My Under 5

Stepping into the future

Foxcubs Nursery in Luton celebrated a huge turnout at its graduation ceremony in July.

The event began with the children proudly taking the stage to receive their graduation scroll from nursery manager Shaheena Khatun. Families took photos to capture their child's special moment, while deputy manager Safina documented the day to update each child’s Journey profile.

Afterwards, a party with food and drinks provided an opportunity for families to speak to the educators and management team. Attendees thoroughly enjoyed the video booth and props provided by Booth Boys, which proved to be a big hit!

Shaheena said: “We were very excited to share this beautiful moment with the parents and to acknowledge their support over the years.

“It's been wonderful to see the children progress and grow within their time at Foxcubs. A huge well done to my staff team who go above and beyond to ensure the children are ready for the next stage in their life!”

Wild adventures

The children at Sunshine Corner in Aylesham, Kent, stepped into the wild in July for an unforgettable summer day out at Wingham Wildlife Park.

Leading up to the big day, the little explorers had been busy diving into a special animal-themed curriculum. From sharing favourite stories about creatures to creating colourful animal artwork and practicing counting with zoo matching games, the children spent the week building up their vocabulary and curious minds.

Manager Hayley Nash said: “A massive thank you to all the parents and carers who volunteered their time. It was a spectacular, sun-soaked day of laughter, learning, and making memories!”

Branching out

In July, Oak Tree Nursery in Ilfracombe, Devon, celebrated its school leavers with a wonderful morning of fun.

The children enjoyed ice cream, face painting, football and lots of delicious cakes, which was a perfect way to mark this special occasion.

Early years manager Sophie Moore said: “We have loved watching the children grow, learn and flourish throughout the year. It has been a privilege to be part of their journey and we are incredibly proud of all they have achieved.

“As they move on to their next exciting adventure, we wish them every happiness and success in the future. We know they will continue to shine and make wonderful memories along the way."

Monster smiles

Poppies Nursery in Luton was awarded runner-up in a creative competition run by the Oral Health Foundation to celebrate National Smile Month.

The children collected a variety of recycled and craft resources to design their very own ‘smile monsters’. The project encouraged creativity, teamwork and conversations about oral health and the importance of smiling.

The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring different materials and bringing their unique designs to life, showcasing their individuality and creativity.

Manager Tracey Perkins said: “A huge well done to all the children for their fantastic creativity and hard work [and] thank you to all of our families for your continued support and for helping the children collect the resources needed for this wonderful project. We could not have done it without you.”

Page-turning play

Children at Kilton Nursery in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and Park Town Pre-school in Luton celebrated the Alliance's National Week of Play back in July by immersing themselves in a world of stories, imagination and creativity.

This year's theme, Books and beyond: bringing stories to life through imaginative play, encouraged children to explore how stories can inspire ideas, curiosity and storytelling of their own.

Throughout the week, the children at Kilton were eager to explore much-loved favourite stories such as Funnybones and The Gruffalo through thoughtfully planned resources, props and puppets.

At Park Town, the children were inspired by nearby construction work and enjoyed sharing a story about diggers, recreating scenes with construction vehicles and small-world toys.

Both settings have shown how books can become powerful tools for learning, helping children to build confidence, develop literacy skills and foster a lifelong love of reading.

25 years of fun

Old London Road Pre-school in St Albans celebrated their 25th annual fun day with more than 250 guests, including past, present and future families, local residents, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch, MP for St Albans Daisy Cooper and the newly installed Major of St Albans councillor Matt Fisher.

The annual event was held to raise additional funds and featured a petting farm, bouncy castle and stalls, as well as decorated cakes to celebrate both their recent positive Ofsted outcome and the 25th event.

One parent said: “We loved the variety of activities, the lovely homemade food, and the chance to see the animals. I even came home with a henna tattoo which shows how much fun there was for adults as well as the children.”

Bubbles and bright futures

Centre Place Nursery in Southend-on-Sea is celebrating an incredibly positive Ofsted inspection having achieved a ‘strong standard’ grading across all inspection areas, as well as meeting its safeguarding requirements.

The Ofsted report also noted the setting’s “very inclusive play environment”, noting how educators join play time to spark the children’s imaginations and build on their vocabulary.

In one such play session, children and educators recently had lots of fun during a giant bubble-making activity in which the children “marvelled at the colours, patterns and movement of the bubbles”.

Early years manager Tara Simpson said: "I am incredibly proud of my amazing team at Centre Place Nursery. Achieving a ‘strong standard’ rating under the new grading system is a testament to the team’s hard work, passion and commitment.”

Well done Centre Place!

Prime-time pre-schoolers

The children at St. Gabriel's Pre-school in Tamworth recently made a special appearance on BBC Midlands Today following filming at their local community garden to celebrate its creator, Etheline Deer.

During their visits to Belgrave Community Allotment and Garden, the children have learned how to grow their own food and nurture plants, "reinforcing how valuable outdoor spaces are for wellbeing, confidence and calm".

Out of school club manager Theresa Miller said: "The garden is more than a place to grow vegetables; it is a place where relationships, resilience and community spirit flourish, and we are proud to be part of it."

Stamp of success

Bellinge Community Pre-school in Northampton is proud to have received the Portage Stamp of Approval for another year, an achievement they have maintained since 2017.

The setting is one of only three pre-schools in the town to hold this award.

The award recognises that as Portage Practitioners, the setting has the information and guidance needed to provide high-quality support for children with SEND and their families.

Manager Anabela Da Silva said: “Thank you Eleanor and Gemma for your continued support of our staff, children and families, and for helping us retain this important recognition.”

What’s been happening in your setting?
The team at Under 5 want to know! To share your good news, success stories and fun events with us, Alliance members can email editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk (with the subject line ‘My Under 5’ to make sure we don’t miss your email).