A supportive start for new staff can help them feel confident and valued and know your expectations from day one. Consistent guidance helps practitioners settle faster, follow routines more accurately and build stronger relationships. This early support boosts quality of practice, improves teamwork and can help to reduce stress and staff turnover. Here are some tips to support you. Top tips for… Continue reading Top tips: Supporting new staff
Blog Tag: Tips
Top tips: Making Reading Fun at Home
Reading with your child is one of the most valuable things you can do. It strengthens your bond, supports their learning and development, and most importantly – it’s fun! Whether you have five minutes at bedtime or a little longer on a quiet afternoon, those small moments together can make a big difference. The key is to keep reading… Continue reading Top tips: Making Reading Fun at Home
Top tips: Encouraging reading at home
Research tells us that one important thing that parents can do to help their child’s education is to share books with them. This can help to develop a lifelong passion for reading and enjoyment of stories in their earliest years. Parents will have a range of experiences of early reading and formal schooling and this may affect their confidence towards reading with their own child. To… Continue reading Top tips: Encouraging reading at home
Top tips: Time management and prioritsing tasks
Effective time management helps the team stay calm, responsive and focused on what matters most: the children. As a nursery manager, leading good practice in prioritising tasks supports staff well-being and the effective running of the nursery. Top tips for time management and prioritising tasks NDNA products to help you with this tip Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be… Continue reading Top tips: Time management and prioritsing tasks
Top tips: Inclusion in action
The reasonable adjustments you make so that all children can access play, learning and routines alongside their peers don’t need to be complicated or costly. It’s often about planning ahead, being flexible and removing barriers from the environment, communication and expectations. These inclusion in action tips offer simple, everyday strategies you can use to support… Continue reading Top tips: Inclusion in action
Top tips: Supporting your team’s well-being
Educating and caring for young children is an incredibly rewarding role, but it can also be demanding and exhausting. Just as we nurture the children in our care, it’s important to look after our staff and support their well-being at work. Explore our top tips for caring for your team. Top tips for supporting your team’s well-being NDNA… Continue reading Top tips: Supporting your team’s well-being
STEMinists in the making: Encouraging girls’ confidence in science
Early years settings have a powerful opportunity to shape how girls view themselves as problem-solvers, critical thinkers and future scientists. The curiosity you nurture now can grow into the confidence that makes choosing STEM subjects later at school feel normal and achievable. By encouraging the exploration of ideas, valuing their questions and challenging stereotypes, practitioners can lay the foundation for life-long scientific confidence. Here are some ideas to support… Continue reading STEMinists in the making: Encouraging girls’ confidence in science
Top tips: Using mathematical language everyday with young children
The new Statutory Framework for the EYFS places an emphasis on children developing a love of maths. If maths language can be woven into their children’s everyday experiences, they will develop a secure foundation as they make progress in this area. Top tips for using mathematical language everyday with young children NDNA products to help you with this tip Online Courses in… Continue reading Top tips: Using mathematical language everyday with young children
Top tips: Involving children in snack preparation
Involving children in preparing snacks supports independence, communication, early maths skills and healthy eating habits. With planning and supervision, snack preparation can be a fun, safe and meaningful learning experience for the children. Top tips for involving children in snack preparation Ensure all staff follow the same expectations by using a staff meeting to share, discuss and agree how children can be involved… Continue reading Top tips: Involving children in snack preparation
Top tips: Encouraging bird visitors and how to look after them
Attracting and looking after bird visitors at nursery can be a wonderful way to connect children with nature and support local wildlife. Check out our top tips for how to attract and care for bird visitors. Top tips to get encouraging bird visitors and how to look after them NDNA products to help you with… Continue reading Top tips: Encouraging bird visitors and how to look after them
Top tips: Get children talking
Strong communication skills start with rich, everyday interactions. Nursery leaders play a vital role in creating language-rich environments where every child feels heard and confident to express themselves. These simple, playful tips will help spark conversation, extend vocabulary and build confident communicators to help get children talking. Top tips to get children talking NDNA products to help you… Continue reading Top tips: Get children talking
Top tips: Singing in the early years
From the very earliest age children are exposed to music from hearing their mum singing to them whilst in the womb or listening to music on the car radio as they travel to nursery. Young children respond to music and spontaneously create their own during their play. This top tip looks at how you can use music as a purposeful and engaging… Continue reading Top tips: Singing in the early years
Top tips: New year new energy – supporting your team
As we get ready to step into a new year, it’s a perfect opportunity to embrace fresh beginnings, renewed energy and exciting possibilities. A new year offers a chance for reflection, growth and inspiration. These tips are designed to help leaders support their staff in feeling motivated, valued and empowered, while also prioritising their well-being. Top tips for new year new energy NDNA products… Continue reading Top tips: New year new energy – supporting your team
Supporting children through seasonal change
We think of nurseries as full of joy at festive times, filled with decorations, trees and songs about donkeys and kings. However, for some children, changes to routine, environment and activity can be unsettling and stressful. Bright new lights, new sounds and smells, different food and a busier, less predictable schedule may lead to feelings… Continue reading Supporting children through seasonal change
Top tips: Leading Maths Provision
Early maths experiences set the foundations for children’s future success. Offering a wide range of maths experiences, across all age groups, will provide opportunities for curiosity, fun and engaging activities and foster a love of maths. Top tips for leading maths provision NDNA products to help you with this tip NDNA Maths Champions programme Making… Continue reading Top tips: Leading Maths Provision
Top tips: Inclusive Christmas celebrations
The Christmas period is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity – helping children learn about different traditions, value their own family experiences and develop positive attitudes towards the diverse world around them. Inclusive Christmas celebrations ensure that every child feels represented, respected and involved. Inclusive Christmas celebrations outline NDNA products to help you with this… Continue reading Top tips: Inclusive Christmas celebrations
Top tips: Recycling Christmas Materials
Learning about the environment and sustainability is an essential life skill. Talk to children about recycling and how this means you are taking something you don’t want or need anymore and turning them into new things, and how it helps keep our environment clean and healthy. Top tips for art inspiration NDNA products to help… Continue reading Top tips: Recycling Christmas Materials
Top tips: Inclusive Christmas celebrations
The Christmas period is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity – helping children learn about different traditions, value their own family experiences and develop positive attitudes towards the diverse world around them. Inclusive Christmas celebrations ensure that every child feels represented, respected and involved. Inclusive Christmas celebrations outline NDNA products to help you with this… Continue reading Top tips: Inclusive Christmas celebrations
Top tips: Outdoor art inspiration
The outdoor environment is a wonderful resource – an ever-changing canvas for creativity, imagination and exploration. It offers endless opportunities for children to express themselves, experiment with materials and engage their senses while connecting with the natural world. Inspire your team to see the outdoors as a source of inspiration and creativity for your little… Continue reading Top tips: Outdoor art inspiration
Top tips: Using tools at nursery
By introducing a variety of age-appropriate tools in a safe and supportive environment, children are encouraged to explore, problem-solve and develop fine motor skills. From scissors and glue sticks to paintbrushes and even beginner woodworking tools, children can be given the chance to discover how things work through meaningful play. Top tips for showing kindness… Continue reading Top tips: Using tools at nursery