The move from first floor to ground is timed to coincide with a natural shift in focus from ‘discovery’ to ‘adventure’. As toddlers become small people, so the world becomes a giant playground. Butterflies need freedom, so we encourage ours to play outside and to explore. The Butterflies room is set up to promote independence, social skills and use of language.
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Butterflies was once two separate rooms but now works as one to ensure consistency and reduce the number of transitions faced by your child. The room caters for up to 40 children aged 22 months until Preschool age.
Across the room there are a range of areas, providing a wide range of play and learning opportunities to all. The sides of the room have been carefully developed by the team to best utilise the space. One side features a cosy book area and art and messy play spaces, inspiring creativity and a love of literature, which doubles as an eating space; whilst the other side features a home corner, maths area and a large loose parts area which doubles as the children’s sleeping space in the middle of the day. Joining the two spaces is the bathroom for quick and easy access whilst toilet training and an alternate route with a small book nook and construction area within.
As the key age where children spark interest in using the toilet, Butterflies are supported on their potty training journey and encouraged to use the facilities independently as soon as they are able. Support and supervision is available where necessary, and always prior to meals, walks and trips into the woods.
Blossom continues to be utilised to feedback information to parents, recording weekly observations and daily diaries. The information on the diaries does gradually reduce down across nursery, covering only main meals and daily activities in the Butterflies Room. Information regarding other areas such as sleep are fed back verbally.
All children are individuals, so we take great care to support each child and allow them to develop at their own pace. We follow Early Years Foundation Stage best practice, observing each child and sharing information with parents. Senior staff are all qualified, and appropriate staff-to-child ratios (1:3 for children under 24 months, 1:4 for 24-36 months and 1:8 for 36-42 months) are maintained at all times. Although the government recently changed the ratio for children aged 24-36 months to 1:5, our Butterflies room continues to operate on a 1:4 staff to child ratio for the majority of their day. An internal intercom system also ensures that additional staff can be called at a moment’s notice.