Blog & Articles
Here are a selection of documents, reports and general information, that we hope our parents and carers will find useful.
Potley Hill Articles
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The perfect packed lunch
Potty Training
Potley Hill Blog
Preparing your child for potty training
Preparing your child for potty training Just as we prepare babies for sleep by reading them a story, there are plenty of ways to help your child get used to the idea of where wee and poo goes before you remove their nappy for good. Here are a few tried and tested ways from Education and
Spark a child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity
Books create warm emotional bonds between adults and children when they read books together - like Lucy here. Books help children develop basic language skills. They profoundly expand vocabulary and demonstrate sentence construction. Books demand that children think. They give new ways to think and new ideas. They expand our universe beyond time and place and inspire
Early Years Communicators
We are lucky to have Gosia, who is a Level 3 qualified BSL signer and talented storyteller! We recorded Trisha and Gosia reading and signing to the children in our forest. Listen to Trisha here, in this blog, and watch while Gosia signs "Don't Wake the Bear, Hare!" Signing supports the development of language skills, such as learning,
Feed the Birds Day
Imagine a world where there were no birds – they’ve all gone! Unthinkable - but there are species of birds that have disappeared. So we teach the children how important birds are to us. for pollinating plants, for dispersing seeds, for eating pests on plants so the plants can survive and to keep birds in our world
Help them make their future bright. Join us for Pledguary!
PLEDGUARY! You've heard of Veganuary - now here's PLEDGUARY - pledging small steps to achieve big changes. LET'S MAKE IT A THING! For February, everyone have a good think about any pledges your family can make to help make our world better for future generations. No matter how big or small - each step we take
Big Garden Bird Watch – RSPB
Sign up here! We've signed up for the RSPB Big School Bird Watch. You can take part at home too! Sit back, relax and watch your local birds for an hour between 28-30 January. Simply count the birds you see and go online to tell us what you saw. However, we know some people prefer to use
“There’s no such thing as bad weather….”
A tiny little bug scurrying by, a bird sitting high in the tree, the sun shining on your face or the wind blowing in your hair. It is essential we provide plenty of opportunities for our children to be outside to get fresh air, exercise and to deepen their appreciation of the natural world. Here at Potley Hill
Finger food without the FEAR!
Finger food without the FEAR ! In the light of recent events in the news, we want to give a timely reminder about how to avoid tragic accidents.
The Learning in Loose Parts
In a world in which we are preparing our youngest generation for professions still unknown, it is imperative to fuel children’s curiosity and appetite for learning. This love of learning, along with the skills to communicate, problem-solve, and self-regulate, will lead to life-long success no matter the profession. Some might say that learning these skills will only
Christmas is coming
The weeks are rolling by and we are now into the second half of our Autumn term. It’s the time of year when as Early Years Educators we start to plan our cards, gifts and Christmas keepsakes. Traditionally ourselves and other nurseries would work for weeks creating beautifully handcrafted cards. All identical in style and design. Children would
How much sugar is too much?
The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are "free sugars". These are: Any sugars added to food or drinks. (Hence water is best!) Sugars in biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and squash or fizzy drinks. Sugars in honey, syrups (such as maple, agave and golden), nectars (such as
The Curiosity Approach
At The Curiosity Approach®, the aim is to change the way we educate children and allow them to play FREE from the constraints of predetermined ideas, topics and adult chosen ‘ themes‘. “UnADULTerated play!” Whose imagination, is it anyway? Definition – “not spoiled or made weaker by the addition of other substances; pure“ Who is in charge of THEIR
Online Safety
Safety Online More and more preschoolers are using their parents’ computers, smartphones or tablets to play games, use apps, and watch their favourite TV shows. There are simple things you can do to make sure they’re using the internet safely. www.internetmatters.org in partnership with some of the leading IT companies has put together a brilliant,
Eco Project
It’s a challenge! We are aiming for Holistic Health - healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy planet. Starting with making our setting as ‘healthy’ as it can be. We are starting a project this year and need your help. We need Eco Champions to join our project team to audit the setting, carry out research and make recommendations
Chloe & Sophie’s Special Ears Fund
Our aim is to become a go-to Communication Friendly setting in the area – the closest to us at the moment is Southampton! Quite apart from the physical equipment available for children to help them communicate in preschool, through experience we’ve learnt that practitioners and environment can make a huge difference to a child’s development. All our lovely