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March 8, 2021

International Women’s Day – Supporting Women’s Aid Leicestershire

“The greatest gift of Easter is hope!” https://www.justgiving.com/fun.../st-georges-nursery-schools In the lead up to Easter, we will be raising money for Women’s Aid Leicestershire. The money that we raise for this local charity will provide vital assistance to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. In March 2020, all domestic abuse charities sounded the alarm. From the beginning of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, their helplines experienced a sharp rise in calls
February 10, 2021

Nursery Pets and Furry Visitors!

Whilst all our settings have toy animals, we believe there is no substitute for the real thing! Allowing children to interact with animals gives them the chance to learn in a greater, richer and in a more immersed way. We love receiving visits from St. George’s Nursery’s super friendly dog – Julio. Previously we have also had visits from a range of different animals such as kittens, a barn owl, guinea pigs and chicks. We have and have had many ‘resident’ pets too at nursery, from
January 20, 2021

Talking to Children about Race

Talking about race with children may make you feel anxious but here’s how we can start...⁣⁣👶 Start early; by 6 months of age babies start to notice racial difference & by age 3-4 children have already begun to show signs of racial bias. Even before babies & children can talk they learn through behaviours & actions.⁣⁣🗣 When children grow older they become more vocal & it’s normal for them to start talking about skin colour. Don’t claim not to see colour,
January 20, 2021

Flexible Childcare

Following the impact of Covid-19, the world is having to adapt to “a new normal.\" Many parents have had to adapt to working from home, and it is likely this will continue for months to come. Could this be the end of the world of ‘9-5’ working? Juggling work commitments, home commitments as well as trying to fit in personal hobbies is not easy at the best of times, but it seems it’s getting harder and harder for most of us. We\'ve seen the funny WFH scenarios people
January 7, 2021

Clapping for our Heroes

Weekly clapping will resume once again to show support and appreciation for all frontline workers. We will be clapping for our incredible St. George’s team as well as all other nursery front line workers. They have been working tirelessly during challenging circumstances with continuous changes to government guidance and in turn continuous changes to ways of working. Our team have remained positive throughout and have shown great creativity, innovation and an incredible
December 11, 2020

How much screen time should your child get?

 “To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more.” Children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy” - World Health Organization (WHO). Screen time is a sensitive subject at the best of times for most families. However, now in a world of virtual birthday parties, and Zoom classes and with both parents and children
December 3, 2020

The Guardian – Kate Middleton on the the impact of lockdown on children

The article states - \"Kate said: “The science shows that the early years are more pivotal for future health and happiness than any other period in our lifetime. As many as 40% of our children will arrive at school with below the expected levels of development, and the social cost of late intervention has been estimated to be over £17bn a year. “The early years are therefore not simply just about how we raise our children. They are, in fact, about how we raise the next generation of
October 10, 2020

Why is Children’s Mental Health So Important?

Mental health problems affect roughly 1 in 10 children and young people. The most common mental health problems seen in children are anxiety, ADHD, conduct disorders or learning disabilities. Alarmingly, 70% of children and young people who experience mental health problems have no had appropriate interventions at the right age.⁣⁣The emotional well-being of children and young people is just as important as their physical health. Most children can start to show signs of mental health
September 21, 2020

Promoting Eco-Friendly Attitude in the Early Years

The world is moving in a dangerous direction, and if we want our children to grow up into a natural world anything like our own, we need to act now. A warming globe and wasteful behaviour could threaten food stocks, increase extreme weather, lead to flooding, and destroy precious ecosystems. Why do we at St. George’s Nursery need to be more sustainable? Sustainability can be defined as ‘development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
September 9, 2020

Long-Term Employees

At St. George’s Nursery, we take pride in the fact that we have such dedicated long-term staff, who are passionate about both childcare as well as St. George’s. Every single one of our staff makes each child and their families feel welcome, ensuring that all children are safe, happy and learning. They go above and beyond to foster an environment where our children, their families and our fellow colleagues feel a part of the family. 39 members of the St. George\'s family have been
September 8, 2020

