Blog

Guildford Nursery School (GNS) is a Froebelian inspired setting, and takes on the Froebelian principles and approach in practice. This includes developing Froebelian Occupations and the meaning behind these open-ended educational activities that deepen children’s experience of the world.

As with all 2- and 3-year olds, conflicts and disagreements happen. How educators and those who spend time with children resolve these conflicts and disagreements can help shape children’s confidence, understanding of fairness, and meet children’s feeling of justice within the classroom context.

At Guildford Nursery School (GNS) there is an underpinning of values reflecting sustainability and care for the environment which is seen through their food and herb growing spaces in the garden as well as the choices they are making with resources.

During her visit to Guildford Nursery School (GNS), Froebelian expert Rachna Joshi, was given the time to sit and observe the children and the educators in the setting. Various themes arose from her observations, but what she found was that she kept noticing children engaging in schematic play.

Visiting Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre (GNSFC) in September, Froebelian expert Rachna Joshi, was inspired by the practice, physical space as well as many of the routines and transitions that were already so embedded early in the year.

Read what Rachna Joshi, Froebelian expert, has to say about Guildford Nursery School. The following is the first of her monthly blogs about aspects of Froebelian pedagogy at Guildford Nursery School.

The reflections of an ‘old to’ Early Years educator guiding a ‘new to’ Early Years educator in developing the occupation of cooking

Cooking with young children.

This year, our research with the Froebel Partnership focuses on Gifts and Occupations, and their value in the present day. At Seven Stars Kindergarten, we strive to provide more child-initiated play opportunities, but realise it is also important to have an element of intentional teaching. We recognise that the importance of the process of learning

Our collective professional development at Feltonfleet Pre-Prep has been inspired since we were introduced to the modern-day influences of the educator and founder of the first Kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel.  Our journey began when Sally Cave, Headteacher of Guildford Nursery School, showed me the Froebel principles in action at Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre. Sally

Glossary Te Kura ō Mangaweka-Mangaweka – our school Kura – school Kaiako – teacher Ākonga – students Ngāhere – forest/bush Whānau – family, can also refer to a group of people who feel a strong sense of connection to each other. In this instance the “kura whānau” refers to everyone who connects to the school, from the children and teachers to

When adults get it right outdoors, children truly benefit. Spending time outdoors allows children to enjoy nature but, if we want them to engage with and in nature we need to think about the adult role.  “What better way to engage with the wonder of nature than in close relationship with someone else, who shares

“Wisdom is shown when one educates oneself and others in freedom and self-awareness.” Froebel in Lilley 1967:50 At Seven Stars Kindergarten we strive to provide a Froebelian principled curriculum (Tovey, 2020) and learning environment that enhances children’s social and emotional competence and engagement so children can grow as confident and competent learners. Our research project

Are you wondering what Friedrich Froebel means for your child? Last weekend I spent time with my lovely brother-in-law and his family.   We talked about Froebel and why we have chosen to use his principles to guide our work.  My brother-in-law asked me what this means for children in our nursery school, how it might

An exploration of Froebelian principles in the natural outdoor environment. All schools and settings have lived through some very challenging times in the last couple of years due to the Covid pandemic.  We at Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre do however feel quite fortunate despite these difficult times.  Fortunate because our work is guided

The Froebel Partnership officially started as a Froebel Trust Hub and Spoke on 1st September 2021 with an official launch on 22nd October.  The Froebel Partnership is an international partnership between Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre led by Sally Cave, the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) /Birmingham City University led by Chris

The journey from an overgrown piece of land to a community garden As part of our ongoing project to involve the wider community, we decided to turn the overgrown green space at the front of our Hazel Avenue site into a community garden.  Our aim was to provide a place for the children to play

An exploration of Froebelian principles in the outdoor environment at Seven Stars Kindergarten, Aotearoa New Zealand Te Whariki, the New Zealand Early Years Curriculum enables us to weave our own distinctive, culturally responsive, and contextually relevant curriculum, based on what we believe is important for the children in our setting; Seven Stars Kindergarten. Since opening

Friday 22nd October saw the launch of The Froebel Partnership. 200+ visitors all gathered at Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre. There was the opportunity to see and try out a variety of Froebelian occupations such as woodwork, sewing and gardening, with the most important guests – the children – showing us how it is

Project Summary  Evidence is beginning to emerge about how the anxieties linked to COVID-19 are affecting the everyday life young children (Pascal et al, 2020). It appears that the impact of restrictions on social interaction and participation in society’s cultural life is highly individual and structured by many hierarchies, including hierarchies of age.  Understanding the

How learning journeys help settings to capture the wonder of the early years and build a holistic picture of children’s development. By Wendy Howes, Jackie Wells and Sally Cave Guildford Nursery School has a long tradition of documenting children’s learning, and while we use an online tracking tool (Di Chilvers’ Development Map), we have always

One setting’s focus on the importance of the key person became even more valuable during lockdown, report Wendy Baker and Sally Cave At Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre, Surrey, we have always recognised the invaluable role played by the key person in nurturing young children. Lockdown has amplified that importance and provided us with