Our Values & Approach to Childcare
This is what we value at Wild Hearts and how it shapes our childcare provision:
Gentle / Respectful Parenting
We believe in building relationships with children based on respect, positivity, patience and empathy. This means we prefer following the child rather than setting strict routines, and we encourage autonomy and making choices over compliance and rule-following.
Getting Outdoors
We believe that bringing children outside as much as possible reduces or eliminates many of the common challenges we may face. No matter the weather, we aim to spend part of each day outside, either in our fun garden space or exploring the nearby woods or parks.
The Importance of Play
Play is how children learn about the world, themselves and each other. Whether a child is just starting to explore the world around them, or tackling more complex social, emotional, or academic concepts, we believe that play allows a child's brain to process their experiences and develop resilience as they grow.
It Takes a Village
It takes a village to raise a child - which means it is our priority to support and connect with other families in our community. By providing opportunities for our families to gather together, we build the village so many of us lack, and in doing so we are able to help each other through the challenges and triumphs of raising children in these uncertain times.
Every Child is Unique
Every child's needs, experiences and development are unique to them. We specialise in caring for sensitive children, who benefit from longer settling periods and lower ratios. Our small groups and cosy home-based setting allows us to build strong, trusting relationships with each child, so they know their needs will be met consistently with empathy and understanding.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are lucky enough to live in a beautifully diverse and progressive city full of different ethnicities, orientations and beliefs. At Wild Hearts we deeply value our queer families, neurodivergent and disabled children and families, and families from the Global Majority. We believe in teaching inclusion, equity and anti-racism to our children.
Honesty & Transparency
Trust is essential in order to build positive relationships with the children and families I support. A big part of this is my belief in being totally open and transparent with my families about our day - because it doesn't help anyone to sugar-coat a tricky day with "they had a great time!" My goal is to support each child to thrive - but at their own pace.
Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Our family is vegan, and so we extend into our childcare setting the vegan priciple to avoid and reduce animal suffering wherever possible. Our food, materials and activities are free from animal products or exploitation, and we seek opportunities to learn about native British wildlife and habitats while nurturing children's innate empathy towards animals.