Home from Home Ethos and Pedagogy

Our method and practise of teaching, our pedagogy, outlines how we want our children to be cared for, the environment we wish to create and how we want our teams to deliver this. We always want to make a difference, and our ethos below demonstrates how we want this to feel.

Our pedagogy provides the detailed framework to support colleagues to deliver and parents to understand our practise of teaching.

Home from Home Ethos

Warm, friendly, welcoming and homely

Children are welcomed through the front door by a team member with a bright sunny face. First exclamation is “Oh, but it’s just like home”. The atmosphere is vibrant. Children and practitioners look happy, they’re smiling. There’s the sound of cheer and laughter and a sweet smell of cooking, baking, toast or fresh linen. Children are able to drink milk or water and graze on fruit and veg throughout the day. We aspire towards ensuring that we appeal to our children’s’ five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.

Practitioners are kind, motivated and well qualified

The practitioners at Home from Home are kind natured and gentle with big hearts. They have spirit. Our practitioners want to be here and this is evident in their personality and character fit. We work together to achieve our long term goals and have respect and regard for one another.

They love going on courses, attending practitioners meetings and training. All practitioners have a voice. We pride ourselves on a robust Supervision and Appraisal system. We acknowledge that without the skill set and competencies of our dedicated practitioners, we are at a loss.

Environment is well presented with natural colours and a rustic tone

A homemaking environment that is comfortable and that children recognise as their second home. It feels like home, it mirrors home. There’s a sense of harmony in the atmosphere.

There’s a sense of beauty and attention to detail that supports the child’s wellbeing. An organised environment gives the child an inner sense of security where they know where to find a toy. Natural wooden floorboards and soft, natural coloured carpet, wooden furniture and a colour scheme of honey tones create a feeling of calm.

Free flow is embedded just like at home

Children potter around and explore, moving from one space to another in their own time, just as they do at home; simply knowing the practitioners are there.

From the book area to the kitchen, then back out to the garden; from the small world area to the toilets, then back to some role play. 7 areas of learning embed the learning experience and children choose where and with what and whom they play. Practitioners are there to embrace teaching opportunities, provide learning opportunities and challenge, but are also mindful to let children “be”.

Nursery Pedagogy

The physical and emotional environment

At Home from Home Nursery, we offer the child and family an environment that allows the child to unfold their potential in a healthy, unrushed manner.

The child learns to become truly social through empathetic guidance and the family experiences good sound practice to reflect the archetypal home.

The physical environment is spacious and light, set in the natural beauty of a 19th century Victorian home. High ceilings and large sash windows allow for the circulation of clean, fresh air. A neutral colour scheme, wooden floors and soft home furnishings create the perfect setting for a child’s second home. Natural organic resources contribute to a non-cluttered, simple environment.

Each room lends itself to an area of learning that is in keeping with the Early Years Foundation Stage. Interconnecting doors to rooms are left open encouraging children to move independently, offering choice, from one room to the other. The carefully prepared environment presents ongoing seasonally related activities inspired by observations of children’s interests. A chosen book of the month is embedded into the learning journey.

The environment is modelled on the archetypal home and with this in mind the garden doors remain open. Children explore the outdoors in all weathers. The garden is a large, open, rustic space where exciting, challenging play opportunities are led by skilful practitioners. An allotment provides for daily learning about the world around us and the relationship between food, taste and memory are integral to the day. Forest school and Beach school provide for a larger environmental canvas of learning as children journey outside of the nursery into their familiar natural world. With seasonal change children immerse themselves in nature.

Furthermore, the local community is of equal importance to the learning at home from Home. Parents contribute towards their cultural capital by offering their skills, enriching the curriculum to create a sense of awe and wonder, to fit with children’s interests. Close links with elderly residential homes teaches the children about kindness and compassion. The local community is enjoyed whilst diversity of culture is explored.

Home from Home takes as given the interdependence of physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive development. It takes account of the whole child and believes that children’s learning flourishes in a calm, peaceful, predictable, familiar and unhurried environment that recognises children’s sensitivities.

At Home from Home, it is recognised that learning is mostly in the process not the product, in quality not quantity, and through careful curriculum planning, sustained shared thinking, the scaffolding of learning and the creating of familiar routine, small adult age-appropriate focused activities, children learn through having fun; play happens without interruption; there’s a respect for time and space, a mindfulness, a sense of quiet and peace.

