the asquith adventure

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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.

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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, we believe in creating experiential learning opportunities by offering environments and activities 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, 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. A child’s development will involve many new experiences. When each new exhilarating experience is successfully mastered it lays down the necessary skills for future development. It might start with their first faltering steps, to the ascent of stairs and learning how to pedal a tricycle. Children learn at an early age what it means to take a risk, albeit getting the occasional bump or scrape along the way. It gives the older child the essential courage, judgement skills and coping mechanisms to equip them to progress for instance, onto two wheels, or learn how to ride a horse and eventually to 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 comprises two health and safety professionals as well as a food safety adviser. They have many years of experience of effective management in this area, gained in healthcare, the Armed Forces, the construction industry and the civil service. Asquith Nursery staff are trained in managing risk and will not expose your child to unacceptable dangers, nor will they create a cotton-wool environment. 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.