http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:06:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Any parent will tell you that whilst a new baby brings an unbelievable amount of joy, it also heralds the advent of a world of guilt. We worry about over-feeding, under-feeding, being too routine, being too flexible. To breastfeed or to bottlefeed? Dummy (sorry, the more pc 'soother') or not? ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/08/when-will-we-stop-feeling-guilty/ Last week saw the announcement by the Department for Education that they were launching a review into the Early Years Foundation Stage. This has been met with a very mixed response by the sector, as despite a lot of reservations when the new curriculum was introduced, we have all worked ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/07/more-change-on-the-horizon-for-the-early-years-sector/ The recent budget certainly contains mixed fortunes for families and businesses. There are definitely some good points for businesses, with promises of reduction of red tape and definite reduction of corporation tax. For parents, it is less straightforward, with some good news, but also a fair amount of cuts. The Government ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/07/what-do-you-think-of-the-budget-for-families/ I was encouraged to open the Times on Sunday  morning and see that Professor Kathy Sylva, whom I have met several times and really admire, had written an interesting piece stating that 'that nursery does the “vast majority” of children under two no harm at all.'  She argues that those who ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/06/mixed-messages-for-parents/ I have followed the political shenanigans over the last month or so with great interest; before the election each party claimed to have policies of some description regarding the Early Years Sector, and most even had a named Minister or Shadow Minister. However, when the coalition Government formed, there was a ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/05/interesting-times-for-early-years/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265446/Single-mother-soldier-wins-discrimination-case-Army-failed-provide-adequate-childcare.html?dm_i=2MN,4BF3,5SBSA,DE5O,1 I read with interest how a female soldier won a tribunal claim against the MOD last week, as they had not provided the childcare she needed to fulfil her duties as a soldier. We operate 4 nurseries, soon to be 5, on MOD bases around the UK, so this will ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/04/record-payout-for-soldier-claiming-against-mod-for-lack-of-childcare/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8569117.stm Most nurseries are working very hard to ensure that children in their care get a balanced diet. However, it is a major challenge keeping up to date with all the latest recommendations – for example, at which age children should be drinking full-fat or semi-skimmed milk, which has changed several ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/03/government-report-out-on-nursery-food/ It's been a very exciting week here at the nerve centre, as I learnt recently that The Old Station Nursery has been awarded the contract to operate a brand new children's nursery at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth on the edge of Gloucester. Innsworth is currently the home to several hundred military ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/03/the-old-station-nursery-comes-to-gloucester/ It is not often that I am enthusiastic about the alarm going off at 5.45am, never mind on a Saturday morning. However, yesterday was a rare occasion in that I really felt the early start was worth the temporary pain. I headed up to Grantham to join 20 of our ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/02/beginning-with-babies/ It was a real pleasure to be at our Gainsborough nursery last week, where all the staff had worked really hard to arrange a small opening ceremony to mark the completion of their lovely new outdoor area. Anne and her team have spent months arranging the builders, designing the layout ... http://www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk/blog/2010/02/celebrating-the-successes-along-the-way/