TOADHALL MONTESSORI NURSERIES AND OUT OF SCHOOL ACADEMY

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Nutrition

At Toadhall Montessori Nurseries and Out of School Academy believe that good nutrition enhances a child’s wellbeing and involvement and engagement, which in turn promotes progression across all developmental areas.

We provide well balanced, freshly prepared meals for all of our children, catering for individual dietary needs when requested. All of the children have access to water throughout the day and with their meals. Milk is offered to every child at snack times. Again all dietary needs regarding drinks are catered for.

We support any parent who wishes to use the ‘Baby Led Weaning’ approach for their baby and toddler.

Our qualified and highly experienced chef, lovingly prepares really delicious wholesome meals using fresh, local and seasonal produce, which always go down really well with the children!

Our menus, which include breakfast, lunch and a substantial tea, as well as healthy snacks, change each season and offer a wide choice of foods from many different cultures and countries. The menu is changed each week, to ensure the children get lots off variety and opportunity to try lots of new tastes and textures from all over the world! Our chef’s lentil dahl is a firm favourite with everyone!

All of our staff have undertaken the OCN Nutrition training for early years practitioners, which enables them to create lots of wonderful activities, which develop every child’s understanding of the importance of eating healthy foods and snacks. We create lots of fun activities to develop understanding of the ‘Eat Well Plate’, which encourages the children to learn about the different food groups and how to create a balanced diet throughout the day.

For many years, we have gained the Healthy Snack Plus Award, which ensures all of our children learn about eating healthy snacks throughout the day.

As part of our Eco Friendly Organisation Award, which we are currently developing, we buy in ‘Fruit and Vegetables’, from a local supplier each week and make up ‘Fruit and Veg Bags’, which staff and parents can buy. The children love to do the sorting, counting and weighing and of course acting as shopkeeper when they sell the Fruit and Veg bags’ to their teachers and parents!!

The children also have lots of opportunity to do cooking activities every week, which provide lots of learning opportunities and develops ‘Montessori Everyday Living Skills’, which stay with the children for life!

All mealtimes and snack times are relaxed and regarded as ‘social occasions’. Staff sit with the children to encourage good table manners and using cutlery with increased control. They also use this time as an opportunity for having lots of social interaction and conversations with the children. The children take it in turns to set the table for mealtimes and snack times. They make their own choices through self-serving and are encouraged to wash and dry their dishes when they have finished their meal or snack – again ‘Montessori Everyday Living Skills’ which will stay with every child for life!

We have a ‘Sample Menu’ for you to view below.

LUNCH AND TEA SUMMER MENU FROM 1st June to 31st August

All meals at Toadhall Montessori, are cooked by Miss Jordan (Toadhall Cook) using the freshest ingredients to ensure your child has a well balanced, nutritional and healthy diet. Toadhall Montessori encourages healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. The children are encouraged to recognise their ‘5 a Day’ fruit and vegetables within their daily diet at Toadhall Montessori, which enables them to have ‘lots of energy and vitality for their activities’ and so promotes positive ‘rest and sleep patterns’. Buffet style breakfast is available from 8.00 am until 8.45a choice of healthy cereals, fresh fruit, toast and healthy spreads, fruit juice and milk. All mealtimes, are a very social and relaxed time and encourage the children to use knives, forks and spoons correctly and to have good table manners. Children take turns to set the table for their friends, they serve themselves and wash and dry their dishes and cutlery, after they have finished eating and excuse themselves from the table.

LUNCH & TEA MENUS	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
WEEK 1 LUNCH	Homemade Red Lentil Dahl served with Rice & Naan Bread	Roast Pork with apple & herb stuffing/ Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding/ Roast Chicken/Minted Lamb (alternative weeks) with a selection of Seasonal Vegetables	Boiled Ham, Baby new Potatoes & green beans served with a Parsley Sauce	Home made Ratatouille with pasta twists & grated cheese	Sausage, mashed potatoes & baked beans
WEEK 1 TEA	Pitta Bread with a choice of healthy fillings and mixed Salad	A selection of toasties served with crudités	Homemade seasonal vegetable soup served with wholemeal rolls	Selection of sandwiches made by the children served with salad	Ham/chicken or Egg Salad with creamy coleslaw and potato salad
WEEK 2 LUNCH	Home Made Ratatouille and Pasta Twirls and Cheese	Homemade Moussaka served with mixed salad	Thai fish curry served with Noodles	Roast pork with apple & herb stuffing/roast chicken/minted lamb (alternative weeks) with a Selection of Seasonal Vegetables	Homemade Crispy Chicken in a Katsu Curry sauce served with boiled rice
WEEK 2 TEA	Tortilla Wraps with a choice of Healthy Fillings and Salad	Ham/egg or cheese salad served with savoury rice	Scrambled egg /beans on toast	Homemade seasonal vegetable soup served with wholemeal rolls	Selection of sandwiches made by the children served with salad

Vegetarian diets/other dietary needs

Where meat is used Quorn will be used as a substitute, whether minced or in pieces. All other dietary requirements are catered for upon request.

Deserts

Deserts for both Lunch and Tea menus will consist of a wide selection of seasonal fresh fruit, yoghurts.

Healthy Snacks – see Snack Menu

Drinks – Children have the choice of milk or water at breakfast time, water at lunchtime and teatime, milk or water at snack time. Water is readily available at any time throughout the day.

