a safe adventure
“Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his Big Boots. As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen, and he brushed the honey off his nose with the back of his paw, and spruced himself up as well as he could, so as to look Ready for Anything. ”
This quote from AA Milne's story of Winnie-the-Pooh and the 'Expotition to the North Pole' captures the intrepid attitude children have to life; that each new encounter is an adventure to be undertaken, a journey into unchartered territory and a rich experience to be cherished and retained for future reference.
experiential learning
At Asquith Day Nurseries, we believe in creating experiential learning opportunities by offering environments and resources that inspire the imagination and natural curiosity of the developing mind. Of course, we support exploration in a controlled and secure way, explaining the dangers of what might happen in certain situations, and gently steering children away from unacceptable risk. We provide safe environments, yet allow them to explore how they use the equipment available to them. In doing so, we build up 'risk literacy', an important aspect of development that encourages our children to learn how to keep themselves safe. Many stages of a child's development introduce them to the 'unknown' as it embraces first experiences. When successfully mastered, it lays down the building blocks of future development: those first faltering steps, the ascent of stairs, letting go at the top of a slide, learning how to pedal a tricycle, clambering up the climbing frame, and so on, are all exhilarating in their own right but also embed the skills necessary for future development. Learning at an early stage, and what it means to take a risk, perhaps with the occasional bump or scrape, gives the older child the essential courage, judgement skills and coping mechanisms to equip them to progress onto two wheels, to learn how to ride a horse, to master skiing, and eventually explore the big wide world.
'safe and sound'
Ofsted say in their publication, 'Safe and Sound', that 'outstanding' settings are those in which children learn how to keep themselves safe and have their concerns taken seriously. They are looked after by adults who are suitable, well qualified, and who fully understand their role. They will operate clear child safety procedures and assess and manage risks effectively.
a 'can do' approach
Our Risk Management team includes risk professionals from risk management as well as health & safety, a security specialist and a food safety adviser, bringing with them many years of experience gained in early years, education, healthcare and the fire service. Asquith nursery staff are trained in managing risk and will not expose your child to unacceptable dangers, but nor will they create a cotton-wool environment in which your child is denied the richness of life's varied experiences. Our policies, procedures and training are designed to promote a 'can do' approach providing the risk is assessed and controlled. If an accident were to happen, our staff are trained in first aid and accident investigations enable us to learn and improve. We constantly strive to strike a balance between providing a rich learning environment and ensuring the health, safety and welfare of your child. We welcome parents' comments and observations so that we can work together to provide the right balance.
Each time your child attends an Asquith nursery you can be assured that they will put on their 'Big Boots' and will set off on a new 'Adventure'.
