Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-schools are celebrating World Space Week, 4-10 October, but they have lost their Astronaut – can you help find them?

World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. It consists of space education and outreach events held by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria, museums, and astronomy clubs around the world in a common timeframe. World Space Week 2022 celebrates “Space and Sustainability”.

Throughout the week, every Happy Days nursery will be holding STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities for the children and are inviting special guests into nursery for the children to learn more about space! If anyone is interested in providing an STEM activity in nursery for our children please contact the marketing department by emailing: marketing@happydaysnurseries.com

Happy Days have a dedicated STEM programme as part of the Inquisitive and Ambitious Thinker aspect of the Where Children Shine curriculum which fosters children’s understanding, curiosity and appreciation of their natural world, developing their awareness of the importance of environmental issues and sustainability.

Children think like scientists and learn by exploring, observing, and figuring out the way things work by experimenting with the world around them. At Happy Days we encourage the children to be inquisitive and ambitions thinkers by having fun exploring and investigating the STEM programme. Our quality early years continuous provision enables children to experience and participate in aspects of STEM every day.

Even if a child never goes into a STEM field as an adult, engaging in STEM experiences in their earliest years can promote ongoing academic success and also prepare them to understand and thrive in the modern world.

In addition to the week-long celebrations, Happy Days Nurseries will be holding a space themed open event on Saturday 8 October which is open to everyone. The Reach for the Stars Open Day will run at every* nursery from 10:00 – 13:00 with a host of space and STEM activities including make your own Sensory Bottle, using recycled bottles.

Every nursery will also have their own ‘Space Rocket’ but they have lost their astronaut and need your help to find them. They are hiding somewhere on our website. Once you find them, print them out and bring them to the open day and reunite them with their rocket. You will be entered into a FREE Prize Draw to win a Name the Star Gift Set (one winner per nursery) and one lucky visitor will win a £100 Love to Shop voucher! Head over to www.happydaysnurseries.com to start your search!

We look forward to sharing our space and STEM activities throughout World Space Week and welcoming you to our Reach for the Stars Open Day.

*this event is not happening at Bradley Stoke and will be held on 15th October at Cheswick and 22nd October at Swindon. Please visit your local nursery webpage for more details as dates, times and activities are subject to change.

Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School in Bradley Stoke are celebrating their second successive OUTSTANDING Ofsted result. Situated within the Almondsbury Business Park, this wonderful one-level setting opened its doors in 2015, receiving an Outstanding Ofsted judgement at its first inspection in 2016 and have now achieved their second Outstanding at their most recent Ofsted inspection.

The report highlighted how ‘children are extremely happy and excited to go in to nursery, they eagerly greet the staff and are keen to play and explore. The kind and nurturing staff are passionate about what they do. All staff know the children very well, they provide a focused curriculum which provides all children with targeted support to help them to make the best progress possible.’ The inspector also recognised how ‘Key person systems are exceptionally well established. Children are extremely secure and settle quickly, flourishing in the care of the staff who look after them.’

Angie Pass, Nursery Manager, commented, “I am so proud of the hard work my team have put in since I took over in March and extremely pleased that this has been recognised in the report. In particular, I am delighted that we have been recognised for how ‘Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported.’ We will continue to strive for greatness.”

Sam Richardson, Operations Manager, states, “Angie is extremely passionate about providing the best outcomes for the children and inspires her team every day. This is highlighted in the report with the inspector commenting how ‘The excitement and enthusiasm for learning is evident throughout the nursery.’ I would also like to thank all our parents who took the time to speak to the Ofsted inspector who noted in the report that ‘Parents comment on how confident and independent their children are. They are extremely happy with the care that their children receive at nursery.’

If you want to work in this exceptional environment with our professional knowledgeable team or, are a parent looking for the best care and education for your child, then contact Angie on 01454 614 411 or email bradleystoke@happydaysnurseries.com.

Here at Happy Days August is always a happy and sad time as we celebrate and say goodbye to our school leavers with our Graduation Events. This year our children have benefited from our unique Journey to a Positive Transition to School Programme which supports them to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes that reception class teachers highlight are important for children to achieve so that they are ready to start school. This enables all our school leavers to be confident to start school independent, curious and ready to learn.

Many of our school leavers have been with us since they were babies and we have had a positive impact on their first five years, which is why we are supporting the NDNAs #firstfiveyearscount campaign which aims to highlight how crucial the first five years are to the development and well-being of our youngest children and how nurseries and the early years workforce have an impact that lasts a lifetime.

Our colleagues really do Inspire the Future and deserve the recognition and thanks for all that they do to make the first five years of a child’s life count.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools are delighted to share that Melissa Feltham, Nursery Practitioner at Happy Days in Bradley Stoke, has won the NMT Rising Star Competition. The competition recognises individuals who have shown ongoing and exceptional growth in their professions and have demonstrated increased standards of leadership, innovation and responsibility within their setting. Their accomplishments at work distinguish them as potential future leaders for the sector.

Mel was nominated for this competition as she goes above and beyond each and every day in supporting the early identification and intervention for children with special educational needs. Although Mel has allocated time within her working week to undertake her roles and responsibilities Mel is often observed sitting in the staff room in the morning of her day off to go that extra mile to support an individual child. This could involve completing a Transition Fund application to support a child’s positive transition to school when their EHCP application was declined or continuing with her recent project of creating a sensory room to support on one to one targeted support for individual children. The impact of this room has been significant for individual children.

Angie Pass, Nursery Manager at Bradley Stoke, said, “I am incredibly impressed with Mel’s professionalism and how she speaks to all parties from outside agencies to parents, professionals and the children.  She comes up with the most amazing ideas to support children and will spend lots of her free time coming up with plans to use on their IEPs and EHCPs.  Mel will always stop what she is doing and support another member of the team who might be struggling. She will support the children with new ideas and most recently has worked with me to create our new sensory room. She holds a crucial role in our nursery and truly deserves to win this competition, we are very lucky to have her as part of the team.”

Mel will receive a prize of £350 of Love to Shop vouchers and will feature in the March/April issue of Nursery Management Today.