Nursery updates are now shared on Learning Journals and via our monthly SWAY newsletter to Parents and Carers.
Forest Learning
A group of children have been participating in Forest Learning experiences at Holyrood Park. Their final session involved inviting their parents to take part in the session so they could show their families some of the things they have enjoyed learning. Thank you to Laura (EYP) and Margaret (EYO) for planning and facilitating these sessions. From the feedback received, we will certainly repeat this with our families who all commented how much they enjoyed seeing their children play outdoors and the ideas they gained from participating themselves.
There are many benefits to taking learning outdoors. Outdoor learning is an intentional practice that integrates educational activities with the natural environment. It involves responsive planning, exploratory play, and spontaneous activities that utilise the outdoors as a rich learning resource. This approach aligns with the principles of early childhood education, which emphasise the importance of play-based learning and experiential education.
Community Garden
Our community garden sessions are an opportunity for parents, children and staff to work together to prepare our garden for the winter months. These sessions have been supported by the provision of tools from HMP Edinburgh Tool Shed. Thank you to Margaret (EYO) for making contact for this collaboration to happen and to Catharine R (EYP & Sustainability Lead) for facilitating the community gardening sessions.
Sustainability news
Hope Cottage nursery received a round of applause at the ‘Nursery World sustainability in the Early Years Conference’ on 12th November in London. The conference was looking at ways in which to create a more sustainable future.
Curtis Meier, Community Playthings editor and representative shared our story including our work with Edinburgh Council Procurement that resulted in the removal of glitter/ bio glitter and all associated glitter products across all schools and Early Years settings in Edinburgh earlier this year.
We received correspondence from Edinburgh Council procurement department informing us of further actions to remove more unsustainable products and thanking Hope Cottage Nursery for sharing their sustainable pedagogy to campaign for sustainable resources.
We also welcomed delegates from ACE net – European Arts and Cultural Education as part of their Autumn conference.
They are exploring the theme of ‘How can Arts Education contribute to Peace and sustainability’ Our sustainability lead, Natasha delivered a presentation to the delegates on our sustainability journey and the practitioners answered questions on the progress and impact we’ve made.
Families reading stories in their Home Language
Research suggests that talk-rich environments, where heritage languages are used alongside English, help to promote multilingual children’s understanding of language and literacy more generally. We currently have 58% of our children who speak English as an additional language with 10 different languages spoken.
We are so fortunate to have such a diverse nursery which provides opportunities for children to interact with others from different cultures. This helps children to develop an understanding of diversity and to appreciate the unique qualities of others.
Recently, we had a story read by one of our parents in Cantonese. The children listened so well to the stories and enjoyed learning new vocabulary in a different language.
We also had a visit from another parent who read us a story in Italian. The children had heard the story in English before. It was the story of ‘ ‘The Mouse And the Apple’. We began by singing our Hello song and we found out how to say hello in Italian. The children enjoyed looking at the pictures of the animal characters in the story and learning their Italian names. It was a lovely story session.
Storytelling sessions
We were delighted to welcome Claire McNicol from the Scottish Storytelling Festival for a live storytelling session. Claire is so engaging and truly knows how to capture the children’s attention, encouraging them to offer their ideas and to make the story come alive. Our partnership with other agencies is extremely important so we can continue to enhance the experience the children have during their time with us at Hope Cottage.
Claire provided some feedback on her time with us at the nursery:
‘I feel Hope Cottage could not be more aptly named. The children are accorded such deep & genuine respect from their teachers & this culture allows each child to flourish’
Sustainability
At Hope Cottage Nursery we value the importance of nurturing our children’s wonder and love of nature. Our garden gives our children real nature experiences from discovering bugs, spiders and snails to planting, growing and harvesting our apples and potatoes. And we show respect for nature remembering to be kind and gentle to the creatures we find and to keep our garden tidy by sweeping up the autumn leaves or digging out the weeds. The children have made sustainable artworks with the leaves they have found and created collages and leaf threading.
