ABOUT OUR NURSERY

Welcome to Collingham Gardens Nursery situated in the busy urban area of Kings Cross in London. Please feel free to visit our picture gallery, see what a typical day for the children entails, keep up to date with news including our parent and child garden events, as well as contribute via our blog . There is also an online application form that you are welcome to fill in.

We provide full-time day care and education for children aged 2-5years. Our children reflect London’s diversity of peoples and cultures.The nursery is housed in a building designed in 1962 by Save the Children set in a beautiful walled garden. This natural green space is an important part of our children’s curriculum. With support from parents, children and volunteers we have transformed this space into anecological garden, growing vegetables, herbs and fruit. We have designed a sensory walkway which is constantly changing with contributions made by the children. The recent additions are a station house, a native American teepee which are used as a classroom for our children to better understand the natural world. This project has been led by a parent. We have a unique water science area also designed by a parent. This area encourages children to explore water and understand its strengths and diversity. We have erected a builders yard with working tools for the children to use. We eat lunch outside in the summer and the children have unlimited access to the outdoors, an exceptional experience in central London.

We continually evaluate and monitor our work practice and children's development through key group practice, inspection by Government Education Ofsted inspectors (view our Ofsted Report) and Camden Early Years Education Advisors maintaining a high level of achievement and outcomes for our children, many achieving beyond the required levels.

Collingham Gardens Nursery

Henrietta Mews, London WCIN 1PH

Registered Charity No. 1029716

Grant aided by Camden’s Grants Unit

Tel / Fax: 020 7837 3423

Click Here to Email enquiries@coll-gdns-care-educ.co.uk

Our Latest Ofsted Report

• The provision is acceptable and is of high quality.
• Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals.
• The next inspection will take place in 3- 4 years time .

To view our Ofsted Summary of Judgements click here

To view a Summary of our Ofsted Report Click here

Directions and Parking

Nearest Tube Stations - Kings Cross, Russell Square

Buses - No.s 46, 7,18, 68, 77, 77a, 170, 188 and 259

Parking - Resident Bays & Pay and Display Meters

Click here to see a location map

OUR PRACTICE

We offer good quality care and educational play with an abundance of carefully selected resources, and provide a high level of supervision. We continually evaluate and monitor our work practice and children’s development through key groups. We aim to encourage positive self-esteem, independence and an awareness of the rich and varied backgrounds of our children and their families. Regular links meetings with our families ensure that each child’s development in the curriculum from Birth to 3 Matters and the Foundation Stage for 3 to 5 year olds is closely monitored and evidence recorded in their Individual Profile Books. Our care and teaching plus Inspection by the Ofsted department ensures that we maintain a high level of achievement and outcomes for our children; many achieving above average at the Foundation Stage. (please see our current report on www.ofsted.com). Pre-school education is a powerful vehicle for transmitting values. Early childhood is an important time for developing social attitudes. Parents, carers and staff have a vital role to play in this process.

OUR FEES

A proportion of our income is met from Camden’s grants unit which is applied for annually. This amount subsidises the fees for families resident in Camden who meet the criteria for social inclusion. One of our priorities is to keep our fees as low as possible - making us accessible to all our families in the community. The fee structure is reviewed annually. Please note when ever possible a parent/carer’s help with raising fund for particular projects is welcomed.

OUR COMMUNITY

We play an active part in our community, supporting events, linking with other child care agencies. A strong partnership with user families past and present provides positive links between home and nursery. Elected Directors, working within the framework of the nurseryʼs constitution, make up the Management Committee who share skills and make informed decisions regarding the nursery. We provide access to professional support, music therapy, the early intervention team, advice and workshops on child development curriculum and learning through play.

OUR AIMS

- To offer learning opportunities for children and parents/carers to develop skills and confidence
- To safeguard play as essential for growth and development of young children into happy tolerant people
- To strengthen positive ties between parent and child, to integrate those children with special needs.
We recognise our parents as the main educators of their children and welcome their support in our aims.

OUR DAY

Is centred around our children’s range of abilities and skills. The children’s key workers are consistently aware of the direction of individual children’s play. They are ready to comment, guide, question and explain whenever appropriate. Birth to Three Matters and the Foundation Stage curricula are explored through topics planned with the team instigated by children’s current play, interests and conversations. Using well chosen resources we encompass the learning areas essential for the growth of our children. Throughout the day we offer a wide range of safe satisfying play. Lunch is provided. Our cook has achieved THE HEALTHY HEART AWARD by providing fresh healthy organic vegetarian food. This is an opportunity for our children to expand their tastes and better understand how to keep our bodies healthy. Children are given the opportunity to help at this time by assisting with preparing the lunch table and serving one another. Special diets are catered for.

