Since April 2022, Headteacher Beth Brice and Lead Teacher Madelaine White have led Crossens Nursery School with a shared vision: to place children’s needs, wellbeing, and relationships at the very heart of education. Together, they are reshaping early years practice by moving away from traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches and focusing instead on nurturing environments where children thrive.
At Crossens Nursery School, learning begins with happiness, safety, and security. The team believes that children learn best when they feel valued and supported. Their setting is enriched with play-based opportunities and quality interactions, ensuring every child experiences both challenge and encouragement.
Crossens Nursery School has already gained the Bronze Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Setting Award, embedding trauma-informed practices into daily routines. In line with their vision, the traditional Behaviour Policy has been replaced with a Caring Code, a framework that prioritises positive relationships and supports children during emotional moments. By being present and understanding how and why a child feels the way they do, staff help children develop self-regulation skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
The nursery prides itself on offering care, love, and comfort tailored to each child’s individual needs. Central to this approach is a bespoke curriculum, written by Lead Teacher Madelaine White, which identifies the key knowledge and skills children need and maps out the small, achievable steps to help them succeed.
This curriculum aligns with Sefton Education’s agenda, which prioritises children being ‘school ready.’ It also reflects a key priority on the national agenda, ensuring that children are not only prepared academically but also supported in their social, emotional, and developmental growth. At Crossens, school readiness is defined by positive social interactions, emotional wellbeing, independence, and resilience, qualities essential for lifelong success.
As Lead Teacher, Madelaine White is continually seeking opportunities to enhance wellbeing for both children and staff. Recently, she visited Junior Genius Global, an educational team based in Ireland dedicated to transforming early childhood development by placing children’s mental health, emotional resilience, and overall wellbeing at the heart of education.
Junior Genius Global’s mission is to empower children, parents, and educators with evidence-based wellbeing strategies that foster emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and a deep sense of belonging, values that resonate strongly with the vision at Crossens Nursery School.
The facts are clear:
• 1 in 5 children will experience a mental health challenge
• 50% of lifelong mental health conditions begin before the age of 14
• 1 in 3 young people experience high levels of psychological distress
• Early intervention can reduce these risks by up to 70%
With many educational settings facing an increase in challenging behaviours that disrupt learning environments, Crossens Nursery School recognises the urgent need for proactive wellbeing programmes. Embedding such approaches not only creates happier, healthier classrooms but also supports the mental health of both children and educators.
By learning from international leaders like Junior Genius Global, Crossens Nursery School continues to strengthen its trauma-informed practices, ensuring that every child is supported to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. This commitment reflects the school’s belief that education must go beyond academics—nurturing resilience, wellbeing, and relationships that last a lifetime.
Crossens Nursery School invites families, partners, and the wider community to join them in celebrating this vision and to witness firsthand how child-centred, wellbeing-focused education is shaping the future for young learners. The impact is already clear: children are more engaged, emotionally aware, and resilient, while parents and staff alike see the benefits of an environment where relationships, care, and wellbeing come first.
By embedding trauma-informed practices and pioneering programmes like Education from the Heart, Crossens Nursery School is demonstrating that when education nurtures the whole child, it creates not only school readiness but also the foundations for lifelong success.