Millie’s Mark Award at Snapdragons

Children at Snapdragons giving first aid to Costos, the resussitation dummy we use to refresh skills between first aid training

We’re delighted to announce that all ten of our nurseries have now achieved Millie’s Mark accreditation. This means that all 460 Snapdragons employees, including non-childcare staff, are fully trained in paediatric first aid,

What is Millie’s Mark?
Millie’s Mark is an accreditation scheme designed to raise the standards of paediatric first aid in early years settings. Named after Millie Thompson, who tragically died of choking, the Mark was established by Millie’s parents with a clear purpose: to prevent such incidents in the future. The scheme focuses on providing the highest standards of paediatric first aid training, ensuring that all employees are equipped with the skills to act swiftly and competently in any emergency situation, exceeding the statutory requirement for first aid.

The key aims of Millie’s Mark include:

·       Raising Standards in Paediatric First Aid: By ensuring that every nursery has all staff trained in paediatric first aid, we raise the overall standard of care and safety within early years settings.

·       Increasing the Number of Paediatric First Aid-Trained Practitioners: Millie’s Mark ensures that their staff are not only trained but also refreshed regularly, so they’re always up-to-date on life-saving techniques.

·       Increasing Confidence and Competence: It’s not enough to simply have first aid skills; our employees must be confident in their ability to apply them in real-world situations. Millie’s Mark helps build that confidence.

·       Quick Responses in Emergencies: In an emergency, every second counts. Millie’s Mark ensures that all our staff are trained to respond quickly and effectively, no matter the situation.

·       Raising the Quality of the Early Years Workforce: Through continuous training and development, we raise the overall quality of the workforce, allowing them to manage everyday challenges, such as allergies or minor injuries, with greater expertise.

·       Reassurance to Parents: For parents, knowing their children are in a nursery with Millie’s Mark accreditation offers peace of mind, knowing that their child’s safety is a top priority.

Why Millie’s Mark Matters to Us
As an organisation dedicated to providing the highest quality care for children, achieving Millie’s Mark across all ten of our nurseries is a significant milestone. It means that our team is equipped with the skills and knowledge to handle a wide range of emergencies, from allergic reactions to more serious incidents. It’s about creating an environment where both parents and children feel confident and safe.

With 460 staff members now trained, we’ve ensured that every corner of our nurseries is covered. Achieving Millie’s Mark isn’t just about meeting a standard; it’s about exceeding expectations and offering a level of care that puts the safety of the children first, always.

We’ve also exceeded the Millie’s Mark standards by offering subsidised paediatric first aid training for parents. Currently, over 80 parents have signed up to receive training through our trusted partner, Wiltshire First Aid. This initiative helps empower parents with the confidence and knowledge to respond effectively in emergencies, no matter where they are.

By providing this opportunity for parents to access training at a reduced cost, we’re fostering a stronger connection between families and nurseries, as well as helping build a network of people who are prepared and ready to act when needed.

Purnima Tanuku CBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) which administers Millie’s Mark said: “Huge congratulations to Snapdragons and all their staff for achieving Millie’s Mark across all their settings. This is an impressive undertaking with so many members of staff and across some very large nurseries.

“We are so proud that more and more nurseries across the UK achieve Millie’s Mark, the gold standard in paediatric first aid. This gives reassurance to parents that the staff are up to date with their training but also this is refreshed regularly in settings to make sure they can act swiftly in an emergency.

“Well done Snapdragons for this achievement!”Snapdragons Nursery Achieves Millie’s Mark in Paediatric First Aid Across All 10 Settings

Charity begins at nursery

When are children old enough to understand the idea of charity? We’d say you can’t start early enough. The concepts of kindness to others, empathy and sharing are embedded in our teaching, so helping our children take part in charitable activities is a natural extension.

As a nursery group we have chosen to support UNICEF the children’s charity that helps uphold the rights of children everywhere. Rights which include a right to education, to play, to a home and to food and fresh water “for every child in danger”. Involving the children in fundraising, such as planting sunflowers and baking for Ukraine, opens conversations about children in other parts of the world who we can help. But the conversations are always kept at a level young children can understand: we help people who don’t have as much as us, for instance. We bring into their world with simple things like our “Code of Kindness” and teaching children to listen to each other, use gentle hands and take turns or share.

Each of our individual nurseries have also chosen charities to support that are close to them through the experiences of their children, families or staff. Snapdragons Weston have selected Jessie May Trust as their charity this year. Jessie May is a local charity that supports families coping with the “fear, challenges and complexities of having a child with a life-limiting condition – from diagnosis, during day-to-day life, times of crisis and through bereavement.” At Christmas, the Weston team decorated their Christmas tree with gift tags listing items needed to bring some fun and enrichment to the children being helped by the trust. They had wonderful response from their generous families and were able to donate bags and boxes full of books and toys. The children loved collecting up the presents and understood that they were helping other children. In the summer, they plan a Summer Festival for Jessie May to raise more funds, so we hope that lots of you can join the fun.

