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Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Windmill Hill Business Park, staff were delighted to be greeted by rainbow themed gifts as they arrived at work wearing their brightest clothing, with presents including a personalised rainbow cup with straw each, as well as sweet treats and motivational quotes from their grateful management team.

As part of the festivities, colleagues boosted morale by selecting the name of another team member at random and writing them a note of appreciation, which was then attached to a rose and presented to them as the perfect antidote to the Monday blues.

The latest celebration in nursery follows a tax-free bonus of up to £3,000 for each colleague and a pay rise in December, recognising them all as employee-owners of Childbase Partnership, which has a total of 44 Early Years settings across England.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Manager, Lora Worthington explained;

“There are no blue Mondays here at Windmill Hill as our colleagues always create the most incredible atmosphere for the children. I am so proud of my team and all they have achieved recently, including our Ofsted Outstanding result, so this was another lovely opportunity to show them just how much their dedication means to us and our nursery families.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

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Cedar Park Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues with Rainbow Day

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Cedar Park Day Nursery in Twyford as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the award-winning day nursery on Bridge Farm Road, staff were delighted to dress in bright clothing for a special ‘Rainbow Day’, complete with a colourful party with the children, where they showcased their creativity by painting their practitioners faces for the occasion.

As part of the festivities, each member of staff selected another colleague to write a ‘thank you’ message of appreciation for, as well as enjoying a series of sweet treats throughout the day and to take home, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues.

Cedar Park Day Nursery Manager, Rachael Main explained;

“Our Rainbow Day was a huge success and another lovely morale boost for our incredible colleagues, who constantly go above and beyond. The occasion also provided a brilliant opportunity to discuss emotions and feelings with the children and opened up lots of important conversations around this topic.”

‘Blue Monday’ is celebrated on the third Monday of January.

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West Downs Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the award-winning day nursery on Romsey Road, staff were delighted to receive a series of gifts as they arrived for work, including a goody bag filled with blue sweets and their very own jar of positive affirmations to boost morale when needed, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues, courtesy of their grateful management team.

West Downs Day Nursery Business Administrator, Anna Kenrick explained;

“We had a lovely day proving that today didn’t have to be a blue one. The gifts were hugely popular amongst the team and this presented another fantastic opportunity to show our colleagues how appreciated they are, by both colleagues and nursery families.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

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Sandfield Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Sandfield Day Nursery in Headington as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Sandfield Road, staff were delighted to be greeted by a special breakfast spread as they arrived at work wearing their brightest clothing, with treats including fruit platters, pastries, yoghurts, crumpets and juices, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues, courtesy of their Partnership Councillor, Dani O’Sullivan and Nursery Chef, Sarah Parsons.

Sandfield Day Nursery Business Administrator, Becci Worth explained;

“There are no blue Mondays here at Sandfield as our colleagues always create the most amazing opportunities for the children, who bring incredible energy to the setting. This occasion also provides another opportunity to tell colleagues just how valued they are.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

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Brinds Well Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Brinds Well Day Nursery in Chelsfield as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Hawstead Lane, staff were delighted to be greeted by a blue themed pamper gift each as they came into work, including face mask sheets and bath soaks, as well as a selection of sweet treats to enjoy throughout the day.

As part of the festivities, colleagues were also able to take part in a meditation activity and yoga sessions in small groups at lunchtime, with the mindfulness exercises proving to be the perfect antidote to the Monday blues, courtesy of their grateful management team.

Brinds Well Day Nursery Manager, Vanessa Lawrence explained;

“The Blue Monday festivities were a great success and provided another lovely morale boost to our very deserving colleagues. We feel so lucky to work with such a passionate team who continue to deliver exceptional childcare every single day and believe it’s more important than ever to showcase this gratitude.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January each year.

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Devonshire Day Nursery colleagues celebrated with awards ceremony

As another year came to a close at Devonshire Day Nursery in Chiswick, the devoted staff team were delighted to be celebrated during a special ‘end of year’ awards ceremony.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Bennett Street, colleagues were able to vote for each other in categories including ‘Best Newcomer’, ‘Best Artist’ and ‘Best Dancer’, before being shortlisted for the individual prizes and receiving trophies in front of teams.

Devonshire Day Nursery Manager, Emmy Avery explained;

“We love having events at Devonshire to bring the team together, boosting morale and camaraderie. It is so important to us to help the team support one another and make them feel valued at work whilst having some fun. The room was filled with laughter, some of our staff had never received a trophy before so were thrilled to win.”

The awards rounded up a year of wellbeing initiatives for Devonshire colleagues, including a ‘Wonderland’ themed festival and awards for all Childbase Partnership employees in May with entertainment provided by Basement Jaxx, Scouting for Girls, Tinchy Stryder and Fatman Scoop, as well as a tax-free bonus of up to £3,000 and pay rise in December.

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Celebrating professional development at Devonshire Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Devonshire Day Nursery in Chiswick as the proud staff team marked the achievements of their colleague and Apprentice, Sara Lates, as she graduated from the Childbase Academy of Excellence as a Qualified Nursery Practitioner.

Having worked at the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Bennett Street alongside her studies since March 2021, Sara is the first in her cohort of learners to complete the NVQ Level 3, passing her professional discussion and exam the first time. She is now showcasing her talent in the setting’s ‘Caterpillar Room’ with the youngest children aged from six weeks.

Established in January 2021, the Childbase Training Academy of Excellence was created to deliver a centre where all Apprentices are supported in-house by Childbase Partnership experts as they gain practical experience in nursery. The team provide face to face training, conduct in person observations and support learners in achieving their qualifications.

