Introducing… PoshBabiesAndKids Nurseries

• Please introduce yourself and your background

My name is Ronke Adeniyi, my background mainly is in Investment banking, working on acquisitions and mergers, where I cut my teeth in the commercial world after a degree in Biochemistry and an MBA. I had a passion of wanting to work with children and this led me to moonlighting in the children’s entertainment sector, which motivated me to start up my own party entertainment business. I put a lot of effort into providing a quality service and building a distinctive ambience for every party that after two years in operation, the brand became one of the most famous children’s party brands in the United Kingdom known as PoshPartyPacks.

After seventeen years in the United Kingdom, I had this desire to come back to Nigeria to set up the brand and also to expand the business furthermore, which led to the start up of PoshBabiesandKids crèche and nursery.

• What is the name of the school and when was it founded?

The name of the school is PoshBabiesandKids (PBK) Nurseries. The nursery was opened in Nigeria on the 7^th of February 2012 however the Mother company PoshPartyPacks has been in operation in the UK since 2005.

• Where is the school located?

The school is located in the heart of Ikoyi, a quiet suburb of Lagos. The address is No 25, Sir Tony Eromosele Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi. Lagos. It is conveniently located for both parents/guardians that live either on the mainland or Island due to the excellent road network links to Victoria Island, Lekki and environs, also it’s easy accessibile via the third mainland bridge for those on the mainland.

• Please give details of your staff/administration?

Our teachers are trained and/or experienced Montessori teachers with years of experience working with children and helping with their learning and development.

• Ratio of Kids to teachers

Our ratio depends on the age group of the children, the largest of which is a ratio of 1 teacher to 5 kids in the older classes. In the crèche we have ratio of 1:3 teachers and we also have trained nursery assistants available all day.

• Number of children in the school and the capacity

We currently have fewer than 40 children which comprises of both full time and part time kids. We run an after school service and also extracurricular activities also. All the kids who attend PBK are considered part of the school irrespective of the length of time they spend here. The school capacity currently is 60  and we have some really large classrooms and our crèche is a very good size.

• What age range are your students?And classes?

The kids can register in the crèche from the age of 3 months and we have the playgroup and nursery arm till age 4/5.

• What is the curriculum/teaching methodology?

We blend the British Early years foundation stage along with a Montessori curriculum and a ‘Nigerian curriculum’.

• Extra-curricular activities available? School Hours and any after school services offered?

We currently have extracurricular activities such as Art and Crafts and a homework club. We also have playgroups and after school care after school hours.

Our school hours are from 6:30am – 6:30pm, core learning is from 8am – 1:30pm daily. The extended hours are available for busy parents unable to pick up their kids on time or do not have another alternative in childcare during working hours. We provide light meals for the children on the premises also.

• What is the admission process? deadline? Is it rolling?

I always encourage every parent/guardian to visit the school first (and other schools too) where they can meet with myself or any of the administrative team who will show them round, tell them about the services we offer and answer any questions. The parent/guardian gets asked a few questions about the child and is also given an application pack to complete the registration.

The school runs a full year programme so a child can be admitted at any time during the year.

• Tuition? Is there a payment plan for parents?

The fees are very competitive and we request that these are paid every three months depending on the start date of the child. There is currently no payment plan however I am happy to address individual cases.

• How do you assess students’ progress?

The kids are assessed on an individual and ongoing basis and each child has an assessment pack to monitor progress and development. We also carry out more structured assessment in May and October every year.

• Discipline methods?

We use an effective ‘naughty corner’ system whereby we remove the child from the situation to think about what they have done and also address the issue.

• Do you offer a school bus service?

Yes we have a school bus however all our parents currently have arrangements to drop their kids.

• What should parents be looking for to decide if your school would work for them/their children?

A lot of factors should be considered such as proximity, the facility and environment, the staff, the ratio of staff to kids, the learning aids/materials, the procedures, Health and safety, security amongst others. PBK provides all of these with very high standards.

• How is your school preparing children for learning and operating in the 21^st century?

At PBK Nurseries, we understand the importance of preparing our children for learning and operating in the 21^st century, this means teaching has to be more than the core subjects at an early stage so kids can adopt quickly into the techno world which they are growing up in. The focus at this early age is to disseminate knowledge to them, and teach how to use this knowledge and apply it to new situations as they learn and communicate their experiences daily, also encouraging them to collaborate and solve problems with their peers in the classroom.

We introduce the children to the use of information technology by encouraging them to use learning aid computers to play games or learn numbers, alphabets, shapes, letters etc because we know as tomorrow’s adults most of their lives will revolve round cyberspace, to do their jobs and also to conduct themselves socially and financially, so computer literacy at an early age is quite important.

The world as we know is also getting smaller through technology; hence languages are also very important – this we teach the kids also at PBK.

• Any other information you would like to share?

We also run a full year programme to support busy or working parents, we are only closed during public holidays. We are very flexible and can accommodate kids who are on holidays or require short-term care.

Our school is very multi-national and we embrace people of all nationalities.

• How do we contact you for more information? Or to schedule a visit to the school?

Our doors are usually open all week long for parents/guardians who want to visit. Our core office hours are 8am – 6pm daily. Visits at the weekend are by appointment only.

Our address is No 25 Sir Tony Eromosele Street, Parkview Estate. Ikoyi. Lagos. Our telephone numbers are 08125528442, 0810285