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FLYING START GILLINGHAM
Ofsted’s View on us…
“Children are secure and settled. Staff know them and their families well. Parents say it is like a ‘home from home’. Children are inquisitive and confident. Staff support them well as they make new discoveries for themselves, for example, as they mix colours.
All children make good progress and are well prepared to start school. They develop a love of books, songs and rhyme, and cooperate well.
The manager works well to include staff to continually develop and improve the nursery. She ensures that staff use activities and resources well to interest children and meet their needs. The manager uses additional funding well to provide good support for eligible children.
Staff are skilled at following children’s interests and ensure that activities develop and challenge them, for example, working out how to make wands out of the paper available.”
A flying start to life long learning.
At Flying Start Nurseries we provide excellent early experiences to help our children build a secure foundation for learning and development.
We believe…
As a small nursery, our dedicated and passionate staff are able to cater for all the needs of our children; we give support when needed whilst encouraging independence. We provide excellent early experiences to help the children achieve their own goals and ambitions, equipping them with the essential skills and a sense of worth. With family orientated play sessions so that the pre-school, toddlers and babies are joined together as a ‘family unit’ helping them to share, co-operate and learn through their play and by using each other as a role model.
You will find us close to the centre of town in a pretty Victorian House with its own garden, bordering the Garden of Remembrance in Cemetery Road. We are within easy walking distance of shops, schools and many local houses. The nursery was converted in 1998. We have dedicated rooms for different types of activities, where our children are encouraged to play together and learn from one another. The large garden at the rear is safely enclosed and has space for children to explore and develop their independence and confidence.
Your child is at the center of all that we do. We begin each day by having circle time to welcome the children and develop social skills of turn taking and sharing. Our children follow our well planned educational sessions, which encourage confidence and an enthusiasm for learning, all that is needed to provide your child with a firm foundation which can be built on.
A People’s Place
If this is not the place where tears are understood,
where do I go to cry?
If this is not a place where my spirits can take wing,
where do I go to fly?
If this is not a place where my questions can be asked,
where do I go to seek?
If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard,
where do I go to speak?
If this is not a place where you’ll accept me as I am,
where can I go to be?
If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow,
where can I just be me?
(Crocker cited DfCSF, 2008, p.59)
A People’s Place
If this is not the place where tears are understood,
where do I go to cry?
If this is not a place where my spirits can take wing,
where do I go to fly?
If this is not a place where my questions can be asked,
where do I go to seek?
If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard,
where do I go to speak?
If this is not a place where you’ll accept me as I am,
where can I go to be?
If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow,
where can I just be me?
(Crocker cited DfCSF, 2008, p.59)
PLAY SPACES
Flying Start Nursery and Preschool
Flying Start – Pre School Stars
for children aged 3.5 to 5 years old
Preschool children are curious, inquisitive and keen to learn. Flying Start Preschool sessions are designed to encourage the children to acquire the skills and knowledge they will use at school, using a varied and interesting programme of activities. From the term after their third birthday until they go to school, all Dorset children are entitled to 15 hours a week of ‘free’ funded nursery education or 30 hours (depending on eligibility). Flying Start’s preschool sessions help to develop confidence in communication and a positive attitude towards learning. We also provide extra curricular activities for the children sessions such as yoga. Children enjoy outdoor play for most of their preschool day in our wonderful large natural outdoor space.
Little Diamonds- Under 3’s Creative Play Sessions
Little Diamonds for children aged 2 years to 3 years
In specialised creative sessions with a high level of adult involvement, the children learn to share, co-operate and enjoy a structured introduction to learning through play and creativity. The emphasis is on the social skills of turn-taking and sharing, and on language and communication development. Physical and cognitive skills are promoted through play activities using many messy, creative materials such as paint and sand. We aim to provide a loving and friendly atmosphere where the children feel secure enough to explore new learning experiences and make friends, supported by highly experienced nursery practitioners.
Flying Start Nursery Little Love Hearts
Babes and Toddlers from Birth to 2 years old
Our sessions for our little babes involve lots of opportunities for active play to develop physical skills and coordination. Practitioners nurture our little people to work towards independence and learning through storytelling, puppets, circle times, singing, dancing and on a daily basis they indulge in some messy play to encourage use of their senses. With one adult to every three children under two or one adult to every four children over two, staff are able to build superb relationships with the children. Through providing lots of opportunities for talking and a calm relaxed atmosphere staff establish a communication rich environment for our little ones.
Well supported creative and sensory play sessions encourage each baby’s physical and cognitive development. Babies are offered lots of opportunities to communicate through songs, rhymes and music. We also encourage our babies to interact with the older toddlers and preschool children providing them with a real sense of security and belonging. The babies often enjoy lots of walks around the town and local places of beauty. Staff liase closely with parents to promote a sense of partnership between home and nursery.
Our Curriculum
Our educational curriculum (The Early Years Foundation Stage, 2012) covers the following seven areas of learning:
The Three Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Making relationships
Self-confidence and self-awareness
Managing feelings and behaviour
Physical Development
Moving and handling
Health and self-care
Communication and Language
Listening and attention
The Four Specific areas
Literacy
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Numbers
Shape, space and measure
Understanding the World
People and communities
The world
Technology
Expressive Arts and Design
Exploring and using media and materials
Being imaginative
Speaking and Understanding
Flying Start Documents
- Registration Form
- Policy Document
- Privacy Policy
- Terms & Conditions
- Latest Ofsted Inspection
- Our aims
- History of Flying Start by Claire MacDonald
Useful Links
- Foundation Years
- Ofsted
- Tapestry
- Dorset Family Information Service
- Dorset Childcare Funding for 2 year olds
- Childcare Choices – Support for parents with childcare costs
- Tax-Free Childcare information for parents
Flying Start Nursery & Pre-school, Holiday Club & The Bell St Breakfast and After-school Club
Flying Start Nurseries and The Bell Street Breakfast and After-school Club are trading styles of Elestar Services Ltd a company.
Directors Elsa R. Morrison BA (Hon’s) and Nihara Murugupillai BA (Hon’s)