Ipswich Private Kindergarten

Following the government’s recently released guidance regarding screen time, Jo Frost (Supernanny) has posted this additional advice to help families gain more clarity on this subject…

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWjyyTWjfwD/?igsh=NXg2eHh6bmhnOWN1

The UK’s screen guidance this week acknowledges some important truths: children need enough sleep, movement, family connection and what they watch matters just as much as how long they watch. I agree with all of that. However it falls short in its lack of structure. For millions of families most who are overwhelmed, tired, or unsure what’s developmentally appropriate broad advice is not enough. Families need clarity. They need leadership. They need practical guidance they can follow at home. We are living through a very real public health concern when it comes to children and screens, particularly in the early years. The guidance should have been firmer and more clearly defined. Children at the least under three years should not be using screens as part of everyday life, outside of exceptional circumstances such as video calling family. Suggesting “under two” is not strong enough. Those early years are when children build language, attachment, emotional regulation, social understanding and attention through real human interaction play, movement, touch, eye contact and conversation. Screens cannot replace that. For children under five, guidance should be clear: limited, intentional use. Not vague ideas of “balance.” I recommend no more than 30 minutes a day of short, slow-paced content. If we know young children need 10–12 hours of sleep, active play, connection, boredom, exploration and rest from stimulation, then we should say so plainly. There should also be non-negotiable screen-free times: no screens at mealtimes, during family connection, or before bed. Content matters. It’s not just how much, but what, how often, with whom, and why. A screen used intentionally is very different from one that becomes a child’s emotional crutch or default companion. Families need more than gentle suggestions. They need a strong framework that is simple, direct, protective and grounded in child development. When guidance is vague, it is the most vulnerable families who are left without the support they need. I hope this helps. Jo x

Sarah's daughter, Jade, is currently completing a PhD at UEA and needs some help to gather data so if you could spare a little bit of time, it would be really appreciated!

At the UEA Developmental Lab, we are investigating how babies and toddlers learn that different objects in the world belong to the same groups or categories. We are interested in how this links to their everyday experiences with different objects as well as their language development.

We are asking parents of children aged between 6 and 24 months to fill out a 30-45 minute online questionnaire to provide information about your child’s language development and their experiences with a selection of different objects/animals.

You can also enter our raffle to win one of five £20 cash prizes! A new winner will be randomly selected at the end of each month!

Follow this link to take part:

UEA BLoCKS - Language and Object Experiences Questionnaire Survey for parents aged 6 to 24 months asking about different experiences with objects to investigate how this links to language development.

Babies understand verbs at just 10 months, study shows New research reveals that by 10 months old, infants are already beginning to understand verbs, before they even say their first words.

WE ARE RECRUITING!

We are looking for:

- Full time Nursery Practitioner, please see our advert for more details: https://www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/ /sites/CX_1004/job/22282

- Lunch cover assistant (Mon-Fri, 11-45am-2pm)

- An apprentice, aged 17+, 30 hours per week.

For more information, please contact us on 01473 406140 or email your CV to [email protected]

Suffolk Jobs Direct Find your next job at Suffolk Jobs Direct

Merry Christmas to all our families; past, present and future!

We are now closed until 8am on Friday 2nd January 2026, see you in the New Year!!

Dear All, some of you may have seen on the local news recently that the Pipers Vale minibus had been destroyed following an arson attack. This has meant that our preschool children haven’t been able attend their weekly gymnastics sessions that they so enjoy.
Pipers Vale have set up a gofundme page to help raise the shortfall they have in replacing the minibus. Please see the link below and if you can help in any small way, it would be greatly appreciated!

Donate to Arson Attack Destroys Pipers Vale Minibus, organized by Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club Arson Attack Destroys Pipers Vale Minibus —Calls for Support to … Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club needs your support for Arson Attack Destroys Pipers Vale Minibus

We are looking for lunch cover in our baby room - 10 hours per week, 12-2pm Monday - Friday, from September No qualification necessary but will need to undertake first aid and safeguarding training as well as a DBS check.

Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested.

We are recruiting!

If you - or anyone you know - hold a level 2 or 3 qualification in childcare and is looking for a new challenge, please send us your CV to [email protected].

The position is a minimum of 36 hours (four days per week), working all year round.

Thank you to everyone who bought raffle tickets - Preschool have been busy drawing out the winning tickets and prizes will be distributed over the next few days!

The silent auction was also drawn and the owner of the winning bid has been notified.

Thank you for all the support - we have raised £690 for the Invictus Games Foundation!!

Last day to buy raffle tickets or submit a bid to our silent auction!

INVICTUS GAMES 2025

Look out for Neil Fellingham competing in the sit-skiing, wheelchair basketball and swimming over the next week!
Neil’s daughter Poppy attends IPK and we are so proud of Neil for being picked to represent the UK in this year’s Invictus Games!!
Wishing him the best of luck - we’ll all be cheering here!