Honeybeez Childcare

Who Are We?

Honeybeez Childcare are a unique provision offering a small, friendly environment where we are committed to influencing children for good and to maximise their greatest potential whilst developing respect for themselves, others and the environment.

Honeybeez Childcare are a graduate-led, Montessori based, setting focus on providing high quality educational experiences in a domestic environment.

We are committed to employing staff who are experienced and highly qualified. We aim to exceed the minimum requirements as stated by OFSTED, that 50% of staff are trained to NVQ Level 3 or above in an appropriate field.

All our staff have accessed Montessori, child protection, food hygiene and paediatric first aid training, and we are committed to offering on-going, high-level professional development opportunities to all staff.

Graduate led
Montessori-trained staff

Friendly environment
Good OFSTED

Keyworker system
Follows EYFS

What We Offer

We offer highly flexible, extended provision designed to specifically meet the needs of working families. We have a range of fee structures available and offer some nursery funded places for three and four year olds, and also accept other payments schemes, such as workplace vouchers.

OUR OPENING HOURS ARE:
Monday – Friday 07.30 – 18.30
51 weeks of the year (closed 24th December to 2nd January)
After School Clubs and Pickups Available by Arrangement

A choice of breakfast and evening meal are provided.

Healthy snacks and drinks are freely available.

We aim to enrich your child’s experiences by inviting a range of visitors from the local community and beyond and arranging visits and outings on a regular basis.

Our children are cared for within a variety of appropriate environments, with account taken of their individual needs, development and preferences. Each child has a named key person and a home contact book to ensure that communication is efficient and easy, to enable a smooth transition between home and our setting.

We have a baby and toddler room and a Children’s House which children access when they are developmentally ready. Alongside this, we also have a creative room, kitchen, quiet room and outdoor environment, which the children can access through choices.

Dedicated to maximising your child’s greatest potential

Encouragement to respect for self, others and the environment

Extended opening hours to suit your work pattern

The Honeybeez Childcare Team

Owner/Manager

Claire Greensit | BA(Hons) Primary Education (3-8 years), QTS, EYPS

Claire is an early years teacher with 8 years experience in education. Within the setting she holds responsibility for: SENCO, Designated Person for Safeguarding and leads practice within the Foundation Stage, as well as having overall responsibility for ensuring the education and care provided are of the highest standard and works closely with the Montessori Schools Association, PACEY and Local Authority to develop the quality of the services provided by the setting.

Deputy Manager

Laura Rouse | BTEC National in Caring (Nursery Nursing) , Montessori Diploma

Laura is a nursery nurse with 16 years experience in a range of settings, having worked both as childminder in her own right and a nursery nurse in a number of settings. She worked as Directress in Foundation Stage, in a Montessori setting after completing her Montessori studies.
Within the setting, Laura holds responsibility as: Under 2s Lead Practitioner, and Montessori Lead.

Lauren Fairless | Apprentice Nursery Assistant

Lauren is working towards her level 2 qualification. (image that is numbered rather than named!)

Keren Manifold | Nursery Assistant

LKeren has many years of childcare experience both as a parent and working within the childcare sector.

Sylvia Greensit | Cert Ed (Primary Education) Supply Nursery Assistant

Sylvia is a retired primary school teacher and has worked as a nanny for many years.

Alan Greensit | Handyman/Gardener

Alan is a retired Civil Servant and is our handyman and gardener. His DBS is in progress.

Prospectus

Maria Montessori 1870-1952 was the first woman doctor and psychologist, she worked with disadvantaged children in San Lorenzo. Through her observations she realised that each child had a great untapped intellectual potential and that through her system all children could achieve their full potential.

Montessori education is child-centred, in order that each child can:

progress at his/her own pace
learn in a supportive and sympathetic environment
be encouraged to develop his/her own individual strengths.

The Montessori Method offers a wide curriculum to the child through the unique combination of:

freedom of choice of activities
high teacher/pupil ratio
being within an ordered and structured environment.

The Montessori teacher is termed a directress, because her role is to direct and guide the child’s studies. With the younger children she plays a more active role, when demonstrating the use of equipment and presenting opportunities for development. As the approach recognises that children under 3 years old use their senses as their most important learning tool our infant and toddler community focuses on the sensory areas by encouraging the child’s independence and spirit of exploration. The directress intervenes less and less as the children develop.

We aim to encourage their independence and exploration by offering appropriate activities, such as:

treasure baskets
singing, stories, rhymes and movement
messy play, playdough and painting
sorting and jigsaws
snack times and preparation

These activities will change to reflect the interests and needs of the children, whilst also building on varying topics.

Our staff work hard to develop relationships within the setting, as we acknowledge that babies and toddlers particularly need the stability and security of close carer bonds, in order to gain confidence to access the environment and further learning.

Our Children’s House is organised into 5 specific areas, identified by Montessori and underpin the in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). These are:

Practical Life: gaining independence in daily activities, instilling care for self, others and the environment. It also develops muscular control and concentration, which are the foundation for all other areas of learning.
Sensorial: refining and ordering the senses and clarifying impressions through a range of sensory experiences using a variety of equipment.
Language: introducing children to the phonetic alphabet, beginning with sandpaper letters enabling children to link sounds to letters and move on to build words. Children will have access to a wide range of texts and mark making.
Mathematic: introducing children to numbers and shapes in their concrete form, allowing them opportunities to investigate and reason, eventually in more abstract forms. This work gives a solid understanding to develop problem solving capabilities.
Cultural: using a cross-curricular themed approach to begin learning about:
- Geography
- Biology
- History
- Art
- Foot Technology
- Music and Movement

Our children have regular access to the outdoor environment, where we have a large sandpit, playhouse, climbing apparatus and a range of small apparatus. This has been designed to develop gross-motor skills and allow children to refine their spatial awareness.

Children are encouraged to take care of our environment by looking after plants and trees and observing wildlife and seasonal changes. There will also be opportunities to investigate the properties of water and how it can be used to keep our environment clean.

Our children are encouraged to be involved in food preparation, serving and eating together. They also have access to a wide range of foods from different cultures and are able to contribute ideas to our weekly menu, which is clearly displayed.