Heart Preschool opened in June 2018 in Nottingham and has grown from having 4 children to now having 32 children. The setting is situated in the Church at Rise Park. When entering Heart Preschool a lot of people have commented on the warm and loving feeling they get when they walk in. The staff and I take pride in loving, caring, and nurturing all the children and families that walk through our doors with what we call a Professional Love. “Cultivating professional love in early childhood settings yields multiple benefits for both educators and children” (J.Page, 2023).
One of the benefits we have seen is that it has brought together a community of people (made up of staff and parents) who have a passion for children and want Heart Preschool to do well, serving the little people and their families living in the surrounding area.
After we celebrated the first 5 years at Heart Preschool it was time to reflect on the journey so far and see where and how we can progress. We want to take Heart Preschool onto new heights and remain sustainable in the tough climate we see ourselves in. With lots of careful thought and prayer it was felt we needed to expand. But what would this expansion mean? What would it look like in practice? And would we have the support from our community?
In October 2023, conversations and plans started to be put in place with The Church at Rise Park and Heart Preschool staff to look at expanding the age range of the children we care for from 2-4years to 9 months to 4 years. We did this along with extending our operational times to cater for parents that need longer hours, particularly for those that are working. This was not a decision that could happen overnight as needed getting the whole community on board as it would involve commitment and change.
I remember talking to my team in a staff meeting about the importance of embracing change and being open to new experiences and opportunities and overcoming the fear of the unknown. Sometimes it’s about taking risks and stepping out of our comfort zone. As a manager, coaching and mentoring at this time was, and still is, key to supporting the team and the whole network of people involved in Heart Preschool. It has involved encouraging them not to give up, and to keep persisting through challenges. We managed this by paying attention to our thoughts and reframing them positively.
Around this time there was also news from the government regarding the expansion of the Early Years funding entitlements, so planning and change was needed to cater for this roll out to support working parents.
With the support from Heart Preschool community, we introduced longer operational times, and a brand-new baby room called “The Baby Lounge.” This was opened at the beginning of January 2024. We embraced the notion of using a small space that we had, and we wanted to give that feeling of being at home, a home from home experience catering for no more than six babies at any one time. The church stewards quickly got to work with cleaning and decorating the room, and I got to work helping with this and purchasing brand new equipment, items and toys.We had to consider the fact that sometimes this baby lounge had to be cleared away to ensure the church and other community groups could still use it when we are not in operation. Space saver cots on castor wheels were purchased, fold away highchairs and storage systems that hid away the clutter of toys were obtained and the baby lounge soon became a new and exciting thing!
The neutral tones, natural light, large green plants, beautiful sensory lights soon created a place of tranquillity. It is a space that is a delight to be in, a place of calm and happiness that enables you to use all your senses; smell the newness, touch the soft furnishings and textures, look at the beautiful plants, lights and look out the large windows and watch the world go by.
We have registered three babies, one of which has already started. We hope to welcome more babies and their families very soon. We have created a safe, nurturing, home from home space where we have already had the joy of supporting our first child to crawl.
We relish and take comfort in being able to meet the needs of all our children whether it’s helping them progress through their milestones, creating positive learning environments or promoting their well-being. This of course comes alongside a professional love that extends not just to the child but to their parents, family, and wider community.
References:
Page, J. (2023) ‘‘Professional love’ in early childhood education: The transformative power of emotional connections” The Spoke 26th July 2023 7am . Available at URL https://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/professional-love-in-early-childhood-education-the-transformative-power-of-emotional-connections/ (28/1/24)