Transcript
NICOLA FARMER:
We do do quite a lot here, don't we, about physical activity and development for our children, especially with the links to the health benefits for them.
KAREN NASH:
It has lots of health opportunities and benefits for children being physically active, I think, promoting healthy bones and muscle development.
NICOLA FARMER:
Yes. Concentration levels as well.
KAREN NASH:
With sleeping habits.
NICOLA FARMER:
That's right. Yes, it does, doesn't it?
[TEXT ON SCREEN: 66% of people in Solihull overweight or obese. 17% of Solihull children obese in Year 6. 23% of regeneration area children obese in year 6.]
NICOLA FARMER:
And also, obviously, with the area that we're in, there can be high obesity levels, and the government's strategy now at the moment is to try and lower those levels. So within our area, we need to be careful of that.
KAREN NASH:
Yeah. We've done lots of work, haven't we, to support childhood obesity plan.
NICOLA FARMER:
Yeah, promoting the physical activity at all times, getting your children moving at all times, and lots of different ways you can do that. It also links into the mental health, doesn't it, being physically active as well.
KAREN NASH:
In children's well-being.
NICOLA FARMER:
And obviously, we found, didn't we, we just had a new build on site with a new school. And we had our outdoor area taken away from us. And we had to have a temporary outdoor garden. That was a little bit smaller than what we were used to, which was quite difficult for staff and children.
KAREN NASH:
Impacted on the children's behaviour, well, that's what we think contributed to it, having less space to run around freely, using all their gross motor skills. And just their concentration levels when they came back.
NICOLA FARMER:
They went down, didn't they?
KAREN NASH:
Yeah. We noticed that they didn't stay on task, did they, doing focused activities.
NICOLA FARMER:
No, not as much.
KAREN NASH:
We're not sure. We can't say for certain that it is from our policies and practices that helped promote everything that we do here in the nursery with the children. But I think it all contributes to children being physically active and having healthy lifestyles.
NICOLA FARMER:
And having that outdoor play and that space to run around is really important, isn't it?
KAREN NASH:
So we've done lots of work, really, with parents, haven't we, to promote children's physical development within the nursery and at home.
NICOLA FARMER:
Yes. And it's really important to build those positive relationships with parents because they're the first educators, aren't they?
KAREN NASH:
Yeah. They've got to gain that trust, haven't they, and have that relationship there with us before they'll trust us to look after and care for their children really.
NICOLA FARMER:
Definitely, that's the most important thing, isn't it, that you build those, that confidence.