Recent News
Bees Knees Pre-school awarded 'GOOD' by OFSTED
Posted 04/04/2024
Dear Debra & Sarah
Congratulations to you both for being awarded of 'GOOD' from OFSTED. You have both made Bees Knees Pre-school into a vibrant, fun and educational centre and you should both be extremely proud of what you have achieved.
You have both shown dedication to the Pre-school. From the start, before we even opened, you both went through a huge document to make sure all the policies and procedures were right for our setting and that we were ready for opening.
We got the go ahead to open by OFSTED late September 2021, so we missed the funding deadline for the September to December period, but this didn't deter you. At first you only worked a few days each week as the number of children attending grew.
In the first year the number of children on the register had risen high enough to warrant you being in every week day. Year two saw a huge increase in the number of children attending from the beginning of the September term and saw you have 15 children on the books by the end of the summer term. Year three started and we knew that an OFSTED visit was on the horizon, so you both looked at the setting and made some changes, looked at the new curriculum and started to implement changes.
The call came in February 2024, everyone was on pins, even though we all knew you would be fine! It was a nerve wrecking experience knowing someone is coming to judge you and your work. The inspector arrived and spoke to staff, children and parents and got a good understanding of our setting from everyone. The inspector observed you both and put together her findings. We were then given the fantastic news that you had achieved a 'GOOD' rating and not only that, but a GOOD in ALL areas. Wow what an achievement.
This type of setting is all new to me and I've learnt a lot along the way too. I've seen some real characters that have attended. The children have made me smile, laugh and cry (when they went to 'big school').
Now we enter a new phase and have welcomed Hannah to the team, which means the Pre-school can grow even more!
A huge thank you to the other members of The Hive team, which includes staff, trustees and volunteers. You have all helped Debra and Sarah to achieve this outcome. Special thanks to Emily for stepping in as another level 3 qualified nursery nurse on various occasions and to allow Sarah to be able to carry out her studies and to Jan Jones, who has helped Debra with the layout of the room and given guidance and support along the way.
All in all, I wanted to say from the bottom of my heart - well done - I am so proud of you both and may we continue to grow and grow and be the best at what we do!
All my love
Jill Cook
The Hive Centre Manager
If you would like to read the OFSTED inspection report - please visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/2652139
Party Hire at The Hive
Posted: 08/06/2023
If you're looking for a low cost, local venue to host your next party, The Hive in Silsden might just be the perfect place for you! With a spacious party room that is 11.4m long and 9.5m wide, and 4.4m high at the highest point, there's plenty of space to accommodate your guests and activities and even a small bouncy castle if that’s how you want to party.
When you hire our party space, we offer tables and chairs, a Bluetooth music system, and a fully equipped kitchen, all included in the hire cost. This means you can bring your own food and drinks, or even cook on site, saving you the hassle and expense of hiring external caters. Of course, if you would prefer to hire a professional caterer, that’s fine with us too.
Our standard hire time is 3 hours for just £50, which includes a 2 hour party and half an hour each for set up and clear up. If you need more time, we charge an additional £7.50 per half hour, making it easy to extend your party if needed. At such good value, what’s not to like?
We keep our costs low by asking our hirers to tidy and clean up after their event. This means we don't need to pay a cleaner, and we can pass the savings on to you. However, if you prefer not to do the cleaning yourself, we can arrange for a cleaner to come in at an additional cost.
If you're hosting a party for young children, we can also offer our soft play equipment for under 5's. This is available for a total cost of £200, including a £50 security deposit against any damage which will be refunded once the equipment has been inspected.
At The Hive we've hosted a variety of parties in the past, from discos and bouncy castles to football, cooking, crafting, Nerf, gaming and much more. Whatever your party theme or activity, we're confident that our space can provide the perfect backdrop for a fun and memorable event.
So why not consider The Hive in Silsden for your next party? With our spacious room, fully equipped kitchen, and low hire costs, it's the perfect venue for any occasion. But don’t just take our word for it, read the latest reviews from previous hirers.
Contact us today to book your party space and start planning your celebration.
Leanne swims for The Hive
Posted: 24/05/2023
Our wonderful Operations Manager, Leanne Caveney, has decided to help raise some funds for The Hive Silsden CIO the Registered Charity that manages The Hive.
Leanne loves to swim and is a regular at Rise Fitness swimming pool in Skipton and decided that she would put her love of swimming to good use and set up a Gofundme page to raise funds for The Hive.
