Our Vision and Ethos
Vision
At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, our vision is to empower children to become resilient, independent and confident learners, giving them the best possible start in their early years education. We believe that every child is born with a natural sense of awe, wonder, and curiosity - qualities that make them instinctive explorers and investigators. Our role is to nurture these traits through rich, engaging experiences that inspire a lifelong love of learning. We are committed to operating a premium nursery that consistently delivers exceptional standards of care and education. Our dedicated, enthusiastic and highly qualified team drives continuous improvement, always striving to enhance outcomes for every child in our care.
Ethos
Shardlow Hall Day Nursery is a proudly independent nursery dedicated to providing personalised care and high-quality early years education. We pride ourselves on creating a warm, family oriented environment where parents are welcomed as partners in their child's learning journey every step of the way.
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Our mission is to provide a nurturing and stimulating space where every child can flourish and reach their full potential. We are committed to supporting each child as an individual, helping them build confidence, develop a strong sense of self and foster a lifelong love of learning.
Respect and good manners are values we hold in high regard. We believe these form the foundation for children to become kind, empathetic individuals who are well prepared for life beyond the nursery setting.
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We understand that the Early Years are a time of rapid growth and development. That’s why we pay close attention to what children communicate through both words and actions. By observing and listening carefully, we gain meaningful insight into each child’s unique interests, strengths and learning style. This enables our skilled team to tailor activities that nurture curiosity, celebrate individuality and support holistic development.
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At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we strive to encourage each child's natural talents while encouraging resilience, inquisitiveness and self-belief. We celebrate every effort, embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and guide children to explore, question and think critically. These are all essential skills for their future.
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Our calm, home-from-home environment ensures every child feels safe, happy and valued. We believe that when children feel secure and supported, they thrive socially, emotionally and academically.
At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we believe that outdoor exploration offers limitless opportunities for learning and discovery. We embrace all weather conditions and encourage children to experience the outdoors every day - because for us, there’s no such thing as bad weather! Our outdoor sessions are thoughtfully planned to enrich children's learning through nature and play. Whether it’s going on exciting bear hunts, caring for our nursery animals, bug hunting, taking part in sports races or observing the daily life on the neighbouring farm, every outdoor adventure is a chance to explore, discover and grow.
Outdoor Experiences
​​At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we actively promote British Values as outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. These values are embedded into our daily practice in an age-appropriate and meaningful way, helping children develop into respectful, responsible and thoughtful individuals.​​
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Democracy
Children are encouraged to listen to one another during small group activities, learning to take turns in conversation and value each other’s opinions. They are given opportunities to make choices, express their preferences and contribute to group decisions. This reinforces the importance of every child’s voice being heard and respected, which is a core value we embed throughout our practice.​
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Individual Liberty
Our free-flow approach allows children to choose where and how they play, fostering independence and confidence in their own decision making. A wide range of engaging activities supports children in exploring their interests and developing their sense of self.​​
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Mutual Respect
Staff consistently model respectful and considerate behaviour in line with our behaviour policy. Through stories, role-play and group discussions, children learn to understand emotions, treat others with kindness and recognise the value of positive interactions. Respectful behaviour is always encouraged and celebrated.​
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The Rule of Law
We introduce simple, age-appropriate rules and explain their purpose to help children understand the importance of safety and responsibility. For example, we discuss why we don’t run indoors and why we tidy up after ourselves so that we can teach children that rules help keep us safe and our environment cared for.​
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Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
We celebrate both British traditions, such as Easter, Bonfire Night, Christmas and Mother’s and Father’s Day and key cultural and religious festivals including Diwali and Chinese New Year. These experiences broaden children’s understanding of the world, nurture respect for diversity, and encourage a welcoming and inclusive mindset.
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By embedding these values throughout our practice, we help children develop a strong moral foundation and prepare them for life after nursery.
British Values
At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we value the rich traditions and beliefs expressed through festivals and celebrations, which play a key role in shaping children’s identity and sense of belonging.
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The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) highlights how these experiences support learning across all areas, promoting shared human values such as kindness, respect and understanding.
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Through joyful, hands-on activities like music, storytelling, dance and role play, children explore their own heritage and learn about others, building confidence and empathy along the way.
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We encourage families to share their own celebrations, helping us reflect the diversity of our nursery community. Even simple traditions can open young minds to a world of inclusion, respect and mutual understanding.
Striving for Diversity
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is simply about being present in the moment, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. It’s often misunderstood as something that requires meditation, religious practice or hours of silence but in reality, it’s accessible to everyone, at any stage of life.
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The benefits of mindfulness are well recognised around the world and have been successfully introduced into nurseries, schools and workplaces to help improve focus, empathy, emotional awareness and overall wellbeing. It also supports the reduction of anxiety and encourages children to better understand and manage their feelings.
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At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we integrate mindfulness into our daily routine through simple, age appropriate activities such as yoga, breathing exercises, sensory play, mindful walks and calm reflection. These activities help children to slow down, connect with their surroundings and build emotional resilience in a fun and engaging way. We’ve found mindfulness to be highly effective across our setting, not only for children but for staff and families too.