Wolf pancakes sprinkled with petals are on the menu at the clay café at Guildford Nursery School in Surrey. Three-year-old Zak pats down his pancake, rolls it into a wrap and declares, ‘Nutella inside’. Abi rolls her block of clay into a ball, commenting on how ‘cold’ it feels.
‘Gooey, sticky clay,’ exclaims Professor Tina Bruce, who is sat around the table with the children, observing their play. In true Froebelian style, she comments on their creations and offers ideas to extend the play.
Bruce, a leading scholar in Froebelian philosophy, principles and practice, is one of a handful of educators who have been invited to the setting to look at Froebelian practice in action in the run-up to the launch of a new CPD package by the Froebel Partnership in October (see Further information). Head teacher Sally Cave takes us on a tour of the 100-place nursery school, which is on the site of a former primary school.
‘It’s not the easiest space to manage,’ she says. ‘But we’ve worked really hard to ensure there are cosy corners, as well as plenty of space for children to explore.’
Cave and her team have created a rich, inviting space inspired by Froebel’s key principles. Resources are open-ended, made from natural materials, reusable and recycled, and children have regular opportunities to engage in cooking, weaving, sewing, woodwork, using clay, gardening, block play and construction.
All around the setting, children are deeply engaged in play. Unphased by the new faces, they are either too engrossed to notice, or they invite us into their imaginary spaces. ‘He’s an orphan whale,’ Renne points out, showing us his toy whale. ‘There’s his spout where water squirts out,’ Cave says.
Educator Jeannette is sitting on a stool, knitting a scarf. As she models what she is doing, a couple of two-year-olds join in. One boy finds a tape measure and measures the scarf, while three-year-old Abi counts the stitches as she knits.
The sound of chopping takes us to the snack table where children are using real knives to slice bananas and chop carrots as they sing the ‘Chopping Song’ with their educator.
Watching them, Bruce says, ‘There are two things I am incredibly proud of in the original Foundation Stage two document – that settings are allowed to use real knives and light fires.’
What stands out at Guildford Nursery School is the spontaneous and natural play, alongside the innate curiosity and active engagement of the learners. ‘It may look spontaneous, but it is all carefully and thoroughly thought-out and planned,’ Cave says. ‘Every member of staff knows what each child needs. But equally, they are skilled enough to be able to provide that within what the child wants to do. Learning is never interrupted.’
LEARNING FIRST-HAND
First-hand experience is central to Froebel’s thinking about play. ‘Children bring their real-life experiences and what they find fascinating about them into their play, and we provide exciting experiences which extend children’s interests and open up new possibilities,’ Cave says.
One example of this is in the block play area. Bruce is excited by what she observes. ‘What I see here goes deeper than the major research study I undertook on block play with the Froebel Institute many years ago.’
Senior teacher Chantal Talary tells us about her research project and how she supported a three-year-old to extend his interest in Super Mario and tech into the block play area.
‘He has friendship groups at nursery and enjoys playing, but we observed that he wasn’t engaging in that deeper-level thinking that we wanted to see. I played alongside him and encouraged him to use the blocks,’ Talary explains. ‘He started to build an interesting structure using blocks with elliptical curves. He called it a “louder” – English is his second language. I drew on the mini wooden wipeable board – we use this to capture what children are saying about their creations – and said, “Do you mean something like this? The symbol for turning up the volume control?” He said “yes” and proceeded to take the pen and draw his own version of “louder” on the board at the same time as using his voice to demonstrate “low” as a whisper and “loud” in a big voice.’
She adds, ‘This is the first time I have seen a child stack the curved blocks in this way to create a symbol that relates to technology. The blocks gave him the freedom to explore his interests and unique interpretation of his real-life experiences.’
Talary says children are engaged and focused in block play at the setting. ‘They build with a purpose, either alone or collaboratively. We provide unit blocks, mini unit blocks, hollow blocks and large hollow blocks and Outlast blocks.’
FREEDOM WITH GUIDANCE
Free choice and self-activity with guidance from the adult are an important Froebelian principle. This is evident in the outdoor covered woodwork area where a group of four children are hammering nails into pieces of wood with bottle tops placed on top. ‘This is a good example of Froebel’s principle of Freedom with Guidance, the guidance being that you have to wear goggles and we teach the children how to use tools and how to use them safely. But at the same time, children have the freedom of what they do with the materials. There is no set product or outcome,’ explains Cave.
Children have free-flow access to the outdoors and move between the two. They are supported to develop at their own pace and are given plenty of time and space to engage in solitary or collaborative play.
Ellena, for example, is sat alone in the outdoor role-play area in front of an old keyboard. She is tapping on the keys and using her pens to check off items on her clipboard.
‘Ellena is totally engaged in her imitative and pretend play, and staff are attuned to her needs. Some children live in busy, crowded households and need space to just be at times,’ Cave says.
Bruce marvels at a little girl aged three who has been engrossed in play at the water tray for at least ten minutes, squeezing a rubber duck until it is full of water, then letting the water out. ‘Froebel valued skilled observation by knowledgeable, nurturing adults. Adults need to observe, support and know when and how to extend,’ she says.
UNDERSTANDING NATURE
The study of nature is central to the Froebelian approach. He placed great importance on the garden. This is reflected in the setting’s outdoor space, where children plant, tend to and harvest fruit and vegetables, and bring them back indoors to cook with. Today in the workshop area, the children have placed daffodils from the garden in vases. A daffodil with its bulb and roots intact is also on display. Children are mixing different shades of yellow powder paints placed in plastic coffee-lids. Old glass reed diffuser bottles are used as paint pots, and children are peering up at colour paint charts from B&Q to make their selection.
‘Such a simple idea which encourages children to try mixing the paints,’ Bruce says.
She also points out the adult-level shelf placed with books on colour mixing. ‘Ideal to have them at hand when needed,’ she adds.
This idea is replicated throughout the setting, with key factual books on clay, sewing, block play, engaging with nature and maths placed in each area.
ON REFLECTION
On leaving the nursery, we spot a boy and a girl sat on a beanbag facing each other, eyes locked, talking. It’s evident from their body language that they are totally relaxed in their space and in each other’s presence. There is no fear that they will be hurried onto the next activity or that this magical interaction will be broken up. This sums up my experience of Guildford Nursery School: authentic, real-life experiences nurtured by knowledgeable and supportive adults.
GUILDFORD NURSERY SCHOOL’S BEST BUYS
- Best investment: Community Playthings’ Pre-School Unit Block Set of 149 blocks, £480; Mini unit blocks, £94; the Pre-School Set Hollow Blocks, £1,480; or for outdoor use, try the Outlast Nursery Classic Set, £2,272. https://bit.ly/3zq0g5U
- Best medium-priced resource:Early Excellence’s Set of Mixed Wooden Figures, £59.95. https://bit.ly/4cFf5jh
- Best cheap buy: A4 Natural Wipe Boards (6PK), £16.99 from Cosy. https://bit.ly/4cKX2bE
- Great for Froebelian practice: TTS’s Magnetic Polydron 2D 3D Shapes Maths Set 118pcs, £214.99. https://bit.ly/45NmYks; and Magnetic Polydron Shape Set £51.99. https://bit.ly/3XNomSk
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre: guildfordnscc.surrey.sch.uk
- thefroebelpartnership.co.uk
- ‘Reflection with Guidance, a Froebelian tool for developing practice and transformation’: thefroebelpartnership.co.uk/projects