Nature offers endless valuable experiences that children can learn from through playful exploration. These experiences help us all to remember the importance of our natural world and what we can do to care for and protect it.
Anna Hibiscus Song – Theatre Visit
We were delighted to be invited by the Festival Theatre to the gorgeous production of Anna Hibiscus Song.
We received 15 complimentary tickets for the children and staff to attend the 10 performance. The company also offered an exclusive workshop to the children and families to join the cast of Anna Hibiscus’ Song to sing Anna’s song and learn traditional African dance moves.
Thank you to Diane (SEYO) for organising the event and to our families who participated in the workshop and provided us with such wonderful feedback on the visit.
‘I want to thank you for the opportunity for to watch Anna Hibiscus Song and attend the workshop. C really enjoyed the show, especially how interactive the actors were with inviting the children to sing and dance. She was very interested in the content of the show, and it allowed us to have discussions about times where she felt so happy that she could ‘burst into a million stars’ and how to show excitement and happiness. The workshop was also lovely! C loved learning the songs and dances, and the actors did such an excellent job at encouraging and engaging with the children. She even came home and performed one of the songs for her daddy and sister’ (Feedback from nursery parent)
Talbot Rice Gallery Visit
We were invited to an exhibition at the Talbot Rice Gallery to view the work of the artist El Anatsui who comes from Ghana. He uses recycled wood and metal in his work. The children looked at different artworks made from metal and wood and also had the opportunity to make their own artworks using discarded materials.
Quotes from some of the children:
‘I like going to the art gallery. I went with Margaret and Leslie and my friends and some children from downstairs class come along also I liked meeting the people from the gallery. Sarah and Sunny they were nice too. It was a big place the art gallery. The things were made from different materials. It was a good trip’ (C – age 4)
‘The art gallery I never been there before and I liked the big yellow one the best, and I liked making the art in the little room with everyone else it was good.
The big place was big, daddy Barley daddy big (B- age 3.5)
‘I liked running on the grass with all the other children it was fun. I liked to look at the things. I liked making something it’s got a circle. I liked it. I’m doing a great job!’ (E-age 4)
Macmillan Coffee morning
On Friday 27th September we will be hosted our Macmillan Coffee morning. Thank you to all our families who came along. It was wonderful to welcome so many families into nursery and a lovely opportunity for everyone to get together for some coffee and cake.
Thank you to our talented nursery team and our ‘wee bakers’ who baked some delicious goodies.
£146.80 was raised from your very generous donations. This will go to Macmillan to help raise vital funds to support the 3 million people in the UK living with cancer, from the moment they are diagnosed, throughout treatment and beyond.
Hope Cottage Family Ceilidh
Thank you to all our families who came along to the Family Ceilidh. What a wonderful way to celebrate our Hope Cottage community. Thank you for bringing along such delicious dishes for everyone to sample – it certainly was some feast!
Celebrating cultural events and festivals helps our children to develop a sense of respect and appreciation for different cultures and traditions. If this has been your first time at a Scottish ceilidh then we certainly hope you enjoyed it! At Hope Cottage we celebrate many different cultures and festivals as we believe this helps children develop social skills, empathy, and respect for others. It supports their cognitive development by introducing them to new ideas, concepts, and perspectives.
If you would like to share your cultural celebrations with us, then please inform a member of staff. This could be shared in a variety of ways such as through music, dance, storytelling, food, art etc. We very much value your contribution to the nursery and supporting us in creating an inclusive environment that values diversity and promotes equality.
Here is a short video we have put together from the evening
Hope Cottage Nursery Family Ceilidh 2024
End of Term – December
Thank you to the team at Hope Cottage for making the last day of term such a special day for the children. It was also extra special to have a visit from Santa to our ‘Grotto’ which had been decorated especially for the day.
We had a wonderful party with the children and it was such a lovely way to end the term.
Eco Glitter
Natasha and Catharine are our ‘Sustainability Leads’ at nursery and support the team with developing our sustainable practice.