LUNCH & TEA MENUS	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
WEEK 3 LUNCH	Home Made Tuna and Pasta Bake with Cheesy Topping	Sweet & Sour Chicken served with cous cous	Roast Pork with apple & herb stuffing/ Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding/ Roast Chicken/Minted Lamb (alternative weeks) with a selection of Seasonal Vegetables	Homemade roasted vegetable Frittata served with baked beans	Homemade Red Lentil Dahl served with Rice and Naan Bread
WEEK 3 TEA	Beans / Egg/ Cheese on Toast	Selection of sandwiches made by the children served with salad	Homemade Pizza & salad	A selection of toasties served with crudités	Ham/chicken or Egg Salad with creamy coleslaw and potato salad
WEEK 4 LUNCH	Vegetable Curry served with boiled rice	Shepherd’s pie served with mixed vegetables	Ham/Chicken & mushroom Carbonara served with breadsticks	Cheese & potato pie served with baked beans	Roast pork with apple & herb stuffing/roast chicken/minted lamb (alternative weeks) with a Selection of Seasonal Vegetables
WEEK 4 TEA	Tortilla Wraps with a choice of Healthy Fillings and Salad	Ham/egg or cheese salad served with savoury rice	Scrambled egg /beans on toast	Selection of sandwiches made by the children served with salad	Homemade seasonal vegetable soup served with wholemeal rolls

Vegetarian diets

Where meat is used Quorn will be used as a substitute, whether minced or in pieces. All other dietary requirements are catered for upon request.

Deserts

Deserts for both Lunch and Tea menus will consist of a wide selection of seasonal fresh fruit, yoghurts.

Healthy Snacks – see Snack Menu

Drinks – Children have the choice of milk or water at breakfast time, water at lunchtime and teatime, milk or water at snack time. Water is readily available at any time throughout the day.

All our menus are created from our extensive knowledge, understanding,experience and skills relating to good nutrition for children.

All staff have undertaken or are in the process of completing their OCN Level 3 Nutrition qualification.

All snacks and drinks offered to the children, are in line with our Gold Healthy Snack Plus Award and in line with our Designed to Smile Dental Hygiene programme.

Physical Exercise

At Toadhall Montessori Nurseries and Out of School Academy we believe that children should have as much ‘physical activity’ throughout the day as possible, whatever the weather!!!! This in turn, promotes their ‘physical health and wellbeing’. The Montessori Approach, which is at the core of what we do, lends itself to constant physical activity and movement. Maria Montessori believed that constant movement throughout the indoor and outdoor learning environments, constantly stimulated the child’s brain to explore and learn new things.

We also incorporate physical education and exercise into our curriculum planning and provide creative and challenging indoor and outdoor activities which include for all age groups:

- Music and Dance sessions
- Yoga sessions
- Forest School sessions
- Coastal School sessions

We have staff who are trained in delivering Yoga for children. Some of our staff have undertaken training to deliver physical exercise programmes known as Boogie Mites and Busy Feet.

The children also go out and about at least three times a week, to local venues, like Hailey Park which is just a very short walk from our settings, as well as trips further afield to places such as Barry Island, Ogmore and Rest Bay.

The children love all of these physical activities and have lots and lots of fun, whilst developing their fine and gross motor movements and control, as well as keeping physically active and getting fit!

Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Toadhall Montessori Nurseries and Out of School Academy we are committed to providing a Montessori environment that is safe, secure, relaxed, calming and respectful ,in which children are nurtured through caring and love .Children are given time to absorb the world around them and develop a true sense of belonging. All of this enhances a child’s sense of wellbeing, which in turn provides happy, joyful and harmonious experiences for every child.

A happy child = happy parents = happy child

Children who have a high level of wellbeing become more involved in the world around them, rise to new challenges and explore and discover new things to help them make sense of their immediate environments and the wider world.

We offer the children in our care, many different experiences to enhance their sense of wellbeing and mental health. ,

We have staff who are qualified to deliver Mindfulness sessions with the children of all ages, encouraging them to focus on their breathing which allows them to create an inner sense of calm and relaxation. They love to stretch out into their ‘downward dog’ position or stretch up and ‘salute to the sun’!

The children also enjoy their yoga sessions to develop their mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

The children also have lots of opportunities to experience nature. They love their mindfulness and yoga activities in the outdoors, especially laying on a mat on the woodland floor or on the lush green grass and watching the woodland canopy above and the clouds slowly moving across the sky!

We provide lots of opportunities for the children to talk openly about how they are feeling .Staff develop close relationships with the children in their care through mutual respect and high quality interactions and open ended conversations. We also provide lots of experiences for the children to recognise and learn about their emotions and how they affect their own behaviour and the behaviour of others. We use Emotions Puppets and our Emotions Board to support a child’s understanding and to develop their ‘emotional literacy’.

The children also learn about the importance of having good quality rest and sleep throughout the day and when they are at home. We have ‘quiet areas’ and ‘quiet times’ for the younger children and ‘chill out zones’ for the older children to allow every child to have a ‘break’ from their busy day at Creche, Nursery and Out of School Academy

All of the above strategies are also a huge part of our approach to ‘Promoting Positive Behaviour’, which has a huge positive impact upon the mental health and wellbeing of every child.

Our Gallery

Location

Toadhall Montessori Nurseries and Out of School Academy

Tel: 02920561356

Email: office@toadhallmontessorinurseries.co.uk