The Early Years Framework states:
"It is during our very earliest years and even pre-birth that a large pattern of our future adult life is set" (Scottish Government, 2008, p1)
At Arcadia Nursery we strive to provide high-quality experiences for the children in our care. We believe in working collaboratively with children and families to provide a high standard of care. We value the importance of parent feedback to continually improve our services, as well as recognising the valueable contribution of our staff team.
Through parent, staff and children's surveys, we worked to produce a set of values and aims which demonstrated everyone's contribution. We asked the parents and children what they liked most about Arcadia and used their feedback to shape our values and aims.
We believe our vision, values and aims will help us to work positively to ensure Arcadia Nursery provides a great start in life for the children in our care.
Our values are based on what we believe to be the important building blocks of a successful nursery.
The children
- We respect and value the importance of a 'child-centred' approach to our care. We recognise that each child should be respected as an individual and their individual needs and interests are central to their care.
- We recognise the impact of early childhood experiences and value the rights and wellbeing of the children in our care.
The families
- We respect and value the importance of working in partnership with parents and families to support the wellbeing of the children in our care.
- We recognise the contribution families can make to improve our service. We rely on feedback from our stakeholders to reflect upon our practice and evaluate our current practices.
The staff
- We respect and value the wellbeing of our staff and appreciate the knowledge and skills they bring to the team as individuals.
- We recognise and consider the views and opinions of our staff to continually improve our service for both staff and children.
Our aim is to provide a positive environment and deliver a great service to our children, families and staff.
Delivering excellence
- We aim to provide a safe and stimulating indoor environment for children to learn and discover through child-led, free play.
- We aim to provide regular access to quality outdoor learning experiences in a safe environment. Children will be supported to risk assess their own play to help develop their independence and promote early leadership skills.
- We aim to provide high-quality interactions between the children and staff. Children are encouraged to develop
strong positive relationships with the practitioners to promote security and attachment.
Working Positively
- We aim to work in partnership with parents and families during their journey through the nursery.
- We aim to communicate effectively with parents through regular updates, social events and 'stay and play' sessions in the nursery.
- We aim to work in collaboration with local partners to share practice and knowledge to continually improve our service.
Supporting Others
- We aim to provide regular access to continuous professional development opportunities for our staff to continually improve their knowledge and skills.
- We aim to provide a positive working environment for our staff by gaining regular feedback from all our staff to continually improve our service.
- We aim to communicate effectively with our staff to promote inclusion and equality.