THE owner of a nursery in Onchan has said she is bringing the theatre into the nursery setting to help build children's confidence.
Lisa Dancox opened Storytime Nursery, on Second Avenue, in January. It caters for pre-school children between the ages of two and five.
Lisa said: "I love theatre and thought I would bring the two together – the fact I want to work with children and theatre.
"I've done it (theatre) since I was very young – it was just a release for me. The main thing is that it builds confidence and children can be who they want to be. It certainly built confidence in me."
Lisa has been a member of the Manx Operatic Society for 27 years and is keen put her theatre contacts from the Island and the UK to good use.
She will also undertake the Action Kids course which focuses on bringing music and movement activities into the nursery to help with physical development.
As well as placing an emphasis on the theatre, the nursery is keen to promote learning through play. The nursery is open plan with areas for messy play, creative play and dressing up.
Lisa explained: "We work to the Early Years Foundation Stage - which is a curriculum which they will then carry on to go to school with.
"We do adult led activities as well but the focus is very much child led. The children do what they want to do, when they want to do it, and feel comfortable doing it.
"They learn through play basically – that's the way it is. It's 'freedom to flourish' as the government here is always saying. They can experiment and they can fail without worrying which is a big thing. Sometimes I think people put pressure on children but we are here to let them develop in their own time."
Storytime Nursery can take up to 24 children at present. There are three qualified staff members – Lisa, manager Katie Rosevear and deputy manager Jacqui Arrowsmith.
Lisa continued: "I'm very fortunate to have two lovely experienced girls. We're parents ourselves so anything that's thrown at us, one of us has normally been through it. I'm very fortunate with that. Both are great girls and I'm really fortunate to have great girls working with me, not for me, we are a team."
Lisa said her ultimate ambition is to instil confidence in the children who attend the nursery as her father did for her.
She concluded: "I lost my dad 10 years ago now and he was the one who got me into theatre. It very much is a confidence building thing. The older you get the more self conscious you get. Even if we can build a bit of confidence – it will help when they're speaking to teachers in the classroom. You have to encourage young children – you have to!"
Storytime Nursery is open Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm. The nursery offers full day sessions (8am to 6pm), school day sessions (8.45am to 3.45pm), morning sessions (8am to 1pm) and afternoon sessions (1pm to 6pm). They also do pick up and drop off from either Onchan or Ashley Hill School.
For more information on Storytime Nursery call 07624 251237 or click here.
