Nursery – Old

We understand how hard it is to choose a nursery and then to leave your child with ‘strangers’ in the first few weeks before you have formed positive relationships with staff, which is why we ensure the settling period is totally individual to each child, we believe that it is as important to settle the parent as the child as children pick up on your anxiety. Therefore, we encourage parents to stay on the premises so that you can see and hear what goes on during a normal day.

‘I returned to work when my son was 7 months old. On my first day back I left him playing happily with someone who he had only recently got to know. I did not expect to feel so distressed when I left him. I made a good show of being happy and confident but much more of me felt bereaved.

‘I suspect that paragraph could have been written by almost any working mother. Where ever we live; however rich or poor; however supportive our partners, families, friends; whatever our beliefs about child rearing; however strong our self-esteem – we all had to make a choice about work and childcare.’
(Working with the under 3’s Lesley Abbott & Helen Moylett)

Helping your child settle in

During the settling period the room supervisor is your main point of contact over the first two weeks, we will observe who your child forms a natural bond with, and that person will be allocated as their key person.

John Bowlby’s theory of attachment which is at the heart of our pedagogy focusses on the belief that if babies/children form strong meaningful attachments their overall holistic development will benefit. Attachment is described as a long-lasting psychological connection with a meaningful person that causes pleasure while interacting and soothes in times of stress. The quality of attachment has a critical effect on development and has been linked to various aspects of positive functioning, such as psychological well-being Bowlby believed that children have an innate need to develop a close relationship with one main figure, usually the mother (in nursery settings the key person.

When this does not occur, it can have negative consequences on development, causing a decline in intelligence, depression, aggression and with social and emotional problems later in life. We aim to promote an environment where children feel secure valued and loved in order to develop positive relationships and learn in an environment where they feel valued supported and loved. Bowlby’s pedagogy is at the core of our thinking we also relate it to the recruitment of staff believing that our robust recruitment process ensure that we employ the right staff who are committed to our beliefs and philosophies and the need for continuity of care for our children. Clevercloggs current staff have been employed collectively for 97 years!