We used the funds to purchase all the requested items apart from one. I emailed Sharon Cleghornon 12th March to update that a parent had unexpectedly donated a paper drying rack to the nursery. I asked if we could reallocate the £202.80 that would have been used for the rack towards upgrading our iPads, and Sharon kindly confirmed that this was fine.
All the other items have been put to great use. The iPads have truly saved the staff’s sanity and made day-to-day life much easier – they free up valuable time, allowing for better-quality engagement with the children. The easel is used every day; the children were so excited when it arrived and absolutely love getting creative with it.
The Berol pens have been fantastic – they’re longer-lasting and higher quality, which has meant we haven’t had to replace any since purchasing them. Previously, we were constantly spending money on replacements, so this has been a big improvement.
We reached out to local artists to invite them to run creative sessions with the children, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much interest this time. However, we plan to try again in the new year. We’ve also invited parents to take part in “What I Do at Work” sessions, and several have volunteered, which will be a wonderful experience for the children.
