Welcome to theCowgate Under 5’s Centre

2020

172, High Street7, Old Assembly Close

EdinburghEH1 1QX

Tel 0131 2257251Head of Centre – Dr Lynn J McNair O.B.E.Lynn.mcnair@cowgate-nur.edin.sch.uk

Website – www.cowgateunder5scentre.co.uk

Thank you for considering Cowgate Under 5’s Centre for your child’s early learning and childcare experience. The centre is open yearlong, and we have several patterns of attendance that you may choose for your child, subject to availability.

These are:

Full day Monday and Tuesday, 8.00-6.00 with a flexi Friday (14 per year)

Full day Wednesday/Thursday 8.00 – 6.00 with a flexi Friday (12 per year)

Five morning sessions from 8.00 – 12.32 daily

Five afternoon sessions from 1.15 – 5.47 daily

(Please note currently there is no option to purchase additional hours.

Our Ethos

The centre is underpinned by the principles of the early years pioneer, Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852). Froebel’s principles include

*Recognition of the uniqueness of each child’s capacity and potential.

*An holistic view of each child’s development.

*Recognition of the importance of play as a central integrating element in a child’s learning and development.

*An ecological view of humankind in the natural world.

*Recognition of the integrity of childhood in its own right.

*Recognition as the child as part of a family and community.

We believe, to ensure a consistency of experience for your child, that our ethos should be synonymous with your values as a parent. Our primary concern is always the well-being and holistic development of each uniquely, individual child in the centre. Through our shared responsibility with you, we can listen to our children, enabling them to shape their own lives.

To support your decision, it is important to consider what your expectations of your child’s early learning are. At Cowgate Under 5’s Centre we view children as “beings”, not “becomings”, and are not therefore, preparing our children for their future, e.g. school. Rather, as advocates of children and childhood, we are celebrating the here and now. Froebel said, “At the stage, be the stage.” We interpret that as reason to acknowledge and respect difference, understanding that every child will grow and develop at their own pace, that each one will come to us with different lived experiences and each will cultivate their own learning style.

In the early years, it is recognised that play is the most effective medium for learning. In the Editors Preface of Froebel’s ‘The Education of Man’, 1887, it is observed that “Froebel has investigated the relation of the child’s activities in play to the growth of his mind. The mind grows by self-revelation. In play the child ascertains what he can do, discovers his own possibilities of will and thought by exerting power spontaneously. In work he follows a task prescribed for him by another and doesn’t reveal his own proclivities and inclinations, but another’s. In play he reveals his own original power.” W T Harris, August 1187.

Learning in the early years is incredibly complex. Our children are beings now, developing their capacity to share space and resources, to manage conflict, to problem solve, to develop relationships, to negotiate and communicate effectively and to become self-regulated citizens. All these skills and attributes are developed through play and first hand, meaningful experiences. In nursery these include baking bread, playdough making, paint mixing, paper folding, sewing and weaving, wood work, block play, clay, sand and water play. We offer daily opportunities to experience the outdoors, in all weathers, throughout the nursery day, either in our wonderful garden, out in the woods, at our local forest kindergarten site or any of the many green spaces within our local community. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. However, we acknowledge that our children are generally much more physical than we are when playing outdoors. We do not enforce the wearing of coats in the garden, believing that our children can determine for themselves whether they feel hot or cold, and we afford them the courtesy of trusting their own judgement. Contrary to popular belief, you do not catch a cold from being cold.

Froebel advocated an ecological view of humankind in the natural world. At Cowgate Under 5’s Centre, we are a celebrated eco-school, practicing recycling, re-using and reducing waste as part of the daily cycle of life in the centre.

We have very few rules in the centre, preferring an ethos of shared values. The only rule we discuss with our children is the wearing of shoes when in the block play or in the workroom. This is purely to provide additional protection against heavy blocks or errant nails on the workroom floor. We encourage our children to take care of our resources, participate in the returning of these at the end of play and to demonstrate kindness to all. While we acknowledge that we do not all need to be friends, everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and to feel safe in nursery.

Children as agentic beings.

We believe that children do not learn to become good decision makers unless they are empowered to make decisions. Our children revel in the freedom of open playrooms, where all ages can choose where and with whom they play in a very autonomous and beautiful environment. Our children are encouraged to experiment, discover, hypothesise, create and challenge.

Practitioners as guides and facilitators.

We practice a dialogic approach. Relationships are very important and should be respectful and reciprocal. We do not simply expect our children to do as an adult instructs because we are stronger, bigger or (arguably) wiser. We challenge the balance of power that typically lies strongly in the adult’s favour. So rather than saying things like, “Don’t do that, you will hurt yourself.”, we might say, “How safe do you feel?” Rather than instructing children in activities that intend to identify a specific outcome or predict children’s learning, we advocate creativity, choice and personalisation. Froebel described this as “freedom with guidance.” It is the role of the adult in nursery to observe the child’s play and analyse the learning unfolding from it. Movement and the development of the vestibular sense is so important to later learning. We believe it is important to encourage our children to be risk aware, rather than risk averse. We support the exploration of play that may be labelled as having risk. Froebel said, “To climb a new tree is for the child to discover a new world.” We choose not to limit our children’s capacity for discovery by denying them opportunities like climbing trees in the woods. Practitioners operate from a place of faith and trust in the child, which does involve sometimes stepping on our own anxieties. In play that could be considered dangerous, practitioners will always engage in dialogue with our children to encourage them to consider their choices and how they might impact on their own or others safety, rather than simply saying no. This is how self-regulation is encouraged. We do not see our children as passive recipients of information but rather curious, co-constructors of knowledge.

