Primary Caregiving in our Nursery

What is primary caregiving?

The primary caregiving system is designed to ensure that your childs individual needs are met during their time at Burnham Country Montessori nursery.  It also ensures that bonds of attachment are made as a foundation to forming further relationships that help to build a senses of belonging and well-being for your child within their new environment.

How primary caregiving works

Your family and child are assigned to a key nursery teacher who has overall responsibilty for your child’s care and education.  This starts right from the first settlling in visit where the key teacher will get to know your childs routines, needs and interests.  The key teacher will be responsible for your childs’ tolieting, sleeping, eating routines (where possible), as it is during these care moments that the key teacher can spend one on one time with your child, building a respectful, responsive and reciprocal relatiionship.

Your child is also given a secondary teacher who works closely with the key teacher so that you and your child still have someone who knows them well if the key teacher is way or on a break.  The rest of the teaching team supports your child and key teacher by assisting wherever necessary and getting to know your child at their own pace.

Primary caregiving is not exclusive, and is intended that after your child settles in, that they will be given the opportunity to develop relationships with other teachers as they are ready.  The primary caregiver is responsible for your childs’ learning records and is the first contact for communication about your child.