Objective

The Spanish Nursery and Children's Centre for Culture and Language aims to provide a welcoming and caring environment which values diversity, promotes equal opportunities and has an ethos of inclusion. All children are encouraged to develop confidence and recognise value in their contributions to their learning.

We are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all our children, whatever their needs or abilities. We want to offer affordable quality education and childcare to support working or studying parents/carers in a Christian faith setting, which promotes the Spanish culture, language and customs.

The Beginnings

Before we tell you about us, let us tell you a bit about our inspiration, The Spanish Sisters of Charity Day Nursery.

The Spanish Sisters came to London over 45 years ago to help single Spanish young women who were alone and vulnerable in London. They supported them to integrate in the community, learn the language, and find employment. Some of them were mothers, and as they went to work, the Sisters looked after their children. Over time this developed into a Day Nursery.

For over 45 years, the Spanish Sisters of Charity helped raise children with love and unswerving dedication. They developed an ethos where children felt safe and secure, valued and unique. The Spanish Sisters of Charity Day Nursery closed its doors in July 2012 as the Sisters returned to Spain to continue their mission to help others in need.

The Management Team

Co-Chair – Aliette Fenton Sharp, MBA, Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Operations

Co-chair – Carmen Rampersad, MSc in Social Care Management and Community Development, Director – Child Welfare and Quality Assurance

The Spanish Nursery limited company was formed by Directors: Aliette Fenton Sharp and Carmen Rampersad. Carmen's background is in statutory child protection, safeguarding children's welfare and quality assurance and for the last 7 years has occupied various management positions in a London Local Authority. As an independent consultant, for the past 3 years Carmen has taught a child protection module for Early Years practitioners who complete their Early Years degree at London Metropolitan University. Aliette is an entrepreneur and has business management experience, having successfully opened a number of companies both in UK and US.

Marta Paola Cebolla Fuertes is our childcare manager. She is caring and attuned to the individual needs of each child. The children, staff and parents find her approachable and she is never too busy to devote time to ensure that the children are happy and have a positive experience in our care. Marta has a Degree in Pedagogy and is NVQ level 3 qualified, amongst other relevant qualification in Child Care and Child development field. She has experience working with children who have Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without the hyperactive element) and is a trained in Special Educational Needs of young children.  

The Spanish Nursery operates a 'key person system' for all children under the age of 5 years. Before a child starts, a key person will be appointed from the room in which they are based. The key person ensures that the child's care needs (toileting, food, drink etc) are met on a daily basis, that they have equal access and are fully included within the Centre. The key person carries out regular observations on the child which forms part of their individual Achievement Report to ensure they are developing appropriately.

The child will be assigned a new key person from each unit as they move into it. The previous and new key person will work closely together to transfer information and ensure continuity of care.

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We are very proud of the level of expertise in childcare and child development that all our staff provide.

For a child, mental health means being able to grow and develop emotionally, intellectually and spiritually in ways appropriate for that child's age. The Bright Future Report (1999) put forward by the Mental Health Foundation, highlights that at any one time, 20% of our children and adolescents experience psychological problems of some sort, ranging from anxiety disorders to depressions and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Children as young as 4 years old are diagnosed with clinical depression.

A report published by United Nations ('An overview of the child well-being in rich countries', 2007) showed that children growing up in the United Kingdom suffer greater deprivation, worse relationships with their parents and are exposed to more risks from alcohol, drugs and teenage pregnancy than those in any other wealthy country in the world. We think that early years are the most important period in the development of future generations.

We believe that it is the adults' responsibility to show and teach small children about human emotions, what they are, how they feel like, how to manage them. We aim to nurture happy and healthy children teaching them to develop and maintain loving and successful relationships, teach them to have high aspirations and help them achieve them. We will provide our children with a better start in life by continuing to support them to develop language skills and knowledge (all of the children in this nursery already speak at least two languages, most speak three and few even four). We aim to continue building up the children's resilience, their sense of self-esteem and self confidence, their ability to deal with change and adaptation and help them build social problem solving skills. We aim to get the balance right between academic achievement and allowing children to be children.

We see our main contribution to the children's lives beyond providing a nursery placement but to the deep core of the formation of their character and spiritual being. In these formative years attachment is the single most important key in the development of a child's emotional well-being. Without a secure attachment our children cannot grow up to be caring, responsible adults who know instinctively how to unconditionally love and care for their own children. We want to carry on the ethos of the Spanish Sisters of Charity and raise our children with love and unswerving dedication. For us and our staff caring for our children comes from our hearts and not from a job description.

And as our own children will attend the same Centre, we reassure you that nothing short of excellent care will do.