The children from Jellybabies Nursery & Pre-School took part in their Christmas production – called Christmas Eve at Nursery and the True Meaning of Christmas.
They acted out Christmas songs, and told the story of the nativity through song, actions and Makaton sign language in front of family and friends. The children were amazing and the Jellybabies team are so very proud of them all!

The team at Jumping Jellybeans Pre-School proudly celebrated their 20th birthday with a Birthday Fayre that brought together children with their families and community members for a day of fun and laughter. The event featured fun activities, games, and stalls, all aimed at fostering a sense of togetherness and community spirit.

The highlight of the celebration was the presence of the Mayor of Poole, who graciously joined the festivities, cutting a beautifully decorated birthday cake to mark this significant milestone! The mayor took the time to mingle with the staff, children and community members, as well as share stories and participate in the joyful atmosphere, reinforcing the bond between the pre-school and the community it serves. They were also delighted to have Arche, a football player from Hamworthy United, join the children in the garden and teach some football skills.

This cheerful day not only celebrated two decades of nurturing and inspiring young minds but also strengthened the connections that make Jumping Jellybeans a cherished part of the Poole community.

Watery Lane Pre-school has recently sought to expand their space after recently expanding their provision to meet the local demand for early years spaces within the community. With little room to expand into, the team had to get creative! They fundraised and applied for grants to erect an insulated, heated garden building. Inside there are cosy rugs and throws, gentle lighting, various sensory resources, books, hygge colouring, plants and a very natural feel.

The building is based on the Danish concept of ‘Hygge’, which means cosy, and has been named ‘The Hygge Hut’ to reflect this idea. It will have a hugely positive impact on those children who need a quieter space to help them manage their emotions and develop to their potential.

The Hygge Hut has also been designed very much with the staff’s wellbeing in mind, as well as the children’s. In the hut, a cosy area for the team has been created to enjoy during breaktimes, with self-care very much at the forefront in the form of a staff self-care basket containing items such as books, adult colouring, lavender pulse point rollers, self-care quotes, hand cream, chocolates, fidget toys – and even their own eye masks hung from pegs!

Ali Garbett (Service Manager: Education Relationships and Early Years from Somerset Council) came along to ‘officially’ open the Hygge Hut, along with several members of the pre-school's supportive committee. The Alliance’s very own Neil Leitch even sent a well-deserved ‘thank you and good luck’ video message to the children and staff!

At Northend Nursery in Erith, the younger children have been interested in watching the planes in the sky and the trails they leave behind them. They were asked what else flies in the sky, to which one child, who loves space, said ‘a rocket’! Using Piaget’s stages, the educators scaffolded their interests by introducing things a rocket might see in space, leading to planets and spacemen.

As part of October’s Black History Month learning, the pre-school children have been exploring Mae Jemison, a Black woman physician, engineer and astronaut, who also enjoyed dancing. The children dressed up in African print clothing and danced to traditional African music.

The educators then employed Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development to expand the children’s knowledge about Jemison. They discovered that Jemison learned about Martyn Luther King and saw his work as call to action, so, after graduating, she became a doctor. The children then linked this to people who help us such as Mary Seacole, who became a serviceman nurse. Outside St.Thomas’ Hospital in London, there’s a statue that several children have seen as they or family members have received treatment, which was a fantastic real-life link to their learning!

The Centre Place nursery team are always celebrating differences through play, stories and circle time discussions, and part of this also includes having mutual respect and showing kindness to each other as part of the nursery’s rules.

As part of supporting the children with understanding kindness and mutual respect, which are part of British Values, children and staff were encouraged to wear odd socks for Odd Sock Day on 12 November during Anti-Bullying Week. Discussions and stories around being kind to each other took place, alongside sharing how to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness.

The children have been learning to take turns, use kind words and kind hands, and follow the nursery rules. Some children have even been going over to comfort children when they see them upset, offer them a toy or pat their back.

The children's families have also been encouraged to continue this at home, using simple language to share the message. The team wholeheartedly believes that it’s important to embed these skills to help children grow into responsible, kind adults and continue to be supportive members of society.

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