Location
Ryton
Our Ryton nursery is set in the beautiful surroundings of Old Ryton Village and provides 54 full day-care places for children aged from birth to 5 years.
We are open 7:45am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday for 51 weeks per year.
The nursery is closed between Christmas and New Year and for all bank holidays.
We are rated outstanding by Ofsted
"Children thrive at this welcoming setting. Staff ignite children’s curiosity to learn and children remain deeply engaged in their uninterrupted play for long periods of time.
Staff offer calming guidance and encourage children to ‘have a go’ when they encounter challenges. They rejoice and celebrate with children when they succeed."
Squirrel Room
Squirrel room holds a maximum of 18 children per session, aged from birth to 2 years, and our staff-to-child ratio is 1:3.
Our classroom is designed as a “home from home” environment, and resources are accessible to the children at all times.
We promote the child-centred Montessori ethos of freedom and independence.
Our environment is carefully prepared so that children may choose the activities and materials they wish to work with.
Children spend lots of time outdoors and our garden is a wonderful sensory experience in all weathers!
We also take children on short outings around the village or to the local park.
Foxes Den
Foxes Den holds a maximum of 12 children per session, aged 2–3 years, and our staff-to-child ratio is 1:4.
Our foxes access a range of early Montessori materials in all areas of learning.
Our trained staff follow children’s interests and provide adult-led activities which engage and challenge, and ensure that children make excellent progress.
The Foxes Den is a separate building set in the grounds of our garden, surrounded by plants and trees.
The front face of the building boasts a number of large windows, filling the classroom with natural light, and benefits from a small veranda which the children can access via double doors direct from the classroom.
Children benefit from free-flow access to a rich and inviting outdoor area.
Badger Room
Badger Room is equipped for a maximum of 24 children per session, aged from 3 to 5 years of age, and our staff-to-child ratio is 1:8.
This is our pre-school room and is where children will stay until they leave us to join Reception class.
As well as following the ethos of promoting independence and following children’s interests, the Badger Room has an extensive range of Montessori materials in all areas of learning.
Children are encouraged to be independent in all aspects of nursery life, including helping to prepare snacks and meals and tending to their own self-care needs wherever possible.
Children in the Badger Room also benefit from free-flow access to their own well-equipped outdoor area.
Nursery Garden
Children benefit from an extensive and fully secure outdoor area with a wide range of equipment and activities which offer children the same opportunities for learning outdoors as indoors.
An important aspect of Montessori practice is “care of the environment” and our
allotment is a great resource for teaching the children about planting and growing plants, flowers, vegetables and fruit. The allotment is tended to by the staff and children from Foxes Den and Badger Room and we use everything that we grow in our garden, for example making soup with our vegetables and baking crumbles with our fruit.
We run Forest School Adventure sessions with our pre-school children in both our garden and in the local woods.
Research shows that children who participate in Forest School frequently show:
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improved physical and motor skills,
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improved language and communication skills,
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improved social skills including team-working,
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improved knowledge and understanding of the environment,
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increased confidence and self-belief,
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increased motivation and concentration.
At Willows Montessori Nursery, our Forest School sessions are structured however children are encouraged to choose for themselves the activities which they wish to participate in. Activities include:
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story-telling,
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digging,
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climbing,
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mini-beast hunting,
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den building,
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mapping,
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identifying plants, birds, and animals,
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sawing logs, fire building, and cooking on a fire.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us to arrange a visit to our nursery.
Willows Montessori Nursery, Ryton Community Centre, Barmoor Lane, Ryton, NE40 3QP
0191 413 1929