Back before Christmas, I wrote an article explaining that there were some significant changes proposed for the Badock’s Wood Children’s Centre and that the parents/carers were very concerned and shocked about these changes.
I then met with Dawn Butler (Early Years Manager Bristol City Council) in April 2019 for an AMAZING update!!
Dawn reassured and delightfully informed me that by working together with the working group (parents panel, staff at the Centre and Bristol City Council), it has been agreed that the Centre –
- Continues to accepting early education placements for 15/30hrs per week from age 2 years
- Continues to accept paid places/childcare from ages 2 to 4 years
- Remains open from 8:00am to 4:30pm
- Will offer new sessions to include breakfast group and lunchtime wraparound plus after school wraparound (which I feel is essential for working parents like myself)
- Will continue with weekly Forest School (weather permitting) and will hope to advertise this as a private session offered to children not attending the Centre – more details to be confirmed
The Centre has embraced The Curiosity Approach; this is a wondrous ethos that focuses on curiosity, awe and wonder in early childhood and the Centre is excited and is striving to make the changes to the environment to promote this approach. The Centre looks so much more inviting and there have been a lot of positive comments (see the pictures below).
Family support services will continue, they are still limited but this is being raised, and monitored to ensure that the needs of the area and parents are being met.
The Centre has been allowed to change its name and is currently taking ideas for the new name and logo; I personally would like it to go back to Southmead Children’s Centre. The Centre would love some feedback and ideas from the community to help with this so please feel free to drop in and offer some ideas about the name change and logo ASAP!
The Centre has restarted communication with parents/carers by relaunching newsletters. It also held its first parents evening for children moving up to Reception in September 2019. Parents evening was a success and I was able to ‘recruit’ some more parents and carers to our ever-growing Facebook page. Please feel free to join (if you have not already), search for: Badocks Wood Children’s Centre Parents/Carers Group.
Finally, the Centre hopes to plan a fete on 30th August 2019 to relaunch the Centre and invite the community; we want to embrace Southmead’s support – this has helped keep the Centre moving forward and upwards.
I would like to personally thank all parents on the parent’s panel and everyone who has helped to support the Centre and shown true ‘Meader’ community spirit.
THANK YOU J
(pics below of inside the Centre)
