Why Choose Willows
Educational philosophies such as Froebel, Vygotsky, Montessori, Steiner, and Reggio Emilia have a lot to offer the world of pre-school education. We at Willows Pre-School believe that we can take the best ideas from all of these approaches and create an even better learning environment for our children. We are passionate about education and we firmly believe that children are interested in things worth knowing about. We also believe that parents are an essential part of the educational team and we work closely with them to help foster a love of learning in their children. Willows Pre-School offers a fun, safe learning atmosphere where curiosity, independent thinking, and resilience flourish. We think that education is so much more than simply the subjects we study in school. It’s about gaining a set of mental techniques that will serve us well throughout our lives, such as curiosity, independence, perseverance, individuality, and balance. We have three locations across London.
“Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything learned in school”
Einstein quoting a “wit”
Good nutrition is vital for every stage of life, but it is especially important during childhood and adolescence when the body is growing and developing at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, nutrition has largely been neglected as an important aspect of child development, and this has contributed to the ongoing epidemic of metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes. Willows has always recognised the importance of good nutrition and is proud to be only the second setting in London to achieve specialist accreditation with the Early Years Nutrition Partnership (EYNP). We believe passionately that healthy choices in childhood nutrition can encourage habits that will last a lifetime and contribute to the overall healthspan of your children, helping them to maximise their true potential and enjoy a healthy and long life.
There is growing evidence that physical activity is essential for cognitive development in children. Exercise has been shown to improve attention span, executive function, and academic performance. In one study, children who participated in a daily fitness program showed significant gains in math and reading test scores. Furthermore, exercise has been linked to increased activity levels in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order thinking skills such as decision-making and planning. Given the clear benefits of exercise, it’s important to find ways to get kids moving. One way to do this is to make physical activity part of the family routine. We introduced circuit training to raise the heart rate and good old-fashioned games such as hopscotch and tug of war to get the kids moving. It’s been great to see the kids having fun and staying active.
It has been shown time and again that children who practice gratitude are happier than those who don’t. In fact, gratitude has been linked to improved mental and physical health, better sleep, and increased life satisfaction. We encourage our children to cultivate the practice of gratitude. Each day we spend a short time expressing and writing down things they’re grateful for. This could be anything from a fun weekend activity to a special dessert they had at school. Helping children focus on the good in their lives is a great way to boost their overall happiness. We also have a gratitude tree. Come and have a look!
Nurturing children and giving them big hugs help create confident, curious and happy to learn individuals. It has been scientifically proven that when a child is nurtured physically, they do better academically. Also, when a child is given lots of hugs, they feel safe and secure which in turn leads to happiness. A happy child is more likely to be curious and try new things rather than fear failing. When children are constantly nurtured with love and affection, they become confident individuals that are not afraid to take risks.
Maintaining Quality
Willows pre-school is always reflective, looking for ways to improve the quality of care that we provide for your children. That’s why we’ve developed a bespoke coaching App that helps us to measure the quality of the learning environment and the quality of interaction between staff and children. This ensures that the teachers are constantly coached in the WillowsWay and your children receive the very best play-led learning experience possible. In addition to receiving regular feedback from the App, our staff also undergo regular training to ensure that they are keeping up with the latest childcare practices. So, you can rest assured that your children are in good hands when they are at Willows.
How is this assessed?
The Willows Way® underpins everything we do at Willows Pre-School. It is a set of values and principles that guide us in our daily lives, from the way we interact with each other to the way we approach our teaching. The Willows Way® is founded on the belief that every child has the potential to be great.. Perhaps the most compelling confirmation of our ethos is that provided independently by local schools that employ an entry assessment to determine school readiness and future potential. These schools are representative of the very best this country has to offer if not the world. Year on year, More Children from Willows gain entry into these world class schools than from any other early years setting.
The success of each child achieving their full potential is almost incidental at Willows, a by-product of everything else we do – which is how it should be. The result is happy resilient children bursting with confidence. At Willows we welcome your views on your child’s development.
Willows Pre-School Nursery have locations in Wimbledon Nursery, Colliers Wood Nursery with Hammersmith Nursery and Maidenhead opening soon. We are Merton Best Business award winners and are committed to the Early Years Nutrition Partnership providing children with better nutrition for a brighter future.
We at Willows Pre-School believe that we can take the best ideas from all of these approaches and create an even better learning environment for our children.
School Ready
