A Cumbrian business is celebrating after becoming the first accredited curiosity nursery in Carlisle.
Mother Goose Day Nursery was born in 2020 when Sam Mills and Andrew Gray took over with the aim of making it into something special and unique for the families in the Carlisle area.
Amanda Lowis later joined them as manager and since then the team have worked to produce what is now their dream nursery.
A curiosity nursery is one that above all else has the needs of its children and families at the heart of everything they do.
The accreditation complied of six units that looked into all areas and aspects of nursery life, from the environment, senses, invitations to play, storytelling, loose parts, and high expectations.
The team looked into each aspect and researched in depth the impact of each of these areas before implementing them in their practice. This led to changes in the way they approached the more conventional ways of helping children learn and instead leaving the children to be the masters of their own learning, allowing them to choose what they what to do in their day.
Owner Sam Mills said: "Staff realised the potential in a fully child-lead environment, seeing the children being excited, and engaged in play.
"This achievement was not all down to the staff at Mother Goose. The parents and people in the wider community have also been an essential part, donating various items, such as hats, shoes, scarves, and old jewellery for dressing up!"
Sam added: "Some of the children have been with Mother Goose since 2021 and the staff have seen with their own eyes how a ‘curious’ child can truly reach their full potential from their time at nursery.
"They are individual, independent, and confident to make their own way in the world when they leave to go onto reception.
"The journey is far from over as we will continue to develop and learn and extend the endless opportunities for our children to learn and for the staff to expand their minds to offer exciting, new experiences whilst in a caring environment."
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