Small Steps is a place to play, learn, develop, grow, be happy and have fun
Our Mission Statement
We provide a tranquil calm setting that feels like home.
The home from home approach will transform the daily lives of our children and key workers by creating a joyful, nurturing authentic and effective teaching and learning environment.
Our children are invited to engage in the highest quality play both indoors and outdoors based on their own choices, interests and abilities, including aspirations of what they can and want to achieve which is often featured in the changing world around them. We want to provide an environment that focuses on the development of the whole child, setting them up for maximum success in the future.
Small Steps is an extension of all our families, we involve Parents and Carers in our daily practice, giving a sense of belonging, care and trust that their children are in safe hands.
Our staff are committed to Small Steps. We strive to encourage progression in their professional development, the staff are supported by management to reach their goals and create the best possible outcomes for themselves and the children.
At Small Steps, we are confident that through effective and consistent teamwork, communication, reflective practice, working with our Parents in Partnership and the implementation of our visions and values we achieve our high aspirations of commitment to excellence.
Our Vision & Aims
We aim to encourage our children in the highest quality play by creating nurturing authentic and effective play in an environment, both indoors and outdoors which represents the changing world around them.
We ensure that positive, caring relationships based on trust and respect are at the heart of our philosophy.
We have a clear vision of what we want to achieve together, to provide a safe, happy, caring, secure and stimulating environment for all children.
We want to enable all staff and children to develop their capabilities as successful learners, confident individuals, and responsible citizens to equip our children with skills for learning, life and work, ready to actively grasp and follow their dreams in the future and to develop a culture of ambition and achievement.
Our Values
Staff have a clear understanding of our values which are important to us all:
Happiness & Wellbeing – Showing kindness to one another.
Engagement – Being involved, responsive, interested and interesting.
Respect – Promoting a culture of tolerance, inclusion, diversity, equality, fairness and opportunity.
Communication – Being genuine, open, honest and sincere.
Achievement – Highest quality, high expectations, aiming high
Integrity – Doing the right thing, even when no one else is watching.
Partnership & Care – Being reflective and learning from children and parents as partners, developing strong nuturing relationships.
Challenging – Testing ourselves and those around us, not accepting the status quo.
Commitment to Excellence – Developing skills for learning, life and work in the years to come.
Parents as Partners
We recognise that parents are their children’s first and most enduring educators.
Each child has a designated Key Person whose role of working in partnership with parents is given the upmost importance.
When parents share information about their child, this information supports their child’s in-the-moment planning, the individual curious and authentic resources needed to plan for their next steps in learning.
Through excellent communication practitioners discuss with parents how they can support learning.
Parents are welcomed into nursery and have many opportunities to meet together and there is always a programme of events planned throughout the year.
Tapestry
Here at Small Steps we use an online learning journal called Tapestry to track and monitor your child’s development whilst in our care.
It allows all observations and photographs of children to their personal journal as well as links made to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
As parents you will be able to access your child’s journal at any time; e.g. on holiday, at the weekend, when visiting family and upload observations and photographs of your own., so your child’s learning journal will be a true representation of their development from home and at Small Steps.