Wingate Children's Centre Training and Research Base

http://www.wingatenursery.com/landing.asp?id=2

Today I travelled about forty minutes South East to Wingate Children's Centre Training and Research Base. I had heard great things about this place but was unsure of what to expect. On entering I walked into a roomy and inviting space and was greeted with a welcoming smile from across an admin counter. There was a large sitting area with a couch and colorful cushions, and children's artwork on display that have been made into the centres trade marks. I'm always impressed when children's drawings are respected enough to form an expression of our adult world. They are truly beautiful images, created by children within this learning space. 

I waited on the comfortable couches until Paddy came from the nursery to greet me and take me to the training room. Her warmth and welcome was greatly appreciated as I was feeling the usual nerves at being in a new place and wondering what I would find here. 

This place has developed from a simple and basic regular nursery that was pre-war to support the needs of mines workers. I was shown photos of the original building, stark environments, a cement yard. Again I was amazed at the realization of the vision of a person, and its fulfillment. Paddy saw the possibilities and with a secure and supportive team behind her she grew the place. It now boasts a family centre, a training base, a nursery (preschool) and a childcare centre. Each learning space is aesthetically presented, including the adult training space. There was comfortable and attractive furnishings, book cases full of resources on hand, jars with spring flowers, a place to get tea and coffee. I think adult learning spaces make a difference to our readiness to learn just like for children. 

While my main interest on this study tour is the use of outdoor spaces and the utilization of local wild places, a comment on the indoor provision at Wingate cannot be overlooked. It is beautiful! Any early childhood educator would drool at the provision of the play spaces here. The materials available and their design, the careful placement and organisation of work spaces, the thoughtfulness that has gone into these provisions all tell us that children are valued and seen as highly competent. The walls are a testament to the work and learning that children have been engaged in. I see beautifully displayed images of flowers throughout the room. Each painting is either in a frame or within a border. Learning stories and wall documentation tell of the learning that has taken place. I ask about the process that was undertaken to bring children to such competent art works and Paddy explains that the art work are a culmination of children's exposure to the subject over an extended time and opportunities to revisit it. For instance, the representations of many colorful flowers were developed from a project where children planted bulbs in the winter that would flower in the spring.  The variety of flowers that this produced are in pots throughout the garden and paddy spoke of how the educators point out the various aspects of the flowers as they bloom, talk about colours, shapes, textures. The children are supported in mixing colours and in thinking about design. The results were fantastic. 

According to Paddy, when children feel it's their space and where they use the space for whatever they need, optimal learning results.  The children decide for themselves what they do and it's the job of the educators to ensure that they are provided with the materials, space and time. 

I was fortunate to join two other educators who are here as part of a learning partnership between their centre and Wingate, which is a part of the role Wingate plays in the early childhood community. I was particularly interested because these ladies were from a school that have a nursery school attached. The learning partnership that they have undergone began with an observation visit from the  Wingate staff, and a planning meeting to consider possibilities for change. This process, in time, involves the educators having opportunity to spend a day at Wingate and observe the learning in action. There are lots of support materials made available and many robust conversations as the educators meet with Paddy and her deputy to learn about the centre and it's values and to discuss the changes they have been making. This particular nursery had a focus on giving the children more choice and leadership. The training opportunity occurs over a long period, I think six months, and involves various opportunities for support. I quite like the model in that it has a coaching, mentoring basis that I believe can be very powerful. Bolden Nursery engaged in this training with Wingate a number of years ago and are an example of the change that can occur when people come together, see the possibilities  and reflect on practices with a view to making change. 

You may subscribe to 'Exchange Every Day' where I came across this little gem. I love the quote from the author of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson in Psychology Today (March 2014):

"Think in Groups: Our intelligence has never been entirely just in our heads.  A huge amount of our thinking takes place in... the 'extended mind' - all sorts of resources outside us that help scaffold our thinking.  We rely on other people as cognitive amplifiers."

So I encourage you to be some bodies cognitive amplifier today. 

It's 5:30 the following morning. I can hear birds outside, song birds, as I'm in the English countryside staying in an old manor house. It's a lovely way to start the day. I'll have more on Wingate tonight (or if you're an Aussie, tomorrow morning) as I'm spending another day there today. 

Bye for now.