The 'Curiosity Approach' philosophy behind Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley where one-year-old died
Fairytales Day Nursery boasts a pioneering approach to childcare on its website.
It says it has three private settings in Dudley town centre offering childcare for families with children aged from three months to nine years.
The nursery in Bourne Street was established in 2003 while two other sites in St James’s Road were established in 2006.
The website explains that it follows the ‘Curiosity Approach’ in which children learn by “getting back to basics”.
Using principles similar to Steiner, it removes all modern toys and technology and instead encourages children to learn through exploration.
Images on the website show traditional wooden toys or rag dolls in a setting dominated by soft furnishings. Children are also encouraged to explore using tools. It adds: “A Curiosity Approach setting is painted in neutral colours and filled with easily accessible, loose resources. But unlike what you may see at other nurseries, such as plastic toys, the children are instead presented with ordinary, real-life items made of wood or other natural materials.
“This encourages the child to create their own toys to play with while simultaneously learning about the world they will eventually venture into.
“The children essentially go back to basics and have to use their imagination to figure out what each item is for and how to use it rather than being given a toy with a fixed identity which shapes how a child will play it.
“The Curiosity Approach gives the children control to shape the play, rather than the toy shaping and limiting the play.”
The website says the nursery aims to provide a “loving and caring environment for children to be able to learn in and be happy when away from their families”.
It adds: “We have a team of dedicated staff who work hard to look after the children as if they were their own.
“Staff have a range of qualifications from level two in early years right through to level seven, this enables us to have the best knowledge available.
“All staff are fully vetted to enable a secure environment for your child and all staff are first aid trained. Staff have a comprehensive training platform to ensure their knowledge is updated.”
The nursery boasts on its website a number of awards, including a nomination for the Greater Birmingham, Apprenticeship Awards. It says it was also named Best Childcare Provider in the Midland Enterprise Awards 2022.
