About Us
Our vision…
We inspire and encourage young minds, through a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment, to develop creative, confident and enthusiastic learners for the next generation and beyond!
Thank you for your interest in Little Fishes Nursery and Pre-school, where we provide play-based care and education for birth to 5 years for families in the Braunton and surrounding areas. We constantly review and evaluate our practice to ensure we meet and exceed the needs of children and parents who join our friendly childcare setting.
The setting boasts a lovely soft-play area, role play area, cosy book corners and sleep room, computer station, designated baby zone and sensory room. In addition the outdoor area provides all-weather play, sand and water opportunities, planting area and sensory herb garden. We also promote bird nesting and wildlife observation. Our provision also benefits from our very own allotment garden which is adjacent to the Great Field, 10/15min walk away. The 18m x 10m plot has a large Summer house, sand and mud-pit, as well as opportunities for den-building and many more natural play opportunities. Future additions include raised bed areas, living willow fedges and bowers and a firepit for outdoor cooking! All team members are undertaking Forest school training this year and the allotment garden will be developed to embrace the Forest school ethos.
Our open-plan facilities are designed to provide a home-from-home experience with free-flow providing time for children to interact with all age groups as well as within their own peer groups, and high adult-child ratios enable team members to plan and conduct activities designed with your child’s interests at the centre!
Planning and Ethos…
Little Fishes follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework devised by the government to bring more emphasis to the 3 Prime Areas which underpin a child’s self-esteem and provide the building blocks for confident and successful growth. This is still based around our core ethos, which focuses on the importance of child-centred play carefully planned to maximise teaching opportunities, and staff planning is extended to meet the needs of each individual child.
Our experienced team are mindful of the 4 overarching principles when planning opportunities and carrying out activities with the children.
Little Fishes children can often be seen taking walks with staff in the local community; making use of the local facilities such as the library, post office and museums, feeding the ducks and exploring local woodland and beaches. Within the nursery, toys and equipment are used both traditionally and with a twist ~ for example sand & water play giving opportunities for weighing and measuring, may run alongside messy play with spaghetti and baked beans for more creative exploration!!
All opportunities, whether planned or spontaneous, are used to extend the children’s learning experience – with our team using careful questioning and explanation to teach and support the children’s natural curiosity.
