London’s Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, Joanne McCartney, today visited Kool Kidze St. Barnabas Preschool in Newham to highlight the vital support it is providing to schools and families in the area.
The nursery is a key part of the Working Together Hub – one of three Early Years Hubs established by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to improve the quality and take-up of early education – particularly for the capital’s most disadvantaged children.
The Working Together Hub brings together early education and childcare providers in Newham to improve collaboration, professional development of staff and work with families to increase the take up of funded places for two-year-olds.
At Kool Kidze, the Deputy Mayor heard about the positive impact this work has on the nursery as she took part in a group discussion with staff, met with parents, and joined the children’s song-time. The nursery currently has 50 children on its register, with 26 two-year-olds attending through a funded place.
Through the Working Together Hub, Kool Kidze has benefitted from improved links with other local early years providers, training opportunities for staff and the support of a mentor from a local nursery school
Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, Joanne McCartney said: “It is crucial that the youngest Londoners are given the opportunities they need to succeed from an early age.
“That’s why the Mayor created the Early Years Hubs to support families and nurseries to give children the best possible early education.
“Everyone at Kool Kidze should be proud of their work in expanding early years provision for families in Newham, and I urge other nurseries to follow their example”
Dr Julian Grenier, headteacher at Sheringham Nursery School, which is the leader of the Working Together Hub, said: “We’re delighted that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and his deputy, Joanne McCartney, have worked so closely with us.
“Because of the work we do, Newham has some of the best early years provision in England and we’re always working closely with childminders and private nurseries in the borough to improve quality.”
Sohail Khan, headteacher at Kool Kidze, said: “Being part of the Hub has been very beneficial for us. At Kool Kidze, we invite two-year olds and their parents into the nursery for a once-a-week preview.
“This enables the child to settle, and with a designated helper, builds positive attachment and makes the transition from home to school easier.
“The play and stay sessions have raised the intake of two-year-olds in our setting. Having Kool Kidze evaluated by a mentor using the ITERS 3 scale has raised the quality of our provision. Looking at our strengths and areas for reflection has helped us secure our Ofsted “Good” rating.”
Notes to editors
The Mayor launched three Early Years Hubs in January 2018. The hubs were each given £175,000 in funding to improve the quality and take-up of free early education places for children under two in centres across Wandsworth and Merton, Barnet and Newham. For more information visit: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-launches-early-years-hub