The Bees Knees is a happy independent nursery, part of a small group of nurseries in Putney providing education for children aged 2-5 years old. Our facilities are excellent, including a large secluded garden, bright spacious class rooms and near to Richmond Park. We have a high teacher/child ratio and our experienced teachers have an understanding of the emotional and educational needs of small children. In addition to the regular staff team we also have specialist teachers for music, dance, sport and karate.
Our curriculum is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which provides a framework covering the 7 areas of learning. We help the children to make links between these areas using a mixture of adult led, adult supported and child initiated activities and play, both inside and outside. Click on each tab to find out more...
We help children to develop confidence and a positive sense of themselves and others. They learn to form happy and rewarding relationships, respecting others. We support them to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings and their own and others needs.
We help children to develop confidence and competence in speaking and listening. We encourage them to talk freely and exchange ideas through their activities and experiences.
We also encourage a love of books, stories and rhymes. We help them to recognise the sound and shapes of letters using games, matching, pictures, books, songs and rhymes. Fine motor control is developed to support pen control and letter writing.
We provide the foundations for numeracy, encouraging children to use numbers throughout their play. We offer them opportunities to understand the use of numbers in their daily lives and environment, helping them to develop mathematical ideas and to try problem solving. They also explore space, shape, size and pattern.
Free play is an important part of the day when children can allow their imaginations to lead their play, develop a storyline and discover more about themselves. This is supported by a wide range of toys and open ended resources. They have access to a wide variety of arts and craft materials for painting, drawing, cutting, sticking and model making, helping them to find out about colour, texture, space, shape and form. They have the opportunity to express themselves through music, singing, dance and drama.
We encourage children to develop confidence to investigate and question how and why things happen, exploring the world around them. We help them to find out about past and present events relevant to their own lives as well as to learn about other people’s cultures and ways of life. We provide opportunities and resources to develop their use and understanding of ICT.
We focus on encouraging the children to develop their physical control, balance, mobility and awareness of space both indoors and outdoors, in our well-equipped gardens. They also develop their co-ordination and fine motor skills with a range of fun activities. We help them to learn the importance and enjoyment of physical exercise and a healthy diet. We support the children to manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs.
Autumn Term
Monday 9th September - Friday 13th December
Half Term 1
28th October - 1st November
Christmas Break
16th December - 3rd January
Spring Term
Monday 6th January - Tuesday 4th April
Half Term
17th February - 21st February
Easter Break
7th April - 18th April
Summer Term
Monday 21st April - Friday 11th July
Half Term
26th May - 30th May
In addition to our regular staff team we also have specialist teachers for dance, drama, karate, music and yoga. Click on learn more to find out about our other activities on offer.