We no longer use glitter or sequins at the nursery as these are micro plastics and very harmful to the environment and human health. Micro plastics end up on the land, in rivers and oceans. Unfortunately there are some glitter products that claim to be biodegradable (bio glitter) but sadly this is not the case as outlined in the Marine Conservation Society position statement on glitter.https://media.mcsuk.org/documents/MCS_Policy_Position_Statement_-_Glitter_2020.pdf
In October this year the EU banned glitter products in all its 27 countries and following on from a meeting with Edinburgh Council Procurement which was attended by Natasha and Lisa, glitter and glitter products have now been removed from the council online schools resource catalogue.
While our sustainable sugar glitter won’t give you that Disney sparkle it will evoke the beauty of frosty winter days. The children now make sugar glitter tree decorations and frosty pictures but we must also remember that sugar is a food source so this is a once a year activity. To make your frosty pine cone paint PVA glue (which is biodegradable) onto the tips of the cone and then sprinkle on granulated sugar and leave to dry. Tie on cotton thread and hang up.
Diwali
We celebrated the special Hindu Festival, Diwali. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, meaning “rows of lighted lamps”. It is a time for families to get together, give presents and decorate their houses with bright lights and is a major festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and the start of new beginnings for people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths.
This year Diwali took place over five days from 10th November to 14th November with the main day of celebration on Sunday 12th November.
At nursery, the children prepared a special banquet and we danced to Indian music. We also listened to stories about the festival and how this is celebrated. We used clay to make divas lamps and created special Rangoli patterns in dough.
At Hope Cottage, we believe in the importance of immersing young children in experiences that develop their individual knowledge of how family, culture and community does things.
Please let the staff know if you would be willing to come into nursery to share something about your own culture with the children.
St Andrew’s Day
Every year on 30th November people in Scotland celebrate the country’s patron saint – St Andrew.
The day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture, traditional food and music. We have been celebrating St Andrew’s Day by listening to Scottish music, trying some highland dancing and learning some Scots songs and words. The children also made some shortbread and tried on some kilts.
We also received a visit from Gregor who is an S6 pupil at George Heriot’s school. He came to the nursery to pipe for the children. We all had a fabulous time celebrating.
Macmillian Coffee Morning
Thank you to our families who supported our Macmillan coffee morning. This was an opportunity for everyone to get together and have a chat over coffee and cake.
£101.05p was raised for Macmillan cancer care. This money will help fund their amazing Macmillan nurses, answer calls on their Support Line, give financial support, and much more. Your generosity is very much appreciated.
Thank you to our nursery team for organising this event and for their tasty baking. It was certainly enjoyed by everyone!
Scottish Education Awards
On Wednesday 7th June, some of the Hope Cottage team went through to Glasgow for the Scottish Education Awards. We had been nominated for the award. ‘Making a Difference in Early Learning and Childcare’ and were delighted to find out we WON!
High quality early Learning and childcare is always at the forefront of our minds at nursery. We ensure our interactions with our children are meaningful and the experiences we offer are enriching. At Hope Cottage we nurture our children’s love and wonder of the natural world. We believe in the ‘golden thread of connectedness’ that weaves together everything we do with our children and their families.
We would like to thank all our families and community for their continued support and positive comments about the nursery. It means so much to us that you are supportive of our practice and value the work we do.
We would also like to extend this thanks to our wonderful team at Hope Cottage. It is only through attuned practitioners who go ‘above and beyond’ every day for our children and families that this has been possible. The team truly are very special people and it is an absolute pleasure to work alongside such dedicated professionals.
Life Cycle of Butterflies
We have been learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and what they need to live. The children were fascinated to watch the caterpillars grow and emerge from their chrysalis.
The children drew and documented the changes of the butterfly until the time came for them to be released into our nursery garden.
One of our nursery children commented, ‘The butterfly is beautiful, it will fly away and find a flower to land on.’
Imaginate Festival
Thank to our Senior Early Years Officer, Diane for organising a fabulous visit to the Imaginate performance, ‘You are here’This was such a beautiful, gentle show about finding your way in the world. The live music and performers were captivating and the children thoroughly enjoyed using the natural resources of stones to explore the story further.
