A CHILDCARE provider has opened its first UK facility at an Oxford college to better train nursery workers of the future.

The Co-operative Childcare is backing the £5,000 facility which opened at the City of Oxford College, Oxpens Road, on Monday.

It recreates a nursery setting and will invite county children for supervised activities and lessons.

The facility has been created to look similar to a Co-operative Childcare nursery, including story time and book area, play and discovery space.

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Early years students aged 16 to 19 will spend about an hour-and-a-half there each week.

College head of learning Sue Moon said: “The students will be better prepared and they will have had first-hand experience so when they are working in a setting with children, they will be delivering the very best childcare.

“We want to absolutely make sure that children are being cared for and looked after by people who really understand the importance of practice.

“It’s not just looking after a child, we are in a developmental position, we are helping that child to develop.

“We are not aware of one anywhere else so hopefully it will be a different way of developing learning.

“We are about getting our students ready for local employment market and actually meeting the needs for our community.”

Ms Moon added: “We want to be able to develop the students with the right employability skills to ensure that they can all progress into employment after the course.

“It helps to prepare them for the workplace.”

Student Chloe Cookson, 16, said: “I think the new facilities are great.

“They will help me to experience different childcare set-ups and activities.

“It’s just like a real nursery, so when I go into a real placement it will help me get used to the environment.

“I am really looking forward to using the facilities as part of my course.”

The firm has nurseries in Blackbird Leys, Carterton, Rose Hill, Witney and the John Radcliffe Hospital and Oxford’s Roger Dudman Way.

Co-operative Childcare general group manager Mike Abbott said: “Working with the City of Oxford College gives us a great opportunity to provide hands-on advice to the nursery workers of the future.

“The college runs a great childcare training programme and the new learning suite will complement this perfectly, so we’re very proud that our support has helped to bring the project to life.”

Students studying on any of the college’s early years courses are able to use the new facility.

This includes those studying for the Certificate in Childcare, Diploma in Childcare and Education, National Diploma in Children’s Care and Learning and Certificate in Caring for Children.

Ms Moon said while some students find employment in the city after leaving college, others go on to study further at university.


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