Gateway Elson

At Gateway Elson the children thrive in an atmosphere of praise and encouragement from the staff, who are genuinely interested and involved with the children. The positive contributions made by both children and staff are – quite simply – outstanding. Parents and children are greeted personally each morning; the staff work to form warm and trusting relationships with the children, as they are sensitive to individual needs. The staff are excellent at using highly effective methods to motivate the children and ensure the needs of the individual are met.

There is a positive approach to physical exercise in the outdoor area, which is both interesting and challenging. A wet weather surface enables the children to spend longer outside, providing extended opportunities for physical exercise while learning about time and the changing seasons. Indoors, the approach is equally positive: children are involved in the preparation of fruit and vegetables for Snack Time, while any special dietary requirements are properly catered for. The children take pride in their environment, enjoying tasks including tidying up! The commitment of the staff encourages independent thinking and problem solving by the children, by allowing them to explore, letting their imaginations leads them. This can be seen in the high levels of concentration by the children, so they persevere with activities, improving their knowledge and confidence as they solve problems. In this way the children build excellent levels of self-esteem, enabling them to value themselves as individuals. At the same time, the children understand what behaviour is acceptable, learning about the “Golden Rules” and “Kind Hands”.

However, the ultimate measure of success comes not from the staff of Gateway Elson, but from the parents, who often comment how pleased they are with their children’s progress.

The end result is, quite simply, that children do well at Gateway Elson. They achieve good progress in relation to their individual starting points. They remain individuals, confident in themselves and valuing the individuality in others.

This provision is GOOD!