Advertising feature: Preparing our children for a world that has not yet been imagined

It is our belief at Tadpoles Nursery School that if we want the world to change, we must begin with the teaching of the very young.

Our early years are the moment when our minds are the most open and the most receptive; when we see the world around us with wonder and without judgement and when we are able to ask questions without fear or embarrassment.

Equal Thinking, Ecology and Climate Change, Care and Kindness within our communities — the list goes on — can only be pursued if we educate our children from the very beginning, giving them the imagination, tools and skills at an early age. Allowing them to explore paths not yet taken and ideas without judgment. Neil Postman wrote

“‘Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see’

and it is this exact sentiment that we need to keep in our minds when looking at how we approach every area of our children’s early education.

If we give them the skills to question, to problem solve, to recognise and celebrate their differences, to listen to and to respect their different opinions, to understand and value their different emotions and realise that all emotions are equally valid — rather than putting the emphasis on constant happiness — we will be giving them the skills that will help them to prepare for the future with resilience.

We believe that the most inspiring way of teaching these invaluable lessons is not through ‘forced learning’ but through the art of play. This was recognised in ancient times: ‘Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play’, said Plato. Children’s play has an imaginative and creative flow which leads to discovery and problem solving. The forced learning of phonics and numbers can kill the joys of literacy and numeracy. The use of stories, songs, rhymes and drama, even for daily requests, will imbue a child with a love of words — and the exciting environment around us with its rich mathematical content, can stimulate a love of, and show the child the necessity of, numbers.

With our wonderful ecology garden and forest school area, we focus much of our curriculum base on the natural world around us and everything that it has to offer. Our extended curriculum is ever unfolding and as changing as the seasons, using the natural world to inspire and educate. Ellen MacArthur said ‘In nature, there is no concept of waste. Everything is food for something else’ and we use this approach, not only in the literal sense, when it comes to inspiring and encouraging the development of the children in our care, but when approaching and extending their learning experiences with us. No opportunity to use the world around us is ever wasted.

It is the children who will mould the future of our world but it is for us to instil in them the skills to create that future.

Tadpoles Nursery is a unique, boutique nursery school set in the heart of Chelsea and has been in existence as an early years educational setting, offering our forward-thinking and unique approach to the families of Chelsea, for more than 50 years. We do not believe in ‘static’ learning methods but in ever-evolving and forward-thinking teaching practices, which adapt to each child and their individual needs. We aim to give our children an inspiring, happy, settled and structured environment in which to work and play.

We are now bringing our teaching practices to the children and families of Kensington with a new branch opening in September 2022.

tadpolesnursery.com