choosing a school

A recent report by Ofsted produced a good practice survey to address the recurring myth that teaching and play are separate activities in the early years education sector.

Inspectors visited a sample of the most successful early years providers to observe the interplay between teaching and play. All providers were selected because they were successful in achieving good or better outcomes for children.

You can read the full report here: Teaching and play in the early years: a balancing act

Read about Alphablocks Nursery School’s ethos and approach to early years education, as well as best practices on How to choose a nursery for your child.

Alphablocks Nursery School in Hadley Wood empowers children to become confident learners through a balanced combination of hybrid teaching methods and play.

Choosing a nursery school for your child is far from easy. Nursery schools cover a crucial age group in terms of child development, from around the age of 2 to the age of 5. A nursery school’s aim shouldn’t simply be to care for your child in a safe environment. It should also provide carefully selected learning resources and opportunities for real growth. It should tailor everything it does around empowering your child to become a confident, independent learner. We’re here to help you choose a nursery school which can rise to this key challenge.

The importance of early education cannot be underestimated and many parents start thinking about it around the time of their child’s second birthday. More often than not parents tend to get quite anxious, as there are many parameters to consider, lots of perspectives to take into account. After all, a nursery school represents a child’s first experience with the educational system. They feel that this first educational setting could potentially shape their child’s future attitude towards learning. And quite rightly so – the evidence so far is indeed pointing to that conclusion.

So the central question then becomes: What is the most important thing when choosing a nursery school? Is it the quality of the teachers and early years professionals who work with the children? Is it the quality of the indoor / outdoor environment and the learning opportunities it provides? Or is it perhaps that children are well-cared for and have loads of fun when at school?