A story about a virus

With everything that’s going on at the moment, it can be confusing trying to explain to your children exactly what ‘everything’ is. Which is where this great little book comes in.

Published by Nosy Crow and illustrated by Axel Scheffler (who illustrated the incredibly popular ‘The Gruffalo’), the book is designed to give children an overview of what the coronavirus is, what it does and why life as we know it has changed for now.

Whilst it is primarily aimed at children aged between 5 and 9 years, you may find it useful when it comes to touching on some of the themes with your younger children.

Give yourself a break with the new Snapdragons Magazine

Issue 26 of the Snapdragons Magazine has just been released, just in time to give you a little reading over the coming weeks when you may find yourself with more time to spare.

This issue we learn about The Curiosity Approach and what they do at the Atworth nursery that helped them achieve the accreditation.

We also have a great article written by Beth at our Horfield nursery about mindfulness techniques you can use with your children, which could be really useful over this period.

Of course, with supplies running low across the board, why not have a go at making your own bread? We’ve got a really easy recipe, that requires minimal effort and you can have ready for your breakfast in the morning.

Plus we still have the usual photos and stories from across all of our nurseries, so be sure to take a peek. Enjoy the magazine whilst you put your feet up, if you get the chance.

To the women of Snapdragons

This is a message from us to all the wonderful women in our lives on International Women’s Day, the day when men and women celebrate, together, women’s achievements across the world. You are kind, caring, supportive. You are strong, resilient and empowered. You are funny, passionate, emotional and sometimes even quiet. Without you, the women at Snapdragons, we would not be us. Thank you all.

Horfield is Outstandingly Good

A big round of applause and well deserved congratulations for our fantastic Horfield team after their recent Ofsted inspection. The inspector was impressed and very complimentary, saying:

“Children flourish in this highly welcoming and nurturing nursery.”

“Staff value all the children as unique individuals. They have very high expectations and their enthusiasm to be there for the children is inspiring and infectious.”

“Babies are cherished and form close bonds with the calm and considerate staff who care for them. They enjoy the frequent cuddles and comfort they receive as and when needed.”

“Children are exceedingly curious and enthusiastic. They enjoy being outside and take part in fantastic outdoor experiences.”

“All children show an excellent attitude towards learning and their behaviour is exemplary.”

Overall the nursery was graded Good with Outstanding areas:

The quality of education Good

Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding

Personal development Outstanding

Leadership and management Good

Read the full report here

A festive celebration

We held our annual Snappy Christmas party on Saturday, at the grand location of the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

As always, it was the perfect chance for our teams across Snapdragons to meet up and come together for an evening of fun and celebration. We love the opportunity to show everyone how valuable they are to us, honouring their hard work, dedication and commitment in a series of awards, ranging from the serious to the playful.

The awards are all nominated by their peers, so they count that little bit more as everyone loves knowing that their own teams recognise the effort they put in.

We’re always delighted to share this evening with the incredible team of individuals we have working across Snapdragons and know that their skillset, talent and passion for the children is second to nobody else in the industry. We’re proud to have them and honoured to work alongside them.

As we round of 2019, here’s to another great decade!