Strong Relationships

At Home from Home the keyperson does not replace or interfere with the parent/child relationship but rather contributes and supports with a warm objectivity. There’s respect and consideration for the families who attend and for fellow co-workers. The team at Home from Home are kind natured and gentle with big hearts. They have spirit. Home from Home Nursery is there for the family as well as the child, and with this is created a threefold relationship between Nursery, family and child. This trusting, strong foundation is built from week one of a lengthy settling-in period. Practitioners build an understanding of the family’s choices, values and needs. Practitioners are warm, welcoming and kind. Practitioners are role models for the children and carry this important aspect of the work, which involves all that he or she does, from the very gestures that are used, to inner attitudes and thoughts. Practitioners smile, praise and use positive non-verbal communication in the building of strong relations. The team lead through strong values that embed themselves in the Home from Home ethos; that of respect, care, inspiration, working as one team and providing for an environment that is safe and secure. We have established close links with local residential homes for the elderly people, encouraging care and compassion and an interest in people outside the children’s family. At Home from Home, we take account of the whole child, believing that learning flourishes in a calm, familiar yet stimulating environment and that recognises each child’s sensitivities. We understand that deep learning occurs when the emphasis is on the process and not the end result. Through careful curriculum planning, sustained shared thinking, scaffolding development and setting familiar routines, children cannot fail to thrive. We are social learners; this is especially true with young people. At Home from Home, we value the developmental importance of relationships with both adults and peers. Each child, and their family is allocated a key (special person) when they join our nursery. This key person does not interfere with the parent/child relationship but supports both throughout the journey with us. The key person system grows mutual respect and trust, embracing the whole family, not just the child. The strong foundation is built from day one when the family have their settling in sessions. The key person develops an affinity with the family and an understanding of their choices, values and needs. They act as role-models for their key children, understanding the importance of verbal communication, nuance and body language. All practitioners professionally uphold the strong values, respect and inclusive considerations of the Home from Home ethos, working together as a team and providing a safe and stimulating environment.

Home from Home Pedagogic Strategies

Everyone contributes to the running of the day in a meaningful way through planned activities, daily care routines, team communication, encouraging children’s voices, respecting diversity and developing partnerships with our families.

Here we will explore what strategies (methods) we use to ensure our pedagogy is effective. Both the physical and emotional developments play a part in our children’s development and support our pedagogy, but what methods do we use?

At Home from Home, we have identified four main pedagogic strategies to enable purposeful development, journeying through the 7 areas of learning identifies within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Enabling autonomy

Children are encouraged to express themselves, make choices and follow their interests through play. Practitioners listen, guide and respond to individual needs, allowing children to explore freely and develop their learning through open-ended questions and shared discovery.

Building independence

Children engage in the daily running of the nursery. They are encouraged to help prepare snacks, tidy resources away and carry out self-care (finding their coats, preparing sleep mats, dressing and un-dressing, toileting and helping other children).

Encouraging social skills

Everyone is valued and respected at Home from Home. Staff understand the importance of social interactions and meaningful connections. We have a strong key person system and take care when settling new families. Learning is done in collaboration with children their peers and adults and is driven by self-inquiry and critical reflection.

Developing a growth mind-set

At Home from Home, we celebrate the process of learning as opposed to the end result. We praise the effort before the end product. This encourages a growth mind-set and develops critical thinking. Practitioners open up opportunities for children to explain an ‘I can’ attitude; developing a culture where it is ok to make mistakes and celebrate the resilience and strategies which ensue.

Caring for Every Child

Why Choose Home from Home?

Our experienced and dedicated team works closely with families to provide individual care and support. With better-than-government-required staff-to-child ratios, we are able to build strong relationships with each child and provide the reassurance, attention and encouragement they need.

Children learn through a wide range of play-based activities, including creative, sensory, messy, physical and outdoor play, as well as regular opportunities to explore the local environment.

Highly qualified, caring and experienced early years practitioners

Childcare from 8 months to 5 years

Better that government required staff to child ratios

Spacious, homely nursery environment

Large one acre garden

Free-flow approach to learning and play

Strong communication with parents

Individual care through our key person system

Forest School, Wild Beach and Allotment

Safe, Caring and Welcoming

Come and Visit Us

The best way to experience Home from Home Nursery is to see it for yourself. Meet our team, explore the nursery and garden and discover the welcoming environment we have created for children in Worthing.