Early Years toolkit A NURSERY INRESIDENCE days per week. days per five or four either nursery attending the were and birthdays, to participate in the study were between their 3rd and 4th and is run as aparent1966, co-operative. The children invited caring for children from 21/2 years onwards. It was founded in and benefit from. Ace Nursery School is in central Cambridge has also provided abeautiful place for everybody to enjoy for teaching and research. Since its foundation, the Garden Garden (CUBG) holds acollection of plant over species 8,000 the University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Botanic The Fitzwilliam Museum is the and art antiquities museum of photographs and drawings to their project journal. journal. project their to drawings and photographs materials, mark making at the table and on the floor, outdoor play, printmaking and adding children to express themselves in awide range of ways, such as using clay and natural Following asnack break, the education spaces at the museum and garden were used for own decisions about exactly what to do, what to look at and where to be. The high adult to child ratio of meant 7:9 that individual children were able to make their benches, and others chatted with adults using puppets and toys to initiate conversations. with their whole bodies, circuiting areas of the garden or stretching themselves out along detailed and complex mark making in her project journal, while others explored the spaces in their own ways, for instance one child spent extended periods of time engaged in very mark making activities or small world play. The children then built on these suggestions the garden, with activities structured by the adults as astarter: perhaps astory, some scene for the day ahead. We then took some time to explore the galleries or an area of artworks from the previous day to connect back to previous activities, and to set the garden, with time to greet each other and an introduction using objects or children’s A typical day during the residency began in the education spaces of the museum or each of our settings and beyond. pedagogical practice. We are now planning to share and develop good practice within Working in close collaboration was akey aspect of our research methodology and what the museum and garden can offer to young learners. children, spaces and objects in the collections and to develop a better understanding of us the opportunity to take time to observe and reflect on the encounters between young the museum previously for one sessions, off but we hoped that the residency would give a team of museum, garden and nursery practitioners. Groups from this nursery had visited The residency formed the basis of amulti-disciplinary, practitioner-led research project by in residence at The Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. In October 2017, nine children from Ace Nursery School spent five consecutive mornings SUMMARY

Early Years toolkit •  •  •  organisationFor our AIMS •  interview. And that’s what you did. And we did, that week.’ Nursery Practitioner in post-project it even more when Icame back. Because that’s what children need –to listened be to. thought, these children had this gift that we gave them: all this attention. Itried So to do they’re agroup of course you to try do it, but Itried even more when Icame back. I [I felt motivated] really ‘to take the time with children and really listen to them. When •  organisationFor our OUTCOMES •  •  audience our For within a formal research project research formal a within To develop our own practice based on professional reflection and systematic analysis researchers and bodies funding professionals, years early and museum outcomes might shared be with key stakeholders such as parents, nursery staff, To document the residency as part of an action research project in order that the the and arts sciences the nursery, focusing in particular on the intersection between creative approaches in To enable closer collaboration between educators at the Fitzwilliam Museum, CUBG and for future development. future for area significant a represents This contexts. learning informal in research practitioner-led This project enabled us to better understand and articulate the potential of collaborative programmes promises amuch wider impact: the professional development of the practitioners and on museum and garden learning Although the focus of the project was on avery small group of children, the impact on citizens young To help children to participate more fully in our cultural spaces as capable and confident Garden Botanic University Cambridge and Museum To give children an opportunity for rich and extended engagement with the Fitzwilliam Early Years toolkit Nursery Practitioner in post-project interview. post-project in Practitioner Nursery adults and could really with be one child for along period of time.’ ‘It was such aprivilege and Ireally treasured those moments where we were so many •  •  Alanna and Educator Museum ‘Ours. Children’s’ garden‘Whose is this then?’ interview. project post in Practitioner Nursery That’s something we haven’t seen from her here at nursery.’ leading them down the stairs, was leading them through the hedge in the Botanic Garden. was here…she from different environment an in engage to started she when difference think‘I some of them grew in confidence particularly. If you look at [child’s name]…the •  audience our For valued equally. valued however they are offered, are contributions, adults’ and children’s which in relationships more equal and democratic it is away of working towards improve practice, but because each other, which can in turn to better understanding of and between children, adults and spaces. This is important not just because it leads contexts, different in working educators between relationships dialogic in-depth Extended residencies are abig commitment but they are invaluable for building TIP TOP research. collaborative planning when process knowledge. It is important to consider the extended time necessary to facilitate this project, as akey aim of the work was to democratise the ways in which we create Our methodological framework required acollaborative approach at all stages of the researchers meant that we had other projects and commitments running simultaneously. This was due to avariety of different factors, not least that our position as practitioner- on and contributing to the final report. This process took over six months to complete. a final report -all members of the project team were actively involved in commenting The project required ongoing discussion and reflection, culminating in the writing of LEARNT LESSONS places, spaces, objects, and collections. and objects, spaces, places, The project highlighted the benefits of working together to create knowledge about the participants to make links and build connections between the different settings. Transitional objects such as learning journals, sketchbooks and small world toys enabled revealed agrowing sense of ownership and belonging within the museum and garden. theAs children developed their confidence over the course of the residency, they also Early Years toolkit To FURTHER INFORM The project was funded by the University of Cambridge Museums. FUNDING the project required around hours of 300 staff time. was needed for professional discussions, reflection and writing up the project –in total, needed to enable the collection of good observational data. In addition, extra staff time This project required investment in staff time as very high adult to child ratios were BUDGET All images © Fitzwilliam Museum, 2019 Museum, ©Fitzwilliam images All M This casestudywaswrittenbyNicolaWallis,MuseumEducatorattheFitzwilliam bridge-museums-nursery-residence u fi seum. nd outmore, page: visittheproject fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/university-cam- ATION