Montessori nursery awarded first Healthy Settings Accreditation from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council - The Montessori People Thornaby

Recipient: The Montessori People Thornaby

Date: Monday 01 Jul 2024

The Montessori People day nursery in Thornaby is the first early years setting in the borough to achieve the prestigious Healthy Settings Accreditation from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
The Healthy Settings Programme is an extension of the Healthy Schools Programme which covers primary, secondary, special schools and colleges throughout the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and has been expanded to incorporate early years settings: the day nurseries and pre-schools that provide care and education for Stockton-on -Tees’ youngest children.
The Healthy Schools Programme was developed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in 2020 in recognition of the fact that pupils with better health and wellbeing achieve better academically and that the culture, ethos and environment of a school influences students’ health, wellbeing and readiness to learn. The programme is heavily aligned to OFSTED criteria and focuses on four key components: nutrition and oral health, physical activity, resilience, and social and emotional wellbeing.
The Montessori People nursery – which provides industry-leading care and education for more than 120 children, from babies to pre-schoolers – was inspected by a multi-agency team made up of colleagues from Health and Education in June 2024 following an intensive self-evaluation of the setting by its staff team. The accreditation team highlighted the nursery’s emphasis on nutritional education and the provision of healthy eating choices produced in the nursery’s 5-star food hygiene rated kitchen which uses produce from its own allotment. A rigorous toothbrushing programme was singled out for mention, as was the children’s table manners and ability to self-manage at mealtimes.
Children were found to be physically active throughout the day, making use of the nursery’s expansive outdoor and indoor spaces to take part in a broad range of age-appropriate activity, from cycling and digging to climbing, catching and skipping. The children also understood why keeping physically active was important for their overall wellbeing. Montessori activities encourage resilience by first setting the children up for success, then encouraging them to problem solve in a supportive environment. The accreditation team found that “A broad and balanced curriculum inspires all children to learn, promotes resilience and supports social and emotional learning”.