Nursery World - Case study: Sanchia Lyons

Sanchia Lyons, based at Kate Greenaway Nursery in Islington, London, had already studied with Tina Bruce for her MA and wanted to extend her appreciation of Froebel by undertaking the graduate certificate. We had to write essays on particular characters we were in interested in, she says. I chose Robert Owen as the subject of a 7,000 word essay and related his work to Sure Start. I also focused on creativity and play, looking at the "shared area" we have in our nursery, analysing it from a creative perspective. My final essay examined what parents expected from their child's nursery. I used information from Islington Council annual survey and talked to parents myself. I tied this in with reflective and holistic practice and related it back to Froebel.

We had to write essays on particular characters we were in interested in, she says. I chose Robert Owen as the subject of a 7,000 word essay and related his work to Sure Start. I also focused on creativity and play, looking at the "shared area" we have in our nursery, analysing it from a creative perspective. My final essay examined what parents expected from their child's nursery. I used information from Islington Council annual survey and talked to parents myself. I tied this in with reflective and holistic practice and related it back to Froebel.

The course has made me think deeply about the cyclical nature of thinking in practice and recognise how Froebel's principles still hold good. His schools have not survived in the way that Montessori and Steiner schools have, but this is not surprising, as his practice was less prescriptive. As a pioneer he was all-encompassing and I have come to feel that my own approach is now more Froebelian than anything else.

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