At Little Explorers we recognise that the Nursery is an extension to the care and education that children receive at home, not a substitute for it. There are a huge number of benefits for children accessing Nursery care provision, these include:
- Making friends – Nursery is the perfect opportunity for your child to begin to form friendships with other children. They will be surrounded by children of a similar age with lots of opportunity for group games, role play and cooperation. Research shows that friendship is THE most important thing for children to learn in order to be happy, progress well at school and in life.
- Social skills and interactions– Socialising with other children is vital for your child’s successful development. Listening to other people, resolving conflict and communicating your feelings will all be learnt at Little Explorers.
- Learning new skills – Little Explorers nursery staff are skilled at nurturing children to develop a wide range of new skills, from speech and language, to physical skills, and early science, maths and technology. You will notice your little one rapidly expanding their skills when they start attending Nursery.
- Curriculum coverage – Little Explorers follow the Early Years Foundation Stage. This provides a structure of learning and care for children from birth to five years. Click here to view our parents’ guide to the Early Years foundation stage
- Confidence – Spending time away from their main carer helps to build children’s self-confidence and they begin to learn more about life outside of their main family unit.
- Preparation for school – Attending Nursery is the first step for preparing children for the transition to School. At Little Explorers our children that are going to go school in the next academic school are called our Rainbows. They have a separate group time where they start to learn some skills they will need at school.
Going to nursery also has many benefits for parents. As well as enabling parents to work it can also give you an opportunity to do the shopping in peace, attend a gym class or just have a well-earned break. Parents feel more relaxed after having a break from their children, which can improve relationships, connections and quality time together.
There is financial support available
If one of the reasons you are not sending your child to Nursery is due to the cost, please see if you can get help.
Many parents can also get help towards costs of childcare through tax credits. Please click here to read more on the funding available for 2 year olds, and here for 3 and 4 year olds.