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. Butterflies comprises of two rooms named Butterflies 1 and Butterflies 2. Butterflies 1 is the first room the children join when they come down from Caterpillars with children moving through to Butterflies 2 at around 30-32 months old depending on the child. The Butterflies rooms are set up to promote independence, social skills and use of language.
Butterflies Welcome packs coming soon.
Across both rooms there are a range of areas, providing a variety of play and learning opportunities to all. The rooms have been carefully developed by the team to best utilise the space.
The Butterflies rooms both feature a cosy book area and role play spaces, inspiring creative role play and a love of literature. We enjoy providing art and messy opportunities throughout the day, we also have maths and loose parts areas to support their learning. Joining the two Butterflies rooms is the bathroom for quick and easy access whilst toilet training and an area for nappy changing as well.
At 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.
Ovivio (formerly 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 Rooms. 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.