Soon after manager Julie Ayrton joined what is now Ark Alpha Nursery, in Portsmouth, it experienced an influx of two-year-olds. This was due to the start of the funded places programme for twos and the decision to restructure the age ranges within the nursery’s rooms to create more places. But the quick doubling of two-year-old numbers was stressful.
Many of the children were entering the nursery, which is based in a deprived area of the city, with limited communication and social skills. As a result, the typical behaviour of two-year-olds – being constantly on the move, not yet able to share, and needing regular comfort and support – was exacerbated, affecting how they settled as well as their interactions.
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