Selby Cottage Childcare Centre (EY446983)

Selby Cottage aims to provide the best outcomes for children in a safe and inspiring environment where children's wellbeing and all-round development is nurtured by supportive and sensitive adults.

We are a secure purpose-designed childcare centre situated within a quiet residential setting close to Chester-le-Street town centre. We are confident the centre's excellent resources and highly experienced, qualified staff will meet your needs and we hope that you choose Selby Cottage.

Making the right choice

Balancing a working life with family commitments can sometimes be difficult but at Selby Cottage we recognise the importance in making sure that your child is in safe and caring hands. Our highly experienced and qualified staff are sensitive to the individual needs of all of the children in our care. We aim to make the transition from home to nursery as smooth as possible, for both children and parents.

We believe that children are active learners and that we need to provide them with the right environment and experiences to stimulate their curiosity, imagination and creativity. By providing a safe, supportive, stimulating and fun environment to explore and discover the world, we help children to grow and express themselves to their full potential. We are committed to each and every child in our care and nurture each child's uniqueness. Selby Cottage is an inclusive setting, where diversity is valued and celebrated in a meaningful way to our children. We are committed to removing all barriers to inclusion so every child is a valued, unique individual who can make a valuable contribution to the setting and local community.

The staff

We offer an excellent balance of experience and fresh ideas. Many of our staff are longstanding. We give high priority to the professional development of the team who attend regular training sessions to keep up to date with the latest concepts in childcare and education. Turnover of staff is very low. Our practitioners capture and record children's learning in their own personal development record and this, along with photographs, observations and learning stories are available for their parents to view at any time. We work in partnership with local schools and colleges and offer opportunities for work experience and training for students.

0 to 2 years - Teddy Bears

Our caring staff are committed to the high quality care of your baby in a home from home environment. We provide rich play opportunities which encourage natural curiosity and discovery. Babies are given lots of opportunities to explore their environment in individual ways through lots of sensory experiences such as playing with mirrors and malleable play with gloop and jelly and listening to soothing or uplifting music. We will follow your baby's home routine as closely as possible and our staff recognise the importance of the right emotional environment. Playtimes and routines are full of cuddles, giggles, singing and soothing words. Daily diaries are also written by the staff and act as communication between home and nursery.

2 to 3 years - Strawberries

The strawberry children engage in a wealth of play opportunities to support their learning including: sand and water play, sensory play, mark making, life skills, imagination, music and dance. Strong emphasis is placed on building good social skills. The staff work closely with parents and carers to promote toilet training and bathroom routines also encourage teeth brushing as well as skin and hair care.

3 to 5 years - Butterflies, Ladybirds, Sunflowers and Busy Bees

Selby Cottage is committed to the high quality care, learning and development of our pre-school children. The staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and as a result plan innovative and dynamic experiences for the children. We shape the experiences offered to children based on their own interests. The children are encouraged to work co-operatively with one another and to carry out all self care routines with support from our practitioners.

4 to 14 years - Selby Cottage Kids Club

When school ends the fun starts at Selby Cottage. Our experienced playworkers along with the children and young people provide a broad programme of activities which promote confidence and self esteem, individuality and equality of opportunity; all of which are provided in a fun and exciting environment.

After school care

A buffet tea is served and there are a range of planned activities including art, drama, outdoor play and sports, music and dance, cookery club and gardening club. We also provide a quiet area for homework.

Learning outdoors

Each department has direct access to their own outdoor area and the children are able to access the outdoors freely. At Selby Cottage the weather is not a barrier to taking part in outdoor activities. The children all have wellies and wet gear and enjoy the rich learning opportunities that 'bad' weather offers.  We believe that playing outdoors is vital for the development, health and wellbeing of babies and children. Our stimulating outdoor area fully supports delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage and offers many unique opportunities. It boasts a wildlife garden, orchard and vegetable plot as well as an outdoor classroom. We also have a large-scale water and sand play area. The children also delight in looking after our pets, Henrietta and Penelope, our two hens.

Our staff are trained in managing and assessing risk and will not expose your child to unacceptable hazards, but neither will we create an artificial environment in which your child is denied the wealth of learning opportunities the outdoors bring. By assessing and controlling potential risks and hazards we achieve a healthy balance between a rich and challenging learning environment and ensuring the safety and welfare of your child.

Mealtimes

Mealtimes at Selby Cottage are a vibrant, social time for children where independence, good table manners and correct use of cutlery are encouraged. Children serve themselves, under the supervision of staff to ensure each child has a balanced meal. All meals are freshly prepared on site by our qualified and experienced cook who uses no added salt and reduced sugar recipes. Our menus are nutritionally balanced to ensure that each child is offered their '5 a day' of fresh fruit and vegetables. We also cater for children with specific dietary requirements and food intolerances. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are all included in the daily rate and nutritious snacks of fresh fruit and vegetables are offered to the children, as well as fresh drinking water which is available throughout the day.

Parents as partners

At Selby Cottage we recognise that parents are children's first and most enduring educators. Parents are welcome in the centre at any time and we offer regular opportunities for you to get involved, from sing-alongs and concerts to joining your child for breakfast or having fun at the annual family disco. We strive to create and maintain effective communication between home and nursery through diaries for our younger children, regular newsletters and an annual parents evening. Our friendly, informative staff are on hand each morning and evening to welcome the children and pass on any relevant messages.