Learn More about Our Approach to Childcare and Early Learning in Lincoln, Lincolnshire

At The Nest Nursery and Preschool in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, our Prospectus on early learning informs the childcare we provide. When your child is 2, 3, or 4 years old, it’s an important time in their learning development and that’s why we offer a great environment for work and play, where they’ll learn and socialise with others. Children are divided into three family groups, with each group occupying a different floor of the nursery.

LITTLE DAISIES

The Little Daisies are our youngest children. This group occupy the lower floor of the nursery which provides a homely and secure environment for the babies and toddlers. Little Daisies have access to a living room play area, with 'home from home' furniture, a kitchen. Here, the children take part in messy and exploratory play. We also provide a dining area for meals and a bedroom for quiet naps.

BUTTERCUPS AND BLUEBELLS

On the upper levels of the nursery, we have the Buttercups, who are aged 2 and 3 years old, and the Bluebells, our preschool children. Each of these groups is led by an Early Years Graduate and supported by Level 3 qualified staff. Both groups follow the EYFS, with age-suitable activities and opportunities available to promote their development.

NURTURING CREATIVITY

Every floor has a room for creative and messy play, where staff provide activities to encourage children to explore, be creative and to develop their critical thinking. Throughout the nursery, staff plan activities to build upon children's' current interests. They observe the children during play, observing any new interests, discoveries, or schemas that might be emerging. These observations inform our plans for new activities, resources, or next steps in a child's development.

ONLINE LEARNING

All children at The Nest have an online learning journal which is accessible to their parents and carers. By regularly checking your child's journal, you are able to view activities that your child has taken part in, read observations of your child's play and development, as well as adding your own replies and observations.

This is a great way of keeping parents informed about their child's time at nursery and a great tool for children to talk with adults about what they have been doing as they share their photographs with their family.

This service is provided by Tapestry Learning Journals and is a secure online platform where only parents and carers are allowed to log into their own child's journal. You will be given further information and asked to sign a permission slip before your child is added to the system.

OUTDOOR PLAY

In our outdoor area, we encourage children to develop their physical skills through climbing, running, jumping, and balancing. They also have the opportunities to explore our sand house, develop their imagination in our pirate ship, and take part in lots of activities provided by the staff.

Furthermore, we have an exciting woodland and mud kitchen, where children hunt for bugs, build a den, and make mud pies. There are also lots of logs and resources to build with or balance on.

LOOSE PARTS

Loose parts are the opposite of toys. Toys are designed with specific purposes and loose parts are not. This is understood by children worldwide; any child noticing odds and ends lying about will instinctively pick them up and put them to use. This is because children have active hands and active minds, with a gift for seeing possibilities that adults miss.

In open-ended play, children themselves decide what to do, how to do it, and what to use. Children who immerse themselves in this activity have evolved in tremendous ways. Initially, it consists of fluid experimentation but over time, it becomes increasingly purposeful as children start to plan what to act out or invent.

Loose parts may be as small as corks or as large as drainpipes – a healthy imagination finds uses for them all.