Our educational settings don’t just enable the children to flourish and fill their worlds with awe and wonder, we ensure the parents and extended family become a huge part of the work we do. We work with communities and want the best for them as well as our children. We are continuously striving for innovative ways to support and develop our children and their families.

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FOREST SCHOOL

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Early Years Educare was founded on the ethos of forest schools. Forest School encourages children to develop a love and respect for the outdoors, to nurture their understanding of growth, the weather, the seasons, nature and all that the great outdoors has to offer. First developed in Denmark in the 1950s, the approach is designed to develop confidence, self-esteem, communication and physical skills through outdoor learning.

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Parents are often invited along to help cook over a campfire or continue the nurturing of homegrown vegetables and children’s physical skills are developed from the work of pushing wheelbarrows and pulling and transporting logs. Communication is louder, clearer and more spontaneous and everything isshared withparents.

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THE STORY OF OUR SETTINGS

Following the popularity of Humberston Pre-School, we opened Grant Thorold Forest School in Grimsby’s East Marsh in 2019 and it quickly became an integral part of the community. The pre-school has already provided education and care for over 150 children and acquired ‘outstanding’ status from OFSTED in June 2021, which reported the ‘partnership with parents was wonderful’.

The team and I are now embarking on new collaborations, i.e. linking with local industry leaders in the Humber Bank’s engineering, technology and green energy sector to promote apprenticeship opportunities for parents, at the same time as raising aspirations of their children.

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Sport is also high on the Educare agenda, with signs that the pandemic has had an impact on some children’s physical development. Early Years Educare’s third pre-school based at Bannatyne Health Club and has a strong focus on sport, alongside the signature forest school activities. 

 

During the pandemic we expected children to return with language delays due to not mixing with people but it became apparent that children’s physical development had sometimes had an adverse reaction. They appeared less confident and more apprehensive. Through Public Health funding, they have bought new resources for more active play, plus will have access to sporting facilities at the centre. 

 

This year also sees a new partnership with Cleethorpes Golf Club for children and their parents to engage with the professionals on the course. We want our children to learn and achieve in a happy, caring, nurturing and fun environment and alongside adults who value them as the individuals they are.

 

Our intention is to grow healthy minds. We are doing that, not solely within our children’s education, but with their parents, families, communities and within our staff too. Growing, nurturing and developing ourselves, understanding our emotions and having empathy for one another will ultimately develop a positive mental attitude and grow a healthy mind.