Welcome to Elmfield Early Years Department.
We accept the Free Nursery Childcare Entitlement funding for our morning sessions, where applicable.
If your search for a provider for Nursery & Kindergarten education in Stourbridge has brought you here, it may be because you are looking for a provision that is based on child development, the whole child, and takes an unhurried approach to the education of our youngest children.
The Waldorf model of Early Childhood Education focuses primarily on active learning, with an emphasis on physical development. Through a largely play-based curriculum the children gain mastery over their bodies, learn to communicate effectively, and gain the social and emotional skills necessary to become lifelong learners. The daily routines offer a gentle rhythm of ‘breathing in and out’ with a mixture of child and adult-led activities.
In today’s hurried modern world, we believe it’s important that children are allowed to develop at their own speed, free from unnecessary pressures and “hot-housing”. We work at a much gentler pace than many mainstream establishments, with an age-appropriate, but rigorous, curriculum that engages the young child’s natural love of learning through imitation, rhythms and exploration.
Our Curriculum is a careful blend of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Waldorf Early Childhood curriculum. As a registered Waldorf Early Years Setting we have exemptions granted for the more formal aspects of the Early Years Curriculum in more mainstream settings. You can find out more about exemptions HERE.
At Elmfield Early Years we offer all our children:
An atmosphere of warmth, love and security
Time for lots of free play both indoors and outdoors
Wooden toys, handmade dolls and seasonal materials taken directly from nature
Baking, gardening, weaving, cooking, food preparation, painting, modelling, and a variety of seasonal crafts
Small class sizes which build self-confidence and trust
games, songs and stories to enrich the child’s world, and promote a rich vocabulary
An age-appropriate curriculum, with an unhurried approach, drawn from Waldorf pedagogy
Activities appropriate for the seasons of the year
Diverse festivals and celebrations reflecting our seasons, community, and the wider world
Outdoor learning through various activities
Beautiful natural gardens, play areas and classrooms
A secure platform for formal learning when they reach school
An ideal environment for the development of emotional intelligence, self-esteem and positive behaviour
Carefully planned transitions to the next stage of development
Solid foundations for social, literacy and numeracy skills, and technical and scientific knowledge
Our Early Years settings welcome children between the ages of 3 and 6. Sessions are held between 8.40am and 12.45pm, Monday to Friday during term time, with add on afternoons finishing at 3.10.
Where applicable, we accept the Early Years Entitlement Funding for our morning sessions (16 hours over 4 mornings only), and 30 hours funding (4.5 days per week). We offer additional afternoon sessions for those accessing 15 hours which can be added to the mornings and Wraparound care.
For more information on Early Years fees and funding, visit the Fees page.
Snowdrop and Sunflower rooms
There is a strong sense of community within the Early Years with plenty of opportunity for the children to work and play together under the gentle and guiding presence of qualified Early Years Teachers and Practitioners. Each child is either a Sunflower or a Snowdrop and those homely rooms become the secure base from which to play and socialise, hear seasonal stories and rhymes and learn new skills. Children joining us after their 3rd birthday stay in Snowdrops until the end of the academic year in which they turn 4, and then move to the Sunflower room for their next two years, (Reception and year 1 equivalent in mainstream) until starting Class 1. There is a set programme for the oldest children (Year 1 equivalent) and they stay for 3 full days as part of their package, to work on extended projects, preparation for Class 1 and other aspects of the curriculum as befitting rising 6’s.
Each child is allocated a keyworker, who takes a special interest in their development and supports the family during their time at Elmfield Early Years. During their time at Elmfield the children will get to know all the staff members as each one of us will walk alongside your child, helping them to develop and grow, as they take their steps towards formal education.
Lavender Room
We are also proud to host one of Dudley’s five Inclusion Hubs, providing specialised provision for predominantly nursery age children who require a slightly different approach to playing and learning. Our hub, Lavenders, provides up to 8 children, placed by Dudley’s IEYS team the opportunity to experience our unhurried, play based approach to Early Years, with specialist modifications and additions made to help the children develop their speech , Language and Communication skills and social and emotional development in a meaningful way. This class too is staffed by the same team, and so all of our children are nurtured and cared for by us all. There are opportunities, where appropriate, for children from Lavenders to come into the other rooms and vice versa to promote inclusion and support children with any specific aspects of learning and development. We are thus a big extended family, with joy and love And warmth at our core.
There are also opportunities to experience time in a small group, which could be part of our Nurture group, working with our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) or the other of our two qualified Nurturing Practitioners. There are also opportunities to work a bit more specifically on aspects of development which might benefit from that little bit extra from time to time, such as speech language and communication and social development.
We have an Early Years SENCo working in our department to support us with aspects of our work when children need that extra support.
To enquire about our provision, book a tour, or receive an application form, please contact Admissions
Stay and Play groups
Some families start their journey with us almost from the time their little ones are born. We offer ‘ stay and play’ sessions for birth to 3 year olds. These are small, friendly groups that welcome parents, grandparents and carers with babies and younger children. These can be a lovely way to experience our approach, a chance for you to relax and chat in a peaceful, calm environment, and watch your child explore with newfound friends, happy knowing you are close at hand. We offer a Woodland group which runs every Monday morning 9.30am - 11.30am, and an indoor afternoon group each Thursday 1.40pm - 3.10pm Each session is run by a fully qualified Waldorf Early Years Practitioner and can be booked through Evolve.
Nursery & Kindergarten Options for ages 3 - 6
“The children transition to Class 1 or primary schools socially competent, emotionally secure and resilient. They are good communicators and have excellent physical abilities and skills.
The Steiner Waldorf early childhood experience encourages enthusiastic, creative, questioning, imaginative children who can give purpose and direction to their lifelong learning.”