On returning to nursery many children showed an interest in making maps and talking about going on different journeys.
Thank you to our everyone who supported the fundraising for this event. The Toy sale and pre-loved clothes sale helped towards the costs of this trip and meant we did not have to ask families to pay.
City Chambers – ‘Hope Brings Change’
On Tuesday 7th June we were invited to share our sustainable journey at Edinburgh City Chambers. Thank you to our three wonderful nursery representatives who shared some of the ways we can all make a difference through adopting small changes to our practice.
The councillors listened to the changes we have made within nursery such as:
- Swapping sellotape for biodegradable tape
- Using cotton aprons rather than plastic when preparing food and snack
- No longer using plastic felt tip pens and replacing with bees wax crayons.
The Council are going to look into the Early Years catalogues which are shared with nurseries and schools and their aim is to work towards providing suitable sustainable options when purchasing toys and craft materials.
Scottish Education Awards
We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Hope Cottage Nursery has been selected as a Finalist for the ‘Making a Difference in ELC’ category at The Scottish Education Awards.
The Scottish Education Awards in partnership with the Daily Record and Education Scotland, celebrates the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish Education. The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish nurseries and schools.
Thank you to all our families for the valuable contribution you all play in our work at Hope Cottage and to the wonderful team of dedicated and nurturing professionals who continually strive to make a difference in the lives of children, their families and the local community.
There will be an awards ceremony in Glasgow on Wednesday 7th June where the overall winner will be announced. Thank you to everyone for making our small nursery such a special place to be.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/special-features/educators-top-class-scotland-revealed-29689543
Feedback from Families
As part of our self-evaluation process, it is important we gather views from our parents, children, staff and other professionals who work with us. This helps us to reflect on and improve the service we offer.
This month we sent a survey to our new families who joined us in January. The focus was on our settling in process. Thank you to the families who completed the survey. Your responses have been overwhelmingly positive and as nursery, we were very touched to receive such great feedback!
Hope Cottage nursery places an emphasis on positive and caring relationships. We foster partnerships with parents and carers and value the contribution you make to your child’s education and the life of the nursery.
Please read some of the comments from the survey. More are displayed on our Parent board as you come into nursery.
Tea and Jam – The Festival Theatre
Prior to the pandemic, Hope Cottage nursery regularly took a small group of children to participate in the ‘Dementia Friendly Tea and Jam’ sessions at The Festival Theatre. We are delighted to find out that this has been re-introduced and we have been invited along to take part.
We take a small group of children each month along to this event, where we will participate in a celebration of music making and talent sharing. The children have been working on some songs to share with the participants.
Research shows that singing is a powerful way for children and older adults to share and gain new knowledge, make emotional connections and build relationships. There are strong benefits across the generations for those who take part in intergenerational practice and we are very much looking forward to being part of these sessions.
Update
We have been hosting St Leonard’s nursery since August 2022 whilst building works are carried out in their own setting. They have now returned to their own building which has meant we are now able to welcome lots of new children and their families to Hope Cottage.
We value our relationships with children, their parents, carers, family and the wider community. Relationships are of central importance in a child’s life and developing secure and trusting relationships can help to promote all aspects of a child’s development. Warm, trusting and secure relationships take time to develop, and the bond will grow through the interactions, experiences and spaces provided for your child. The caring relationships they receive from you and everyone involved in their lives, are the foundations to them developing their own sense of identity and self-esteem.
At Hope Cottage, our aim is to create a safe and caring environment that will develop a child’s social and emotional well-being which in turn, has a positive effect on other areas of their development.
As you come into nursery, please have a look at our Vision, Values and Aims which are displayed in the downstairs corridor. These were revised in August 2022 to ensure they continue to meet the changing and emerging needs of the nursery. These were created in consultation with our families and staff and are at the heart of our practice here at Hope Cottage.