"Is there anything you’d like us to know, or pay attention to, to help us include your child as fully as possible in our nursery family? This might stem from your family’s past experience of exclusion in other environments - for example around race, gender, disability, language, etc. that might impact on your children’s needs,

preferences or enjoyment of life at Cowgate. It might also include experiences like bereavement, health or relationship stresses, or anything else. If you would prefer to talk about this with one of our team face-to-face, we’d be very happy to do so. Any information you share will be treated sensitively by our staff on a need-to-know basis, and we will never narrowly define children by their past experiences. You can also raise any issues safely with us throughout your child's time at Cowgate.".

If, after reading this, you believe that Cowgate Under 5’s Centre will be a good fit for your child and your family and you choose to accept a place in the nursery, please read and sign the agreement along with your key practitioner. We also ask that you complete the settle in details as comprehensively as you can. To know and understand your child we wish to have as much knowledge of who they are as an individual as possible. We will use this information to influence and inform our planning for your child’s early learning and childcare.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. We look forward to welcoming you and your child to the Cowgate community.

Dr Lynn McNair OBE, Head of Centre and the team at Cowgate Under 5’s Centre.

Parent and staff agreement

To the best of our ability, the team at Cowgate Under 5’s Centre will:

1. Provide a nurturing, autonomous environment in which your child can feel valued and secure, with the freedom to learn through play, because play is the best way for young children to learn.

2. Support your child to lead their own learning through a child-centred approach to the curriculum, justly and equitably, recognising and respecting difference.

3. Model and encourage positive attitudes to self and others, developing confidence, independence, self-regulation and citizenship.

4. Record your child’s play and learning through the medium of Lived Stories and share these with your child and invite their perspectives.

5. Be committed to communicating openly, regularly and effectively with parents and the extended community.

6. Be responsive to the individual needs of children and families, working in partnership with other agencies where appropriate.

To the best of my ability, as a parent/carer I will:

1. Support the values and aims of the Centre and facilitate my child’s play experiences by providing appropriate clothing for days, often messy, of play and wayfaring.

2. Engaging with the child centred approach, encouraging your child to practice fairness and to recognise and respect difference.

3. Model to my child positive attitudes to self and others, promoting confidence, independence, self-regulation and citizenship.

4. Read the Lived Stories to my child and contribute to these where appropriate. 5. Be committed to communicating openly and honestly with the staff team about

anything that may affect my child and inform the centre of any absence and/or change to collection arrangements.

6. Support my child’s learning by being involved in the life of the centre when possible, working in partnership with other agencies where appropriate.

Signed Parent/Carer Date

Signed Key practitioner Date

Nursery Settle In

Family Details

Name of Parent/Guardian 1

Name of Parent/Guardian 2

Home Address

Postcode

Home Telephone Mobile

Siblings names and dates of birth

Work Address 1

TelephoneWork Address 2

Telephone

Additional Emergency Contact NameRelationship to childTelephone

All About Me

My full name is

I am known as

The language(s) I speak/understand is/are

I live with

My favourite toy/book is

Things that may upset me include

Things I do/don’t like to eat are

Things you should know about my health

I favour my left hand/right hand/ undecided

Health Details

Name of Family DoctorName and address of Practice

Telephone

Name of Health Visitor

Immunisation to date

Has your child suffered any serious illness/injury?If yes, please provide details.

Does your child have any allergies?

Does your child have any food intolerances?

Does your child have any dietary requirements?

Is your child on long term medication?

As far as you are aware, how is your child’s eyesight?

As far as you are aware, how is your child’s hearing?

Has your child had any pervious nursery experience?

How are they around other children and adults?

Do you have any nicknames/pet names for your child?

What do they call you?

Have they any sibling? What do they call them?

Have there been any major life events for your child eg parent leaving, death of a close relative?

Who else is important in your child’s life eg grandparent, aunt, pet?

Does your child use the toilet? If so, how do they ask for the toilet? Do they use a special word?

How does your child react if they have an accident?

Does your child have any favourite toys/friends/comforters?

Do they have any special names for these?

What are their favourite types of experience eg outdoor play, singing, stories?

Will they persevere with these experiences?

Are there any experiences your child does not like?

How is your child’s language development?

Can they make themselves understood clearly?

Do they have difficulty with any words?

Do they use any special words or names for anything?

What is your child’s sleep pattern?

Do they still nap during the day? If so when and for how long?

How is your child’s appetite?

Are there any foods/drinks they dislike?

Are there any foods to which they are allergic/intolerant?

Do you have any life style choices regarding diet ie vegetarian/vegan?

Does your child use cutlery and crockery?

Does your child have any fears or phobias?

How can you tell if they are worried?

What approaches do you find best offers reassurance?

Does your child welcome hugs?

At home, does your child have space to play?

At home, does your child have direct access to an outdoor space?

How do you spend your leisure time with your child?

Has your child had experience of being out in the woods?

How risk aware would you say your child is?

Do you have any further information you would like to share which will enable us to support your child’s play and learning?