Meanwhile, over at Snapdragons Broadwood, the team are getting behind Springboard Chippenham. This amazing charity, whose motto is “maximising ability, minimising disability”, provides support for pre-school children (aged 0-5) with special needs and their families in North Wiltshire. We have worked closely with Springboard in the care of some of our Snapdragons children so we really value the wonderful work they do. Recently the whole nursery undertook a sponsored walk, managing three laps through snowdrops (and mus) round the school grounds to raise £466 (and rising) towards their £1000 target. Great work everyone!

We’d like to thank all our families, children and staff for their generosity in giving time, money and great ideas to help us help others!

It’s so Good to be at Keynsham!

Snapdragons Keynsham was recently inspected by Ofsted and we’re happy to share that life is “good” there! Two inspectors spent the day meeting staff, children and parents and found that the provision was “Good” in all areas. The report noted that,

“Children are happy and well cared for at this welcoming nursery. They form secure attachments with the staff, who know them well. Leaders create an ambitious curriculum to support children to gain the skills they need for future learning. Children display positive attitudes to learning. They are confident to explore the spacious learning environment, which staff thoughtfully set up to meet their development needs. Babies receive cuddles from the caring staff. This helps them to feel safe and secure.

Staff and leaders place a strong focus on supporting children's emotional wellbeing [and] value children as unique individuals and encourage them to share their cultures and traditions.

Parents' feedback is extremely positive. They highlight staff's dedication and professionalism and value the range of experiences on offer, such as forest school sessions.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and/or in receipt of additional funding make very good progress.”

Manager, Hannah Saunders, was pleased with the result following this, her first Ofsted Inspection: “I was so proud of my team who show-cased our gorgeous setting and the stimulating and caring environment we have created for our children. We’ve recently welcomed a new cohort of apprentices to the team, so an Ofsted inspection so early in their careers was daunting, but they all responded so positively. And I’d like to say a big “thank you” to all our parents who gave us such glowing feedback.”

Manager, Hannah Saunders, says:

“I was so proud of my team who show-cased our gorgeous setting and the stimulating and caring environment we have created for our children.”

Hannah Saunders was pleased with the result following this, her first Ofsted Inspection as Manager: “I was so proud of my team, who show-cased our gorgeous setting and the stimulating and caring environments we have created for our children. We’ve recently welcomed a new cohort of Apprentices to the team, so an Ofsted inspection so early in their careers was daunting, but they all responded so positively. And I’d like to say a huge “thank you” to all our parents who gave us such glowing feedback.”

Read the full report here.

Good on you, Shirehampton!

Congratulations to our Shirehampton team on the publication of their fabulous Ofsted report. The report, recently published after their inspection in July, concluded that Shirehampton is “Good” in all areas and we’re super happy!

The inspectors were impressed with the progress children make at the nursery and how quickly new children settle in and thrive due to the close partnerships with parents that are formed from the outset. They were also full of praise for the team’s skills at supporting children’s communication, saying, “Staff model speech so children hear the correct pronunciations. They wait patiently for children to respond, either verbally, with gestures or signs. Children are learning that communication is a two-way process and that their voices are important.”

The fact that the nursery is very much a part of the community shone out to the inspectors who noted the close links with other providers, local schools and the wider community, including the regular food bank donations the nursery makes with the help of donations from parents and staff.

“We would like to thank all of the parents for their support during our Ofsted inspection. The comments from the parents were so wonderful to receive and passing them on to the team was a highlight of my day!"

Jenna Schroeder, Nursery Manager

Jenna Schroeder, the Nursery Manager, was delighted with the feedback, “We would like to thank all of the parents for their support during our Ofsted inspection. The comments from the parents were so wonderful to receive and passing them on to the team was a highlight of my day. It was a busy Thursday, but the team did what they do day in and day out, and this was recognised with the wonderful feedback from the inspectors about the secure attachments and lovely provision that was set out in the nursery. It was my first “learning walk” - the manager’s chance to show inspectors round the setting and explain the curriculum, provision and intended outcomes for children - and my first inspection as manager, and it was so inspiring walking around the nursery and showcasing our setting. We are so proud of our result and have already put actions in place to support the small recommendations. We are excited to see what the next couple of years will bring.” 

In this lovely report, Shirehampton was recognised as a supportive, caring and happy place to be, which is exactly what we know it to be. Well done team and thank you to all the parents who spoke so highly of the nursery to Ofsted. You can read and enjoy the full report here.

Goodbye to our 2023 Pre-School Leavers!

We’ve had a summer of celebrations for our Pre-School leavers with certificates, picnic feasts, games and songs as we mark the end of an era for our 2023 cohort, but now, it’s time to say goodbye.

Our Pre-Schoolers aren’t exactly graduates, but, given that we learn half of everything we’re ever going to know before we’re five, perhaps this is an even more significant event than a university graduation. The Early Years are the foundations of future learning and what a privilege it is to be able to share these precious opportunities with so many wonderful and unique children. We know that our Snapdragons children are going to school ready to learn and to make friends, equipped with the skills they need to succeed. We’re so proud of them and will miss them all!

So, goodbye, Pre-School 2023! Have fun, learn lots, make friends and seize every opportunity - you’re going to be amazing. Thank you for being part of the Snapdragons family!