To find out more about the fundraiser, please go to Gofundme and support Leanne to reach her goal of raising £600 for The Hive by completing 600 lengths of the pool throughout the month of June.
You could help The Hive too:
Do you swim, run or walk for fun and would be happy to help raise funds for The Hive, please see our support us page on the website www.thehivesilsden.co.uk for more details.
King Charles III Coronation by Jill Cook
Posted: 15/05/2023
The Hive and Silsden Town Hall joined together to bring the community a FREE event to celebrate King Charles III Coronation.
A steady flow of people came to watch the momentous occasion on the large screen at The Hive.
Outside we had Keeva Krafts, Designs from The Dales, CR Crafy Crafts, Pauline Kendrick, Womo Creations, Airedale Flowers, along with Table Top Fudge and Crumbs selling sweet treats. To entertain the children we had tin can alley, football shootout, skittles, Giant Jenga and Two Bouncy Castles supplied by Charles Bouncy Castles.
The weather held out for us most of the day, with a little shower around lunchtime, but as it was so warm, in true British fashion, we carried on regardless.
We then served a complimentary glass of prosecco, bucks fizz or fresh orange juice to everyone inside watching the Coronation. We were all a little confused as to when we should toast, but toast we did, albeit at different times!
We joined in with the lords prayer and sang 'God save the King'.
At the back of the room we had Emily and her two daughters who worked throughout the day painting faces and putting on temporary tattoos.
We held a raffle, a tombola and toy sale, which along with the sale of extra prosecco purchased (the only refreshment we charged for), we made a total of £200.85, which will be split equally between the two charities 'The Hive Silsden CIO and 'Friends of Silsden Town Hall'.
And last but not least we would like to thank our fantastic Sponsors, without whom we would not be able to put on FREE events for our community. Thank you to Ecology Building Society, Bradford Council, Crumbs, Whitakers Hardware, Silsden Aldi and Silsden Co-op. Thank you to our brilliant Volunteers, again without whom we would not be able to run these events. Thank you to Silsden Photography Group for the photos capturing the day, which will be showcased at Silsden in Art exhibition in 2024.
So from both The Hive and Silsden Town Hall, we hope everyone had a lovely time and we'll see you all again soon.
The Importance of Play by Emily Preston
Posted: 09.02.2023
When I was training to be a Nursery Nurse at college, we were taught about famous child psychologists who discovered how important play is to a child’s development and how they proved it. The main character we looked at was Friedrich Frobel (1782-1852)
“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child’s soul”. Friedrich Froebel
It wasn’t until I actually started on placements that I could see this for myself.
From making observations of the children’s play, it was easy to see how they were practising for adulthood.
Play teaches children how to interact with the world around them. It teaches social and communication skills, how to work in groups, negotiating, resolving conflict and sharing.
Play also has many benefits as it builds physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.
How can we encourage play?
As adults we would all like for children to entertain themselves, but it quite often the stage needs to be set. Preschools, nursery’s, toddler groups and stay and play sessions are all set up in a way which sparks a child’s imagination but also replicates the adult world.
The home corner and the mud kitchen provide a common ground for all children no matter their cultural background. They practise personal and social interaction and build on their community, they can practise their language skills and explore their feelings.
Once the initial set up is in place, the child’s imagination then starts the play whether this takes place by themselves, alongside others or with others.
“Play creates a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life”
Lester & Russell, 2008
Play has been shown to prepare children for a school setting and build a strong foundation for learning.
One of Froebel’s most important concepts about education is regarding outdoor play. He felt that all play settings should offer a garden space where children can play, learn and develop their various skills.
Froebel saw children as curious, creative and active beings who best thrive when they are in an engaging and stimulating environment.
Our stay and play sessions at the Hive create a room of play which is aimed at providing a stimulating environment where your child can play and learn alongside others of the same ages. The environment is set up ready for your child’s imagination to flow.
Book on to one of our sessions here – https://thehivesilsden.co.uk/whatson/
Remembering Roy Fish by Jill Cook
Posted: 16.01.2023
Today we say goodbye to a dear friend and colleague, Roy Fish
When we first met Roy, he was walking his dog, Ben, in the field below The Hive. We had been donated some dog bowls and as it was summer Ben was lapping up the water provided. We got chatting and straight away Roy had us laughing and was so easy to talk to. Over the months of 2019 Roy was a regular face and often picked up litter for us as he was walking Ben.
