Award winning Chefs and menus – ‘Food for Life’ Silver Award
Childbase Partnership Nursery chefs are in the spotlight this week following a prestigious Food for Life Served Here Silver Award recognising an approach to nutrition that goes beyond the quality meals and snacks provided in every setting.
Over 1,300 plant-rich meals and snacks are provided to 6,000 children every year in the company’s 44-day nurseries and Head Office, but food also plays a pivotal role in activities promoting healthy lifestyles and in marking multicultural festivals.
Favouring a simple supply chain so that food can be traced and monitored from producer to dining table, ethically sourced ingredients include Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured meats; fish from certified sustainable sources, Free Range Eggs, organic milk, and absolutely no undesirable trans fats, added sugars, sweeteners or additives.
The menus include meat-free days, and all children are encouraged in growing herbs and vegetables in nursery gardens which also supports learning in early maths, science and conservation messages.
The ‘Food for Life Served Here’ accreditation is subject to annual inspections to ensure strict adherence to the criteria is maintained and improved, when possible, taking into account the latest research.
Special visitors for Westwood Day Nursery children
There were exciting learning opportunities at every turn for children at Westwood Day Nursery in Coventry as they welcomed a series of special visitors to impart their knowledge.
Following an interest in ‘people that help us’, pre-schoolers from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Westwood Business Park were delighted to welcome Charlotte, a local paramedic who is the sister of an apprentice at the setting, who delivered a masterclass on the important work she does and brought uniform for the children to try on.
Children were also thrilled to welcome Bemma from company ‘African Ark’, who gave the captivated group a better insight into African culture and taught a range of traditional songs and dances, before helping the pre-schoolers to create their own African inspired artwork.
Throughout February, children at Westwood have also showcased their creativity through a range of themed activities, including making biscuits, salt dough and greetings cards for their loved ones on Valentine’s Day and showcasing their culinary skills on Pancake Day.
Westwood Day Nursery Team Leader, Sue Zaparaniuk explained;
“We have had a fantastic few weeks in nursery and are so grateful to our amazing visitors for taking the time to create these rich learning experiences for the children. Both visits were hugely insightful and really captured the interest of our pre-schoolers.”
Blueberries, strawberries, lemon and sugar were just some of the toppings that delighted children from West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester enjoyed on their pancakes as they showcased their culinary talents for Shrove Tuesday celebrations.
At the award-winning setting on Romsey Road, children started by researching how they could make the pancakes vegan for their friends with allergies, before weighing and combining the ingredients to make the mixture, practicing their motor skills and basic maths.
Pre-schoolers then transferred the mixture to the frying pan with the help of practitioners and used their risk management skills around the tabletop hob to monitor the progress of the pancakes before decorating and eating them, all whilst learning about the popular tradition, which marks the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
West Downs Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Ren Norman–Greer explained;
“We had a wonderful time celebrating Pancake Day throughout the nursery, and discussing why this tradition exists. The occasion allowed children to showcase their creativity and practice their kitchen skills, whilst following instructions and developing communication.”
Julia Durbin Day Nursery colleagues mark Random Acts of Kindness Day
There were smiles all round at Julia Durbin Day Nursery in Headington as colleagues marked Random Acts of Kindness Day with a series of treats and a special guest visitor.
At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Roosevelt Drive, teams shared the love by making thoughtful gestures to each other, from bringing in favourite home-cooked meals and baking cakes to share, to gifts of flowers and handwritten messages of appreciation.
As part of the festivities, Business Administrator, Emma Piorkowski spread joy with a visit from her kitten, Bluey, who met delighted staff members and a small group of the children.
Julia Durbin Day Nursery Business Administrator, Emma Piorkowski explained;
“We had a brilliant time celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day and making the effort to create these experiences for each other. We have a fantastic team who all work so hard and this was a lovely opportunity to show our colleagues how much they mean to us.”
Crescent Day Nursery mark Random Acts of Kindness Day
Children from Crescent Day Nursery in Edgbaston were delighted to visit the residents of their local care home as part of activities to mark Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Pre-schoolers from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Calthorpe Road were thrilled to make the trip to Beaumont Care Home, where they proudly demonstrated their gardening skills by joining the residents to plant flowers and decorate pots for their rooms.
The visit follows a trip at Christmas, where children sang carols to the residents of the care home and gifted them with a treat-filled hamper to enjoy over the festive period.
The ongoing intergenerational initiative aims to increase the residents’ levels of social interaction and create learning opportunities for the children, encouraging friendships regardless of age and giving the two generations a better understanding of each other.
Crescent Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Amie Draper explained;
“We had a lovely time visiting Beaumont Care Home again and spreading some joy on Random Acts of Kindness Day. The residents are always so pleased to see us and the children love spending time with them. We believe there is a lot they can learn from each other and we look forward to these bonds developing as we create more memories.”
Chocolate, strawberries, lemon, sugar and maple syrup were just some of the toppings that parents and colleagues from Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon enjoyed on their pancakes as grateful managers treated them to a handmade Shrove Tuesday spread.
Families from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Windmill Hill Business Park were delighted to be greeted with a special pancake serving station as they arrived at the setting, which they were able to enjoy with managers over coffee or take away for their journey to work, with the sweet treats provided for colleagues and children too.
