Former PM, the Rt Hon. Theresa May recently paid a visit to Wise Owls at Maidenhead Day Nursery at the Braywick Leisure Centre to meet the team and discuss the importance of early years education. May said of the visit, “It was great to visit Wise Owls at Maidenhead Day Nursery where I met with staff to discuss early years provision and spent an enjoyable morning speaking with the children. I saw first hand the genuine passion the Wise Owls team have for early years development and the care and dedication invested into every child in their charge. Early years development plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s future, that’s why it’s so heartening to see Wise Owls providing first-class educational provision for local children, ensuring a strong foundation for their future growth”.

Last week, children at Farm View Day Nursery in Spencers Wood got ready for Spring with help from Shinfield and Spencers Wood Councillors, Jackie Rance and Stuart Mason. Owned by Wise Owls Childcare, the nursery is tucked away in the peaceful and picturesque countryside of Spencers Wood, and provides a spacious nursery where children are able to explore their natural surroundings and develop a respect for the world around them. During their visit, Councillors Rance and Mason met with nursery manager Nina Hollier and her team, they engaged in activities with the children and learned about the challenges nurseries expect to face due to the increasing demand with the Government’s childcare funding scheme for children as young as nine months old.

This month, we are emphasising the importance of Communication and Language as one of the seven key learning areas of the EYFS. Speech, language and communication are fundamental areas of development for children, playing a significant role throughout their lives. These skills allow children to interpret their surroundings, express basic needs and emotions, engage in conversation, learn and think, forge connections with others, solve problems, and much more. When we talk about communication, we refer to many aspects of speech and language development. This includes the number of words a child speaks, how they articulate the words, what they say, what they understand and how well they listen. Additionally, communication can encompass non-verbal cues such as gestures like waving, and social skills such as maintaining eye contact and taking turns.

You know better than anyone that encouraging your child to be independent can sometimes lead to them defying you just to assert their newfound power. However, when done correctly, it can be incredibly beneficial. By fostering critical thinking, positive learning dispositions, tenacity, and confidence, nursery sets children up for success in life. At nursery, we provide an environment that enables children to explore, create relationships, and develop their personalities and ideas, which are all critical to their long-term wellbeing. As children learn to perform simple tasks on their own, participate in activities, and interact with others, their self-confidence grows and they become more willing to attempt tasks independently. Independence can bring numerous benefits, including increased self-confidence and self-esteem

On 16th March 2020 life as we know it came to a sudden halt. How did that feel for you as the director of a childcare business? A couple of weeks before lockdown we had know idea what was to come. We had implemented changes in our day nurseries, preschools and clubs like hand sanitiser and deep cleaning but it didn’t really hit me until lockdown that people were getting very ill and that we were facing a grave situation. Like everyone, we had about two day’s notice and it sent us into a spin. Almost overnight, we received lengthy policy documents containing new regulations and procedures that we had to implement immediately. I’ve run Wise Owls for 20 years and this was the first time I had ever thought – I’m not sure I want to do this anymore. At this stage, I kept reminding myself why it was so important. With NHS staff on the frontline working so hard to keep us all safe, it was critical that I stayed strong for my team so we could continue to work for our local communities and provide an essential service.