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Pennypot Day Nursery help worthy causes with special bake off

Pennypot donate cake to Grassroots

Colleagues from Pennypot Day Nursery in Chobham pulled out all the stops for a special bake off at the setting, where they showcased their talents to raise money for charity.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Pennypot Lane, each room team created their very own cake masterpiece, themed around beloved children’s books including ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘Winnie the Pooh’, which were then judged on taste, texture, creativity and presentation by an expert panel, including Nursery Chef, parents and the local postman.

With the Ladybirds team crowned as winners of the competition, the cakes were then auctioned off to nursery families, raising over £100.00 for The Trussell Trust food bank network, which will go towards helping feed people in the community that need it most.

The team were also delighted to visit local charity, Grassroots, who support vulnerable young adults in gaining valuable life skills, where they met with Centre Supervisor, Joey Burrows, to donate their ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ inspired cake for the group to enjoy.

Pennypot Day Nursery Manager, Carol McDonough explained;

“The bake off was an incredible success and we were so impressed with the creations that the team presented, to know we are helping such worthy causes is a real bonus. We are thrilled to be supporting The Trussell Trust this year in their important mission to end food poverty and we are hugely grateful to our nursery families for their continued generosity.”

Pennypot Day Nursery are supporting The Trussell Trust as part of a year-long fundraising and donation drive, along with all other Childbase Partnership settings across the country.

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Brinds Well Day Nursery enjoy firefighter visit

Brinds Well firefighters

Following an interest in transport and emergency vehicles, children from Brinds Well Day Nursery in Chelsfield were delighted to welcome local firefighters for a special visit.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Hawstead Lane, firefighters gave captivated pre-schoolers a guided tour of the fire engine and its sirens, before speaking to them about the equipment used to extinguish flames and the protective clothing worn.

As part of the exciting learning experience, children were able to use the water hose for target practice with the help of the London Fire Brigade heroes, before asking them any questions and heading inside where they spoke about the fire drill procedures in place.

Brinds Well Day Nursery Manager, Vanessa Lawrence explained;

“We love to follow the children’s interests in nursery and this was such a fantastic opportunity for our pre-schoolers. They were captivated by the firefighters and fire engine and couldn’t wait to share everything they’d learnt with their parents at pick up time. This was also a brilliant way of showcasing the important role of the emergency services.”

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Knowle Green Day Nursery celebrate Persian New Year

Festivities were well underway at Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines as children and colleagues celebrated Nowruz, otherwise known as Persian New Year.

At the award-winning setting on Knowle Green, children were delighted to learn more about the festival, which is the most important event in the Iranian calendar and symbolic of the start of spring, from their resident expert and Nursery Practitioner, Eila Ahmadi, who imparted her wisdom and shared examples of traditional practices with the captivated group.

To further the learning experience, children were delighted to showcase their creativity by taking part in the custom of painting eggs, before proudly putting them on display.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Quality Manager, Hayley Blissett explained;

“We were thrilled to learn more about the customs of Nowruz from Eila and mark this special occasion with our families who celebrate. We mark a broad range of cultural events throughout the year to give the children a greater understanding of the world and celebrate the diversity within our local community.”

Persian New Year was celebrated on Monday 20th March.

Knowle Green Nowruz

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Woodberry Day Nursery mark World Down Syndrome Day

Woodberry World Down Syndrome Day

Children and colleagues at Woodberry Day Nursery in Winchmore Hill were delighted to show off their odd socks as they marked World Down Syndrome Day at the setting.

Taking part in the ‘Lots of Socks’ campaign, which encourages people to wear mismatched and colourful socks in order to start a conversation around the condition, pre-schoolers from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Church Hill proudly displayed their funky footwear, whilst speaking about the importance of kindness and celebrating differences.

Down syndrome (or Trisomy 21) is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Around 1 in every 800 babies will be born with Down syndrome, which causes varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability and medical issues. There is no known cause.

Woodberry Day Nursery Team Leader, Lucy Harmanda explained;

“The children were thrilled to come in wearing their odd socks and this generated lots of lovely conversations on how we are all unique and special. We mark lots of events and cultural celebrations throughout the year to give the children a better understanding of the world around them and the rich diversity within it.”

World Down’s Syndrome Day is held on 21st March to represent the fact that individuals with the condition have three copies of chromosome 21.

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Brinds Well Day Nursery celebrate Holi

Festivities were well underway at Brinds Well Day Nursery in Chelsfield as delighted children joined millions across the world in celebrating Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colours.

The festival, which marks the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil, was celebrated with the help of an expert nursery parent, who visited the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Hawstead Lane to impart her expert knowledge and give a better insight into the customs, which include throwing coloured paint as symbolism for prosperity, peace, love, new beginnings and more.

As part of the celebrations, children showcased their creativity by using traditional powder paints to express themselves with vibrant artwork creations, whilst discussing the colours used and what they represent to develop their communication and language skills.

Brinds Well Day Nursery Manager, Vanessa Lawrence explained;

“We had a fantastic time celebrating Holi and we are so grateful to our incredible nursery families for helping to create these rich learning experiences. This was a brilliant opportunity to learn more about the Hindu faith and celebrate the diversity in our local community.”  

