed, to build upon the early experiences your baby has gained in the ‘Baby Nest’.   All of the toddler areas are accessible and ‘free flow movement’ is encouraged to enable your toddler to make independent choices, develop self-confidence and develop their natural curiosity to learn about the environments they live in, thus providing them with a true sense of belonging and identity. Activities involving ‘Heuristic Play’, Practical Life, Everyday Living Skills and ‘Sensory Play’ are provided both indoors and outdoors, thus creating an environment for active, child centred learning.

Within the ‘Baby Nest ‘and ‘Toddler’ Montessori environments, the role of the adult / keyworker is to nurture, enable, support and model the way, through meticulous planning, preparation and observation.

There are three ‘pastoral groups’ within Toadhall Montessori Creche setting: –

    • The ‘Baby Nest’ is for the youngest children up to 12 months
    • The ‘Tiddlers Group’ for children aged 12 months to 18 months
    • The ‘Otters Group’ for children aged 18 months to 2.5 years

Please note that these age ranges are a guide only, as the individual needs of every child, along with those of the parents, is discussed at length, before any ‘transition’ is made from one group to another.   At Toadhall Montessori Creche, the ‘wellbeing’ of every child is paramount.   Each pastoral group has two keyworkers.

All parents are introduced to their child’s keyworkers before their child commences.   The first introduction will be during the ‘Home Visit’, which Toadhall Montessori undertakes.   This is an opportunity for parents to discuss their child’s specific needs and routines and to ensure a smooth transition from home to creche.   The ‘Home Visit’ usually lasts for an hour and is arranged at a time to suit both parents and staff.

Toadhall Montessori Creche fully understands how difficult it is for parents going back to work after maternity/paternity leave.   We will do everything possible to reassure and support during this transition, to allow both parents and children to have a happy and relaxed introduction to creche.   Toadhall Montessori has a very thorough ‘settling in’ process, which allows for this happen. Normally we advise at least six settling in sessions. However, this may vary according to the needs of the parent and the child.   Keyworkers will discuss this at length, before each child commences at creche. These sessions are free, as we value this time to ensure the best transition for you and your child. 

At Toadhall Montessori Creche we have facilities for nursing mothers to feed their child in private, if required, as we understand the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits it provides.

At Toadhall Montessori Creche we place great value upon creating a close ‘Partnership with Parents’ and encourage parents to participate as fully as possible in their child’s time at creche.   Throughout the year we hold at least two parents’ evenings and several informal ‘open days/evenings’, including ‘Mother’s Day Tea’. ‘Father’s Day Breakfast’, ‘Christmas Crafts’, to name just a few.

We also know that at times, parents may need support with their child’ development, for example at times of teething, weaning or potty training or when behaviour patterns change. All of the staff at creche are there to support you as well as your child. Senior staff are trained as ‘Family Links Facilitator’s and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to support you during these times, if needed.

Toadhall Montessori Creche early years curriculum, implements the ‘Early Montessori Approach’, including, ‘Treasure Baskets’, ‘Heuristic Play’, Practical Life/Everyday Living Skills, Sensorial Play, ‘Schemas’, Sustained Shared Thinking to develop Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW) ‘The Forest School and Coastal School approaches to Learning in the Outdoors’, referred to as ‘Babes in the Woods’ and ‘Sand between our Toes’, along with ‘The Birth to Three Matters Framework’.   All of the above stated pedagogies (ie: – curriculum approaches to teaching and learning), complement each other very well and at Toadhall Montessori, we see this as ‘best practice’.   The chart below shows how each approach weaves seamlessly together.  All staff have undertaken training in all of the above approaches to teaching and learning for babies and toddlers.

The Creche Curriculum Framework

Toadhall Montessori Creche 'Early Montessori' Curriculum Framework Birth to Three Matters Framework

The framework focuses on how children learn, both indoors and outdoors and identifies the following four areas of learning

    • Treasure Baskets
    • Heuristic Play
    • Practical Life/Everyday Living Skills
    • Sensorial Play
    • Schemas
    • Babes in the Woods

A Strong Child which incorporates the following areas: -

    • Me, Myself and I
    • Being Acknowledged and Affirmed
    • Developing Self Assurance
    • A Sense of Belonging
    • Treasure Baskets
    • Heuristic Play
    • Practical Life/Everyday Living Skills
    • Sensorial Play
    • Schemas
    • Babes in the Woods

A Healthy Child which incorporates the following areas: -

    • Emotional Wellbeing
    • Growing and Developing
    • Keeping Safe
    • Healthy Choices
    • Treasure Baskets
    • Heuristic Play
    • Sensorial Play
    • Schemas
    • Babes in the Woods
    • Coastal School /’Sand Between our Toes’

A Skilful Communicator which incorporates the following areas: -

    • Being Together
    • Finding a Voice
    • Listening and Responding
    • Making Meaning
    • Treasure Baskets
    • Heuristic Play
    • Sensorial Play
    • Schemas
    • Babes in the Woods

A Competent Learner which incorporates the following areas: -

    • Making Connections
    • Being Imaginative
    • Being Creative
    • Representing

As shown above, Toadhall’s Early Montessori Approach and Curriculum is developed within the following areas/activities: –

    • Treasure Baskets
    • Heuristic Play
    • Practical Life and Everyday Living Skills
    • Sensorial Activities
    • Schemas
    • Sustained Shared Thinking to develop Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW)
    • Babes in the Woods (Forest School for the youngest children)
    • Coastal School for the younger children

As well as all of the above, the babies and toddlers enjoy a wide range of activities through Arts and Crafts, Role Play, Music and Movement, Drama, basic Welsh,

Individual planning is carried out and is centred on each child’s learning and development.   All keyworkers undertake continuous observation and assessment to ensure activities are planned to meet the individual developmental needs of each child.   Every child has their own ‘learning journey’, which is a continual record of their achievements and developmental milestones.

At times during the day, the children come together, in mixed groupings both indoors and outdoors, for music time, story time and singing, puppet play, soft play, dark den play and sensorial play. This ‘coming together’ is very much part of the Montessori approach. All of these activities, provide wonderful ‘creative and imaginative’ experiences for all of the children, as well as enhancing their physical development, though music and movement.

All staff are trained in using ‘Makaton’ and /or ‘Baby Sign’, which enables babies and toddlers to communicate from a very early age, thus ensuring their wellbeing and development. Staff incorporate these approaches during all of the above activities and throughout the daily routine of the day, thus ensuring it becomes firmly embedded in their practice.

The garden at creche provides the opportunity for plenty of outside play for both toddlers and babies – whatever the weather – as appropriate outerwear is provided.

The creche garden has several areas in which your child can explore and play. It provides lots of different textures and scents, thus enhancing stimulation all of the senses.

At Toadhall Montessori Creche we believe it is important to give every child the opportunity to explore and experience the wider community.   Whenever possible, small groups of children are taken on outings to the park, library, shops, etc. We make use of Llandaff train station and local bus routes as well as using our own transport.   Appropriate staff ratios are maintained at all times.   Parents/guardians are asked to complete consent forms for such outings.   If you do not wish your child to take part, then your wishes are fully respected.

When the children are ready to move onto the nursery setting, we work closely with you and your child to ensure the transition is seamless and every child’s individual needs are catered for.

The keyworkers in the Moles group at nursery, will visit the creche on several occasions and get to know both you and your child, before the transition takes place. You will have the chance to go and view the nursery and meet the nursery staff and children. Each child will then have a series of settling in sessions until they are ready to transfer to nursery to continue their learning journey in a joyous, exciting and challenging way – building upon all of the skills they have achieved during their time at creche.

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