On the day of our 2019 fireworks event, Roy was walking Ben as normal and saw some of our other volunteers and trustees putting up the lighting around the MUGA. Roy said ‘give me 5 minutes’ and he took Ben home and returned. He stayed the rest of the day helping us to set up ready for the following days event.
Roy told us that he had suffered a stroke, so when he started being a little ‘enthusiastic’ when helping at events, we had to tell him to sit down and take a rest! Roy got on great with the other volunteers and was not afraid of getting his hands dirty.
In 2020 lockdown for us all meant we had to close The Hive, so when we returned later in the year, it was nice to see a familiar face knocking on the office window, even if it did send our office dog, Cookie, into a frenzy! A face that was always smiling and laughing. Roy always asked how we were and if we needed any help.
Roy often covered when our caretaker was on annual leave. He always went above and beyond, including sweeping out the bin store, weeding and clearing the drains. He was a great asset to the charity, and all of this was on a volunteer basis!
In November of 2021, our caretaker was finding it difficult to do 8 hours a week, due to personal commitments. The natural thing was to ask Roy if he wanted to work for us. Roy jumped at the chance and was so happy at joining us officially and we were glad to have him on board.
Roy became ill in 2022 and tried his hardest to continue, despite being ‘told off’ and being sent home on several occasions. We kept in touch, and he came to visit us on and off over the months. In December with the help of his son, Roy came to see us to say his goodbyes, we are so glad he came as he passed away only a few days after.
Meeting someone like Roy is a true privilege and he is someone we will remember for years to come. It is not often that you meet people who truly touch your heart, but Roy did. He cared for the charity and wanted us to succeed.
This year we are putting our NEW ‘Forest Garden’ into action and we will have a seat dedicated to the memory of Roy. We know that Roy enjoyed the open space and would have loved to have been involved with this project.
We hope that people will join with us at 1.40pm today, 16th January 2023, on Elliott Street outside The Fire Station/The Hive, when Roy will take his last journey to rest in peace.
The Benefits of Baby Massage by Emily Preston
Posted: 30.11.2022
Hello, my name is Emily and I am the Activities Manager at The Hive in Silsden.
I qualified as a Baby Massage instructor in May 2022 and have been teaching parents and carers to massage their babies ever since.
It really is an enormous privilege to teach baby massage as it’s like a little window into the beautiful bond between parent and baby that is usually very personal.
Baby Massage is beneficial to both the baby and the carer giving the massage. It creates a loving space and can help with many baby related ailments.
The Benefits of Baby Massage
“Baby massage has been and is a beautiful way to connect with my babies physically and emotionally.”
Does your baby need help to sleep?
Babies produce a growth hormone while they are sleeping. Baby massage helps your baby learn to relax and release stress, this leads to baby sleeping soundly and for longer. During this sleep your baby can achieve maximum optimal development.
Does your baby struggle to relax?
Baby massage lessens tension, fussiness and irritability. Digestion is aided and this can provide relief from trapped wind and colic. Massage can lessen stress for you and your baby. When delivering the massage you release feel good hormones called endorphins. Baby also releases these hormones during the massage enabling you both to feel great and relaxed.
Baby massage enhances bonding
Touch conveys nurture and love. These are essential for emotional and physical growth and for wellbeing. It also reduces the incidence of postnatal depression in mums.
Aids growth and development Studies have shown that baby massage promotes weight gain and immune function. Myelination of nerves is also increased. These things are needed for brain and muscle development.
A new study has been compiled by JM and H, The Journal of Maternal and Child Health, 2022, on the effects of baby massage in increasing the quality of sleep and infant body weight. You can read the full report here;
“Life can be so fast paced everyday, it has been lovely for me to have something that slows the pace down each week. It has given me the opportunity to relax as well as my son, a moment of reflection each week that I have then been able to focus 100% on my baby without any distractions.
The ambience and knowledge that Emily has is first class. Baby massage has also helped my little ones cognitive, emotional and social developments. I have also found it a great holistic alternative for helping my baby in moments of intestinal difficulties. I have loved the sessions held with Emily at The Hive and I am continuing all that I have learnt at home too with the step by step that Emily provides for you to take home. Highly recommend!”
Laura – Class participant.
Baby Massage classes start again in January. Follow us on Facebook @thehivesilsden or Instagram @thehive_silsden to find out when.
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