Brinds Well Holi

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Nature Trails Day Nursery make vital food bank donation

Nature Trails food bank

After pledging a year-long donation and fundraising drive for The Trussell Trust, generous parents and practitioners from Nature Trails Day Nursery in Cawston have made a donation of essential food and household items to the Rugby Foodbank for the third time this year.

Following a record-rise in demand for items at food banks across the country due to the cost-of-living crisis, families from the setting on Coventry Road have been making regular contributions of products including pasta, cereal, tinned goods and teabags in efforts to keep the charity well-stocked in supplies to support local people who need it most. 

Nature Trails Day Nursery Charity Representative, Louise Gulliver explained;

“We are delighted to be supporting The Trussell Trust this year and helping them in their important mission to end food poverty. We are so grateful to our nursery families for their kindness towards the cause and the brilliant example they set for the children.”

Rugby Foodbank are urgently appealing for items including tinned custard, tinned fruit, tinned sweetcorn, jam, cuppa soup, shampoo and strong carrier bags.

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West Cambridge Day Nursery children enjoy ZooLab visit

There were exciting learning opportunities at every turn for children at West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge as they received a special visit from the ZooLab and its animals.  

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Charles Babbage Road, pre-schoolers were delighted to get up close and personal with an array of creatures, including a New Caledonian Giant Gecko, tarantula and rats, all whilst learning facts from expert handlers.

As part of the experience, children were able to hold and stroke the creatures, before learning about their basic needs and care routines, including diet and habitat, as well as copying the animal movements in an activity to develop gross motor skills.

West Cambridge Day Nursery Business Administrator, Amanda Derouich explained;

“Our children love animals and had the best time meeting these exotic creatures. Everyone was captivated and it was a brilliant opportunity for the pre-schoolers to learn more about the responsibility that comes with owning a pet or caring for other living things.”

West Cambridge ZooLab

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Celebrating service at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery in Milton Keynes as the childcare team honoured their beloved colleague, Olivia Cherry, as she marked her milestone five-year anniversary at Childbase Partnership.

Having started with the company in 2018 as a Kitchen Assistant at Woodlands Day Nursery in Byerly Place, talented Olivia has since made the transition to the day nursery on Eelbrook Avenue, where she shines as Nursery Chef, running her very own kitchen and only last month, receiving yet another 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating from Milton Keynes Council.

During her time at Childbase Partnership, Olivia has showcased her passion for providing children with balanced and nutritious meals, educating them to make healthy and informed choices for the future, as well as highlighting the ways in which food can bring people together through exciting activities such as baking for cultural events and celebrations.

Raising money for worthy causes has also been integral to Olivia’s time at Childbase, taking part in team fundraisers including dress up days, charity auctions and food bank drives, which have helped contribute to the £3 million and counting raised by Childbase Partnership for charities including ‘Mind’ and ‘Bliss’ over the past 30 years.

Olivia also serves as the nursery’s Partnership Councillor, representing the interests of her colleagues and putting forward ideas to drive change at the employee-owned company.

Hampstead Gate Deputy Manager, Katie Hughes explained;

“Olivia is incredible and we feel so lucky to have her at Hampstead Gate. We can’t thank her enough for all she does for us, including keeping us fed with the most amazing meals and creating such rich learning opportunities for the children when it comes to nutrition. We have had a fantastic time celebrating her and all her wonderful achievements this week.”  

Olivia Cherry 5 years

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Mother’s Day celebrations at Devonshire Day Nursery

Devonshire Mother's Day

Festivities were well underway at Devonshire Day Nursery in Chiswick as children and colleagues showcased their appreciation with a series of Mother’s Day celebrations.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Bennett Street, parents were delighted to join their children for a special Mother’s Day breakfast, complete with fresh pastries, fruit platters, yoghurt, cereal, smoothies and orange juice to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile, talented children were proud to present their loved ones with homemade cards, as well as discussing the important ladies in their life and why they love and care for them.

The breakfast celebrations was inspired by a recent parent partnership meeting at the setting, where families expressed their enjoyment of events at the nursery and put forward ideas for key calendar events, as well as fundraising initiatives for The Trussell Trust.

Devonshire Day Nursery Manager, Emmy Avery explained;

“We have such a fantastic network of nursery families and we pride ourselves on our parent partnership and strong bonds. We love to have their input and aim to show our gratitude whenever possible. The children also had a wonderful time showcasing their creativity with cards and gifts and proudly showing their parents around the nursery environment.”

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Seabrook Day Nursery children welcome spring arrivals

Seabrook Ducklings

Children from Seabrook Day Nursery in Luton were delighted to celebrate the arrival of their newly born ducklings, having waited patiently for them to hatch from their eggs.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Lewsey Road, children were thrilled to follow the exciting process from start to finish, observing what was happening inside the incubator and the process of life cycles, as well as getting to name the ducklings once they had hatched, with new additions including Daisy, Donald, Sarah, Quackers and Nelson.

As part of the learning experience, children have been learning to effectively care for the creatures as they grow, with opportunities to hold, feed and stroke them within small groups.

Seabrook Day Nursery Business Administrator, Karen Emson explained;

“The ducklings have brought so much joy to the nursery and their arrival has been hugely insightful for the children. Not only is this a fantastic first-hand experience of life cycles, but teaches valuable lessons such as the responsibility in caring for other living things.”

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Cedars Day Nursery - Leighton Buzzard

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

Tel:  01525 850200

Email: cedars.nursery@childbase.com