As part of the festivities, which mark the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, pre-schoolers took part in a range of themed activities, including pancake decorating.
Windmill Hill Day Nursery Manager, Lora Worthington explained;
“We had a fantastic time celebrating Pancake Day across the nursery and this a brilliant opportunity to catch up with our lovely nursery families. We are so grateful for all their support and try and show our appreciation wherever possible. The occasion also presented lots of brilliant learning opportunities for the children around the meaning of this tradition.”
Chocolate, strawberries, lemon, sugar and maple syrup were just some of the toppings that parents and colleagues from Brinds Well Day Nursery in Chelsfield enjoyed on their pancakes as grateful managers treated them to a handmade Shrove Tuesday spread.
With the help of talented Nursery Chef, Holly Galley, families and teams from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Hawstead Lane were delighted to be greeted with a special serving station as they arrived at the setting for the Pancake Day celebrations, whilst colleagues enjoyed the sweet treats during their breaks in the staff room.
As part of the festivities, which mark the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, pre-schoolers took part in a range of themed activities, including pancake decorating.
Brinds Well Day Nursery Manager, Vanessa Lawrence explained;
“We had a wonderful time celebrating Pancake Day throughout the nursery, and discussing with the children why this tradition exists. We are so grateful to our incredible nursery families and colleagues for their continued support and valued contributions they make to nursery life, and we love to show our appreciation whenever possible.”
Valentine’s Day celebrations at Nursery on the Green
Festivities were well underway at Nursery on the Green Day Nursery in Southall as children, families and colleagues enjoyed a series of celebrations to mark Valentine’s Day.
At the setting on Thorncliffe Road, parents were invited to join for a special breakfast spread, complete with fresh pastries, fruit, juices and hot drinks to thank them for their continued support, as well as giving them the chance to catch up with other families and share their ideas for the nursery and fundraising initiatives in the year ahead with colleagues.
Devoted practitioners were also made to feel special with Valentine’s gift bags and ‘thank you’ cards from their grateful managers, as well as sweet treats to enjoy during their breaks.
Meanwhile, children showcased their creativity by making Valentine’s Day cards and crafts and speaking about the special people in their lives and why they loved them.
Nursery on the Green Team Leader, Harpreet Deol explained;
“We are so grateful to our nursery families and colleagues for the incredible contributions they make to nursery life, and we love to show our appreciation whenever possible. The children also had a brilliant time marking the occasion with lots of lovely activities.”
West Downs Day Nursery mark International Day of Women & Girls in Science
Children from West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester were delighted to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with the help of a special guest visitor.
At the award-winning setting on Romsey Road, children in the Butterflies Room were delighted to welcome a nursery parent, who delivered a masterclass on the solar system to the captivated group, sharing knowledge from her important work as an astrophysicist, as well as helping pre-schoolers to act out the movement of planets around the sun.
As part of the exciting learning opportunity, children were able to ask any burning questions to the resident expert, as well as being shown a real meteorite to further interest.
West Downs Day Nursery Team Leader, Danni Markwick explained;
“Our children had a fantastic time marking this occasion and we are so grateful to our amazing nursery families who help to create these rich experiences. Science is brilliant for helping to develop key life skills such as communication, problem solving and forming opinions based on facts and observations. We hope these activities will inspire a passion in both the girls and boys which we can continue to support in nursery.”
At West Downs, children regularly take part in ‘STEM’ activities to integrate ‘Science’, ‘Technology’, ‘Engineering’ and ‘Maths’ into everyday learning, building on basic educational messages, promoting critical thinking and nurturing interest in the topics from an early age.
Knowle Green Day Nursery spread the love on Valentine's Day
Love was in the air at Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines as parents and colleagues showed their support for ‘The Trussell Trust’ with a series of initiatives to help local people.
Following a record-rise in demand for items at food banks across the country due to the cost of living, teams from the award-winning setting on Knowle Green dressed in pink and red to mark the occasion and bought in donations of products such as pasta, tinned goods, rice and squash in efforts to keep the charity well-stocked in supplies to serve the community.
As part of the festivities, nursery families were also able to buy a special Valentine’s rose for their loved ones, with all proceeds going to The Trussell Trust to help them continue to fund their important mission and ensure that nobody goes hungry.
Meanwhile, children showcased their creativity with a series of themed activities, from making Valentine’s cards and crafts, to talking about the special people in their lives.
Knowle Green Day Nursery Team Leader and Charity Rep, Ashley Curtin explained;
“We had a lovely time celebrating Valentine’s Day and this provided a brilliant opportunity to think about how we could show love to others less fortunate. Our nursery families are amazing at getting behind the causes we support and everyone recognises how important charities like The Trussell Trust are in the current climate.”
The nursery have adopted The Trussell Trust for a year-long fundraising and donation drive.
We prioritise the importance of outdoor play at Cedars Day Nursery in Leighton Buzzard. All children at our Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ nursery have access to our large, natural garden area on a daily basis as we recognise the impact that being outdoors has on a child’s social, emotional and physical development. The children enjoy planting vegetables and tasting their produce, served by our dedicated Nursery Chef.
Cedars Day Nursery, Mentmore Rd, Leighton Buzzard LU7 2PA