WELCOME

Washwood Heath Children’s Centre is located in Sladefield Road in the centre of Washwood Heath, Birmingham. The school was originally established in the 1940s and has recently entered the latest phase of its development – having become a Children’s Centre in October 2005. The centre caters for children from birth to school age and has fantastic facilities for all age groups. The Centre was founded on the principle of strong community involvement and it offers facilities for the entire community – from parent workshops to housing the local baby clinic.

The nursery school caters for 85 children in well-equipped, multi-sensory accommodation. Across the pre-school rooms, areas are designated for creative work, drama and exploration. The Nursery area has it’s own library and children regularly use the extensive ICT facilities including an interactive whiteboard. The outdoor area is currently being redeveloped and, after extensive funding, will provide an exciting area to extend the children’s learning beyond the traditional classroom.

Children in the nursery work with teachers and nursery nurses in large groups and are also taught in small groups focussing on the needs of the individual child. The centre caters for a multi-lingual community and provides support for children with English as an Additional Language.

The school also provides day-care places for 52 children from birth. This service runs 48 weeks per year and is housed in purpose-built accommodation. The younger children are also catered for in the design for the new outdoor play facilities.

With the addition of extended-day facilities, the centre can cater for 138 children per day.

Philosophy and Aims

This uniqueness is in terms of the child’s culture, language, attitudes, beliefs, abilities, relationships, needs and experiences. Children begin to learn the moment they are born. During the early years children develop more quickly than at any other time. Parents and carers provide a range of first experiences which begin to shape children as unique individuals.

For young children, play is the vehicle by which they can gain access to the curriculum. Play is the child’s way of learning. It is the business of childhood and its importance cannot be over-emphasised. In the mind of the child there is no division between play and work, for whatever they are doing they are learning.

The staff at Washwood Heath Children’s Centre strive to:

• Ensure all the children and their families feel included, secure and valued
• Build on the foundation laid by parents and continue to work in partnership with them
• Provide a challenging, developmental and relevant curriculum, which reflects and extends the needs and interests of the children in the school.

We work hard to provide the right conditions for learning by:

• Providing a well planned and stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors emphasising the value of play as the medium through which children achieve most in the early years
• Valuing social and emotional development as well as intellectual achievement
• Supporting the development of each child’s potential as an active learner.

Quotes from our recent successful OFSTED inspection

‘This is a good school with many outstanding features’

‘Provision for Personal and Social Development and knowledge and understanding of this world is outstanding. The creative curriculum is excellent…learning and well being are at the heart of all developments.’