Celebrating Robert Burns
For part of our Burns Day celebrations . We had a visit from some musicians who played us Scottish music on the fiddle and on the small pipes. We had a special snack of potatoes (tatties) turnips (neeps) and vegetarian haggis.
We have been singing Scottish songs, listening to the poems and songs of Robbie Burns, dressing up in kilts and dancing to Scottish music. We looked at the traditions associated with Scottish culture such as tartan fabric, kilts and bag pipes. Lisa and
Hannah (Saara’s daughter) taught us some Scottish Highland dancing with the children. 
Lunar New Year Celebrations
As part of our celebrations for Lunar New Year, we have been eating an altogether snack tasting vegetable stir fry, with rice noodles, coconut milk, apple, orange and spring rolls. We listened to the traditional story about the different animals of the Chinese zodiac and explored the story with props. Some children performed the Lion Dance and dressed up in special Chinese clothes. We cleaned out the house corner as this is a tradition of clearing out the old year and welcoming the new year in.
Thank you to Lemuel’s Mummy who came in to show us Chinese writing. We also counted our coins ( one, two and five pence coins) and put them into our lucky money red and gold envelopes.
December Updates
We were very fortunate to be invited to Holyrood Palace to participate in their Christmas Storytelling session. Our guide welcomed us and introduced the children to Mr Mouse who led us through the various rooms. During this session, children investigated which of the Palaces 40 chimneys Father Christmas will use on Christmas Eve. Along the way they met angels, a King who received a very special present, and even unicorns! The children were such fabulous detectives and soon discovered the special chimney which was in a room with a huge Christmas Tree!
The visit was finished by retelling the story through instruments and song.
This was such a special visit for all the children and staff and such a wonderful way to end the term and see the children captivated by the beauty of Holyrood Palace. Thank you to Diane for arranging the trip for the children.
At the end of this term the children enjoyed learning about our cultural events over this festive period and experienced some beautiful sustainable craft activities. They have listened to the Christmas nativity story and performed this for their families at our end of term Festive sing along session. The end of term Christmas party was full of joy and laughter and the visit from our special person ‘in the big red coat’ was such a delight! Thank you to Laura and Margaret for decorating our Santa’s Grotto. It looked so inviting for the children.
Thank you Santa for taking the time to visit the children at Hope Cottage.
October and November Updates
At Hope Cottage nursery we want our children to grow up with an understanding of how to look after their planet. In doing so we would hope this would lead them to go on and influence others with their behaviour. We believe the earlier these principles are taught, the better.
Children’s awareness of the planet and the environment is promoted through the experiences we offer at Hope Cottage. Through our monthly SWAY newsletters, we are also sharing sustainable play expereinces which families can try at home. An example of this was during the Forest School session the children had been noticing all the different coloured leaves. They enjoyed lying down on a mat together and looking up into the trees. Their Autumn walk to George Square offered lots of opportunities to collect leaves. One of the sustainable play experiences we shared was the technique of leaf rubbing.
Children enjoy exploring leaves, looking at their shape and colour. One activity you can try at home is leaf rubbings.
- Place the leaf under the paper- vein side up. This is important because you want the side of the leaf that’s the bumpiest to be what you’re running the crayon over.
- Hold down the paper where the leaf is underneath to prevent the leaf from moving during the rubbing.
- Lay the crayon on its side and rub gently back and forth over the leaf. Encourage your child to work slowly and pay extra attention as they get to the edges of their leaves. Applying a bit of extra pressure at the edges will make them even more visible.
At nursery we have purchased some new eco beeswax crayons. These are made by Stockmar and are made from pure Beeswax. Their size and flat shape means they fit easily into little hands.
Sharing our Sustainable practice with other settings
On Friday 11th November we invited other nursery settings to Hope Cottage to share our sustainable practice journey. It was wonderful to meet so many practitioners who also are aware how they are interconnected within a wider ecological context, and that actions have an impact.