Through an extensive range of bespoke training days, Apprentices gain essential knowledge across all areas of their standard, with topics covered including Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, Child Development, Safeguarding and SEND. These sessions are also supported with additional online training courses and resources to instil confidence.

Devonshire Nursery Practitioner, Sara Lates explained;

“I can’t explain how amazing this journey has been for me and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. The knowledge and confidence I’ve gained throughout is unbelievable and having the opportunity to go on training days helped so much as I could come back and put everything into practice. I had support throughout from my assessor and management team and I knew I could ask them for help anytime. It’s so helpful to be able to look back at all my work and studies to enable me to continue as an outstanding practitioner.”

Devonshire Day Nursery Manager, Emmy Avery said;

“We are so proud of Sara, turning 18 during her apprenticeship and going from strength to strength as she worked alongside her studies. The academy has put so many amazing things into place for apprentices, from the training days to the Teach to Reach training. As a manager I can really see how beneficial the courses have been for my team members.”

Learners must be at least 16 years old and be successful at interview for an Apprenticeship position. Vacancies can be found here: https://search.childbasecareers.com

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Childbase Partnership colleagues celebrate National Nursery Practitioner Day

Festivities were well underway at Childbase Partnership settings across the country as devoted colleagues marked the fifth annual ‘National Nursery Practitioner Day’.

Putting the spotlight on talented childcare teams, the occasion highlighted the dedication of Early Years professionals and their commitment to providing the children in their care with the best possible start in life, which was reflected within the 43 employee-owned nurseries.

From display boards filled with kind comments and reviews from parents, to presents of personalised goody bags containing pamper gifts, sweet treats and handwritten notes of thanks, appreciation was shown in a variety of ways by grateful managers and families alike.

Bespoke cakes, takeaway pizzas, buffet lunches, fruit platters, pick ‘n’ mix stations, team games and tombolas with prizes including cash boosters were just some of the treats on offer as staff celebrated their successes over the past year, which have included all 43 settings receiving the prestigious ‘Green Flag’ award from Eco-Schools and a maintained company average score of 9.8 on DayNurseries, the leading Early Years review website.

Despite the rising cost of living and financial challenges for all, determined colleagues across each Childbase Partnership setting have also spent the past year fundraising for Bliss, the charity for babies born premature or sick, with the generous support of nursery families. As a result of their efforts, which have included a company-wide sleep out under the stars, the Virtual London Marathon, Snowdon climbs, sponsored silences and more, they have so far amassed over £120,000 for the worthy cause, with two months of fundraising yet to go.

Emmy Avery, Manager of the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Devonshire Day Nursery in Chiswick explained;

“Our Childbase Partnership colleagues are all superheroes. They consistently go above and beyond to give our nursery children the highest possible standards of care and the richest learning experiences, whilst also taking time out of their work to raise money for families who need it most. We celebrate them every day, but it is lovely to be united across the Early Years sector today as we recognise all the incredible childcare professionals.”

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Knowle Green Day Nursery colleagues mark World Mental Health Day

The spotlight was on wellbeing at Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines as colleagues marked World Mental Health Day with a series of celebrations at the setting.

At the award-winning setting on Knowle Green, the devoted staff team were each surprised with bespoke gift bags, filled with presents including personalised mugs with their names, pamper items including face masks, sweet treats and positive affirmations to inspire, whilst Deputy Manager, Chelsea Basley held an individual ‘chat and chomp session’ where colleagues could drop in and talk about anything they desired, no matter how big or small.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Chelsea Basley explained;

“World Mental Health Day provided a brilliant opportunity to remind ourselves of the small steps we can take to improve the wellbeing of ourselves and those around us. We always strive to show our colleagues how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate the incredible work they do, as well as open up the dialogue on this important topic.”

Other recent wellbeing initiatives have included a ‘Wonderland’ themed festival and awards ceremony for all Childbase Partnership colleagues, with entertainment provided Basement Jaxx, Scouting for Girls, Tinchy Stryder and Fatman Scoop, free family tickets to the UK’s top theme parks and attractions, as well as two salary increases within 12 months.

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Summer spectacular for Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues

Festivities were well underway for hardworking colleagues from Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as they celebrated their achievements with an exciting summer social.

Dressed in an animal print theme complete with face paints, staff from the award-winning setting on Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, were delighted to receive an hour-long masterclass from a local dance teacher, who taught them a series of moves, before leaving the group to showcase what they had learnt during their very own silent disco.

As part of the festivities, which honoured colleagues for their devotion to the children in their care, the Windmill Hill team also enjoyed a series of fun team building games to enhance communication skills, as well as a dinner of fish and chips to round off the evening.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Quality Manager, Gemma Gill explained;

“Our team work so hard and are incredibly devoted, as well as using their spare time to take part in fundraising initiatives for our charity of the year, Bliss. We are so grateful for all that they do and the social was a brilliant way of getting together and showing our appreciation.”

The summer social follows wellbeing initiatives including a ‘Wonderland’ themed festival and awards ceremony for all Childbase Partnership colleagues in May, with entertainment provided by Basement Jaxx, Scouting for Girls, Tinchy Stryder and Fatman Scoop.

Category: Colleague

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Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues

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Cedar Park Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues with Rainbow Day

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West Downs Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

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Sandfield Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

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Brinds Well Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

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Devonshire Day Nursery colleagues celebrated with awards ceremony

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Celebrating professional development at Devonshire Day Nursery

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Childbase Partnership colleagues celebrate National Nursery Practitioner Day

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Knowle Green Day Nursery colleagues mark World Mental Health Day

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Summer spectacular for Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues

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Cedars Day Nursery - Leighton Buzzard