“The effect lockdown has had on our children’s verbal skills” – The Telegraph

\"For some children lockdown has been an opportunity to flourish. All that quality unstructured time spent with parents and siblings has been precious, if at times challenging. But in the case of too many other children it’s been a very different story. With no grandparents, nannies or nurseries to keep their children entertained and stimulated, working from home parents have had little choice but resorting to iPad or TV screen as digital childminder for up to eight hours a day. Cooped up
September 4, 2020

Encouraging Good Children’s Mental Health

Encouraging good mental health for children starts from the reflection of good self-care implemented by the people around them. Caregivers & parents are great role models to teach children the importance of self-care and encouraging good mental health habits, here are some simple ways we can implement good self-care and mental health within children:⁣⁣⁣⁣🏡 Creating a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental space where children are allowed the freedom of their emotional
September 3, 2020

Covid Safety & Hygiene Measures

\"Nursery schools present \"very little risk\" and are Covid-safe, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi has said, as he defended keeping them open. Mr Zahawi contrasted nurseries with schools, which were closed because they had been \"vectors for the new variant\".\" - BBC News Mr Williamson said evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) found that early years education had a very small impact on transmission rates. The health, safety and well-being of every child,
August 27, 2020

Paediatric First Aid + Millie’s Mark

The British Red Cross states that first aid is giving assistance to someone hurt or ill, before expert medical help is given. Not only does first aid help in everyday accidents and illnesses but can also save lives. Current guidance from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states that only one person with a paediatric first aid certificate needs to be on site and available within a childcare setting. However, at St. George’s Nursery, we go above and beyond these minimum requirements.
August 20, 2020

Parent Link App

Through a parent link app, parents are able to access information about their child’s day at a suitable and convenient time for them. Using the First Steps platform, we are able to increase our partnership with parents by allowing two-way communication between our parents/carers and St. George’s Nursery, including their child’s key worker. Ideally every day at pick up time, every parent and key worker would talk and discuss in depth their child’s growth and development, but as you
August 13, 2020

Learning in the Great Outdoors!

What a better place to learn and develop than in the wonderful outdoors, admiring and appreciating the nature surrounding us? At St. George’s, we take every opportunity to take our learning outdoors and to teach our children to respect and understand the world around us. Especially now more than ever, the Government is urging nurseries to use outdoor spaces where possible. Our staff have been making even more use of our outdoor areas and constantly cleaning everything (to find out more
July 22, 2020

Free eBook: “Everybody Worries” by Jon Burgerman

At St. George\'s Nursery, we love this eBook! It is all about letting children know that it is ok to feel worried once in a while. It also teaches them how to deal with these emotions, not just during this uncertain period but in their post-Covid lives. \"In this bright and friendly picture book, children learn that it’s okay to worry about coronavirus. Fun rhyming couplets keep the tone gentle and supportive, and you will find plenty of ideas for dealing with coronavirus in a positive
July 14, 2020

Benefits of Childcare

Benefits of Childcare Of course it’s a huge decision whether to send your child to nursery or not and yes, they\'re your little treasures, but a high-quality preschool is designed to set young minds up for future academic, emotional, and social success. According to Edward Melhuish, Professor of human development, University of Oxford, “it\'s clear that nurseries benefit the majority of children, regardless of background.” Read on to hear about some of the benefits of sending your
July 6, 2020

The Transition Out of Lockdown

Supporting your child during the transition out of lockdown You and your child may be feeling excited about the easing of some of the lockdown restrictions. But it’s also normal for children and young people to feel worried or anxious about transitioning out of lockdown. We’ve all experienced significant changes to our daily lives and routines – and we’re living with lots of uncertainty about the coming weeks and months. During lockdown, we’ve had to stay home for long periods
July 1, 2020

HEALTH AND FITNESS IN THE EARLY YEARS

HEALTH AND FITNESS IN THE EARLY YEARS In a world where children are spending more time staring at screens and less time being physically active and playing outdoors, childhood obesity is an increasingly growing issue. It is therefore vital that we decrease inactivity and encourage and promote a wholesome, healthy and active lifestyle in children. At St. George\'s, we recognise that our values and culture can influence the health and well-being of our children and the probability that

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