Habla Bilingual Day Nursery

A gift for your child, for life.

Habla Bilingual Day Nursery

A gift for your child, for life.

Habla Bilingual Day Nursery

A gift for your child, for life.

Habla Bilingual Day Nursery

A gift for your child, for life.

I absolutely adore Habla and all of the staff. My little girl is so happy there and the staff really do go the extra mile to be helpful and supportive of us. My daughter is already saying a few words in Spanish and considering she is only just learning to say words in English that’s amazing! I’m so glad I chose this nursery and couldn’t recommend it enough! Thank you!”

Habla Upton

To find out more about our setting in Upton, Wirral call or email us.

hablaupton@outlook.com

0151 678 5544

Habla Formby

To find out more about our setting in Upton, Wirral call or email us.

hablaformby@outlook.com

01704 833 039

 

Established in 2017 in Upton, Wirral and with a second setting opening in Formby in Summer 2021, our mission is to provide an environment that allows each child to feel safe, secure and happy and enables them to flourish and achieve to their full potential.

Habla Day Nursery aims to provide a happy, secure, stimulating, bilingual environment, which will support and challenge children in their exploration of the world around them. Through play and through interaction with friendly, well-qualified practitioners, the child can further his/her skills and understanding without fear of failing.

Play is children’s work; it is natural, essential and instinctive. Children learn through play. They learn willingly and learn much. Children learn to co-operate, formulate and share ideas and to express their feelings and frustrations. They learn to use their imagination, to imitate, to share, to experiment, to explore and most importantly to communicate with others.

They develop their language and physical skills and learn creative thinking across the curriculum. This basic learning is an essential part of the educational process that goes on, not only in school, but also throughout life.

What do we eat?

We have a two week rolling menu which includes breakfast, lunch, snack and tea.  All of our meals are prepared fresh on site, allowing us to easily cater for specific dietary requirements.  Our menus are designed to introduce children to a broad variety of dishes including some Spanish favourites.  The menus are inspired by the Children’s Food Trust Eat Better, Start Better Programme which “has been developed to meet the national voluntary food and drink guidelines for early years’ settings and to meet the nutritional requirements of children aged one to five years.” and are developed in consultation with a nutritionist.

More information can be found on their website

What’s on the menu?

Click here to download our weekly menu.

Our Team

Both our Spanish and English speaking staff are highly qualified and experienced nursery practitioners and Early Years teachers.  Our management team includes our manager who has over 23 years’ experience in education, including 13 specialising in Early Years and consulting in Quality Assurance in day nurseries.  Our deputy manager has a level 4 SENCO accreditation and is also our Designated Safeguarding Lead. All of our team have Paediatric First Aid training and regularly undertake continuous professional development.

Links with our community including visits to a local residential home.

Enriching experiences both within the nursery setting and out and about.

An exciting and stimulating environment designed to inspire curiosity, awe and wonder.

Real life authentic resources that encouraged open ended play opportunities.

Support children's learning and development both indoors and outdoors with opportunities to explore, be active and be critical thinkers.

Support children to develop self-confidence, independence and resilience and offer equal opportunities to each child by following their own interests and needs.

Why Bilingual?

Bilingualism can be a great tool for developing your child’s full capabilities. It not only gives them the gift of speaking a second language, but has great benefits for their development, as babies and young children, as well as for their future.

Young children’s brains are primed with everything they need to learn a language in a way that adult’s brains are not. This makes it easier for them to become bilingual. Below is a list of some of the key advantages commonly associated with spending time in a bilingual environment from an early age.

Practical Benefits

  • Ability to communicate in other countries
  • Increased job opportunities
  • Easier to learn another language later in life
Educational Benefits

  • Bilingual children are on average better at problem solving and creativity
  • Stronger early reading skills
  • Increased ability to focus on mental tasks
  • Ability to puzzle out ideas and surroundings whilst still pre-verbal infants
  • Stronger skills in their first language
Cultural/Emotional Benefits

  • Better equipped to immerse themselves in other countries
  • Increased tolerance for other cultures
  • Greater interest in socialising
Will my child become bilingual?
The level to which your child becomes proficient at Spanish as well as English will depend on a variety of factors e.g. what age they join us, how many sessions they attend for etc. We expect that a child who joins our nursery at a young age, say 6 months to 2 years old, will be able to understand Spanish to a high level before starting primary school. If your child joins at a later age or only attends for a couple of sessions a week, they will still have a good grounding in the language. It is important to know that not all children will actually speak a lot of Spanish, although some will, but all will certainly show understanding which is a great start.

They will find learning the language later in life very easy, as this will give them the start they need. It is also important to remember that speaking a second language is only one of the benefits of our bilingual environment.

What are the benefits of a bilingual environment?
We believe they are profound and wide-ranging. Many studies* show knock-on benefits, some of which are listed above. “Babies and toddlers are cognitively advantaged by growing up in two or more language environments.” (Siraj-Blatchforn & Clarke, 2000)
What are the disadvantages?
A common concern for parents considering a bilingual nursery is will it affect their child’s acquisition of English.  The answer is no, if anything they will become better English speakers as one of the benefits of being in a bilingual environment.  Equally, children do not become confused and start using a mixture of two languages, especially as we use the one-person one-language method, see below.
How does it work?
We use the one-person one-language (OPOL) system. This means Spanish staff speak Spanish to the children and English staff speak English. We aim for the natural usage of language and encourage children to respond to staff in the language they are spoken to.
What is the best age to start learning a new language?
Everything points to the younger the better. Children as young as 1 years old can individually identify all the languages spoken in a familiar environment. The early years are often described as a “window of opportunity” for language learning.

Gaining such a level of knowledge in Spanish at this age makes continuing to learn and speak the language later in life much easier. It also makes learning another language a lot simpler too.  All children now study a language at Primary school in key stage 2 and on the Wirral, Spanish is the most common language taught.

Is this a tried-and-tested theory?
Bilingual education is the norm in many countries e.g. parts of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Singapore (amongst others) – all with great success. Bilingual nurseries have existed in this country for decades, however they have seen an increase in popularity in the last 10 years as parents who only speak one language themselves realise the benefits for their children.
Won’t it affect my child learning to speak English?
Your child will have an English Key Worker and plenty of exposure to English speaking staff. We monitor every child’s progress closely, to ensure they reach his or her potential in English, as well as phonics, all whilst benefiting from our bilingual environment.
Is this different from what other nurseries offer?
Yes! Many nurseries offer 1 or 2 half hour sessions a week. Although these are better than nothing, there is a limit on how much a large group can learn in a short session once a week! In our nursery children will consistently be exposed to the language and developing their skills.  You can’t really compare this to a weekly half hour class!

Habla at Home

This section is for Parents.  Here you will find links to help your child practise their Spanish at home or to teach you!  You will also find links to films and support for things you can do at home to help your child’s development.  If there is anything that you would like to see in this section, please let us know.