Staff make joint decision on new resources

Lincolnshire Montessori's Stallingborough nursery has just boosted its outdoor provision with the help of a grant from North East Lincolnshire County Council's Early Years Department.

The £5,000 funding was given as a premium for offering the free entitlement flexibly to the 45 children on roll. Development manager Nathan Archer says the money was particularly appreciated because the nursery had missed out on capital grant funding.

'We consulted with all the staff to identify gaps in provision and looked at our SEF to find out what we needed,' he says. 'We also wanted to replicate the outdoor project which has been carried out by our Caistor site in conjunction with Early Excellence, and which was funded by Lincolnshire County Council. This is all about creating continuous provision where resources are constantly available to children to maximise their learning experiences.'

Lincolnshire Montessori adheres to the principles of the 'prepared environment', an approach created by Maria Montessori in response to what children themselves prefer. Its distinguishing features are that everything is the right size for children, everything is within reach and is orderly and tidy. These aspects of the environment help to give children physical freedom and thereby greater independence. The orderly nature of the environment also promotes a feeling of security.

These considerations fed into how the grant money was spent. Mr Archer says it was empowering for staff to take control of this. 'Staff decided between them what they wanted to buy and what they needed to do their job well,' he says.

At the top of their shopping list was robust outdoor clothing, including quality overcoats and dungarees. They also bought den-making and construction materials, including plastic crates and tubes, trolleys and ropes, role-play resources including a firefighters play kit with cones and hoses, and a play garage with cars.

'We also wanted resources to encourage reflective learning and give children the opportunity to create their own private spaces,' says Mr Archer. 'With this in mind, we have bought a willow den, mirrors and materials such as net.'

The purchases have sharpened the focus on the nursery's approach to storage and accessibility. 'This is every bit as important outdoors as it is inside,' he says. 'We invested in some bicycle sheds that are used for the storage of collections and other resources. Everything is carefully labelled and has its special place. The children can choose what they want and then replace it.'

MORE INFORMATION

www.lincolnshiremontessori.co.uk