Guide to our Routine
8.30 – Early bird start for some families. The activities have been prepared the day before to support our children’s interests and potential abilities. Our large garden is equipped with resources which encourage teamwork, agility, balance and creativity.

9.00 – Key workers greet children and carers. Children are encouraged to make choices for play which will support and extend our desirable learning goals. For children who have not eaten there is a snack area available.

10.00 – Children and key workers come together to have a healthy snack. This time is calm and unhurried with older children helping younger ones. We sing songs, tell stories and listen to one another.

The rest of the morning may be spent indoors or outdoors where key workers and friends explore specific activities around a current topic. We have regular visits to the Science Museum, Coram’s Fields and local places of interest. Children use their own computer and, with support, access the internet.

During the week children in small groups explore music, song and dance workshops. Parents are welcome to join us during these sessions.

12 noon – Lunchtime preparation of the room with help from children laying the tables and name places. Children are encouraged to serve themselves and others – this time is very useful in building social skills.

1pm – Younger children sleep, older children with guidance and support choose their own curriculum from the extensive range of resources – extending skills in Language, Literacy and Communication, Maths, Knowledge and understanding of the World, Creativity, Social and Emotional development and Physical skills.

3.15pm – Teatime. Again, children are active in the preparation.

3.30pm – 5pm – Children may be collected between these times.

PICTURES

NEWS

The following is a copy of an article written by Juley Merret and appeared in Eco Design Vol. VII no.1

budding gardeners

Collingham Gardens Nursery is a Day Care Nursery of charitable status, for children aged between two and five, located in the busy urban area of Kings Cross in London.

We are lucky enough to have a fairly large enough outdoor space that is not tarmaced over. Our outdoor space, in fact, an old graveyard, but with the blessing of the local reverend, the staff, children and volunteers have been transforming our barren muddy patch into a thriving green, ecological learning environment.

Over the past two years we have made a herb patch, grown potatoes, carrots, radishes, broad beans, peas, lettuce and onions in old car tyres. We have planted pear, apple and plum trees, currant bushes, goose-berries, blackberries, loganberries, and strawberries. We have planted large beds with native English hedgerow plants and other wildlife-attracting species. We have built a compost heap, a living willow play-house, and a woodchip entrance path. We have saved and replanted shrubs from a nearby building site, and built a den from a salvaged materials.

Few of our children have gardens or much access to nature. The idea of the project is not only to create a green environment, but that the process of creating our garden environment is a great educational and life experience for the children. Through working in the garden the children have a chance to make a connection with nature - a gift that is precious for a child living in the ineer city. They have a chance to be involved and learn about nature's cycles, to get their hands dirty, to meet bugs and worms and birds.

It is also very positive for them to feel that they are involved in "real adult" work; they gain great confidence when they realise they can make such a large physical positive effect on their environment - digging and moving earth about is a great favourite!

Georgette Davis, who runs the Nursery, and I, both have backgrounds in early years education, design and permaculture, but we are no gardening experts! The process is a learning experience for everyone, and we feel it is healthy for the children to see each activity as a creative process in itself, rather than learning to think that things are either successes or failures. People shouldn't be put off by thinking they don't know how to do something!

all the work in our garden also contributes and enriches the key areas of learning in the pre-school sector: personal and social development, physical development, math's, language and literature, knowledge and understanding of the world, and creativity. This is always important for Early Years providers to be able to demonstrate to their Authorities. We also run a training session about our project for the Camden Early Years Sector, to which we get a great response - I think there are a lot of nursery workers out there who would love to get a bit greener and just need some help and advice.

This sort of project is vitally important in beginning the process of environment education for our children. An education that is essential: for them to have the skills of understanding nature and how to work with nature, so that they can be equipped to deal with the 21st century.

EVENTS

Our next BBQ for all children and parents is Saturday.

BLOG FORUM

Please feel free to contribute to the ongoing discussion about your child's nursery.

The topic for this month is 'BUILDING A NEW TEPEE'.

APPLICATION FORM