Research shows that fundamental values and attitudes are formed in a child’s earliest years, so it’s important we play our part in laying these foundations. Early years settings are primed for educating children on sustainability and there are several simple steps which can be taken to promote awareness and create lifelong habits.
Thank you to Natasha Stewart (EYP) for presenting our journey and to the Hope Cottage team for their work in preparing for this event. We would also like to thank our children and families for their support in helping us to look into ways we can contribute towards a sustainable future.
St Andrew’s Day
On 30th November we celebrated the patron saint of Scotland, St Andrew. He is also the patron saint of Romania, Greece, Russia, Ukraine and Poland.
The children learnt that due to St Andrew’s kindness and helping others, he became the patron saint of Scotland. We had a visit from Bob the piper who played us Scottish music on his small bagpipe. We had great fun dancing to the songs! For snack, the children tasted some Scottish shortbread which they had made with Natasha.
August and September Updates
It was very special welcoming back our returning children and families to nursery. We also welcomed St Leonard’s nursery as their own building is undergoing some maintenance work. The downstairs class have adjusted well to being in a different room and many new friendships are forming.
Families are the most important influence in the early years of a child’s life and at Hope Cottage nursery we are here to support the whole family. Please always know we are here to listen to any worry or concern you may have, and our knowledgeable and experienced team will do all they can to offer the correct support for you.
Forest School Sessions
Our Forest School sessions have re-started at nursery. These are led by our trained Forest School leader, Margaret. Forest Schools encourage children to learn through hands-on experiential learning in a natural setting. They are encouraged to direct ther own learning, led by their curiosity and interests. Our attuned adults scaffold learning by offering support and guidance as new skills develop.
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Digging up our potatoes
In the springtime, the children planted potatoes in the nursery garden. They have been working hard to dig them up. Different sized potatoes and a variety of colours were found and some children even noticed the potatoes had roots! The children enjoyed sharing sharing their ideas on what they could cook with the potatoes.
MacMillan Coffee Morning
Thank you to all our families who came along to our MacMillan Coffee morning on Friday 23rd September. We raised a total of £73.65 towards vital funds for people living with cancer.
Hope Cottage ECO Pledge
In August 2021, Hope Cottage Nursery created an ECO Pledge. Our pledge takes the form of three simple rules to follow in our daily nursery practice:
1. Cut Down i.e. on the use of laminating, poly-pockets, Sellotape,
2. Cut Out i.e. micro-plastics – this means no more glitter, sequins, googly eyes and single use plastics
3. Source Natural not Synthetic i.e. we will always prioritise the use of natural materials for toys – e.g., wood not plastic, likewise choose natural fabrics & drapes (hessian, cotton, silk, wool, felt) and use natural alternatives for cleaning – for example cotton & bamboo cloths not synthetic j-cloths etc.
Our Early Years Practitioner, Natasha has been instrumental in the success of this initiative and has liaised with outside agencies to ensure the information we share with our families is up to date and correct. She also documented the journey into a floor book which has now created into a digital form so it can be shared more widely.
Marine Conservation Visit
On Friday 30th September we had a visit from Kirsty Crawford, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager for the Marine Conservation Society in Scotland. This is linked to our Eco Initiative. Kirsty talked to the children about her job keeping the beaches clean and protecting sea animals. She told the children a story about a turtle called ‘ Duffy’ and how plastic in the seas is very dangerous for sea animals. Kirsty gave the children lots of different ways we can help.
Sign-along
At Hope Cottage Nursery, sign-along is incorporated across our setting. We feel this allows for a far more inclusive approach as it becomes part of the communication toolkit.
Signalong is a key word sign-supported communication system based on British sign language and is used in spoken word order. It uses speech, sign, body language, facial expression and voice tone to reference the link between sign and word. Sign-along can assist those with communication difficulties and those with English as an additional language.
We have re-introduced our a ‘Sign of the Week’ which is shared via the children’s learning journals. We have also created a QR code so our sign-along videos can be accessed quickly by our families. This will be available at the Sign-along display which is at the top of the stairs as you turn into the classroom.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our nursery updates.