The Thomas Coram Early Childhood Centre is part of a unique campus of services for young children in central London. Bernadette Duffy, the Centre's head, is still clearly excited by the possibilities that this offers. 'The really wonderful thing, and this is so rare, is that we have such a large site. There are so many different agencies here working for young children, and the opportunities are incredible,' she explains.
The Early Childhood Centre offers integrated education and care for 108 children aged from six months to rising four years, and replaces an earlier community nursery and a nursery school. Coram Parents' Centre offers drop-ins and a wide range of educational opportunities to parents, as well as after-school and holiday provision for children up to 11 years old.
Together these two centres, which are operated by Camden and Coram Family, gained their Early Excellence status in July 1999. It is a unique joint venture between a local educational authority and a charitable organisation.
The number of services provided on the campus becomes clear when Bernadette Duffy starts to list a small selection of them. Coram Family's agencies include an adoption service, a special project to support young people leaving care and the 'Listening to Children' project, which is being funded by Teletubbies creator Anne Wood. The Field Lane Centre offers support to homeless families, including medical facilities.
Bernadette has found the developing relationships between the different groups on the campus are a source of strength. 'The great thing is that when you need to make a referral, you already know the people,' she tells me.
Children's creative development is particularly important in the Early Childhood Centre. The building features fantastic murals as you enter (see Nursery World, 16 March, page 21), but the links between Thomas Coram and creativity go back much further than the front door. 'This site has a long history of children's involvement in the arts,' explains Bernadette. 'Thomas Coram, who was a successful sea captain, built the Foundling Hospital for orphaned children here in the 18th century. Handel's 'Messiah' was written and performed as a benefit to raise money for the hospital, and there is a long history of musical education here. A number of the orphaned children grew up to work in music.'
In keeping with this history, Bernadette is passionate about the importance of creativity in the lives of young children. 'Creativity is not an add-on, an extra when the important things are done,' she asserts. 'It is crucial to humanity. It is crucial to children here and now, and it is the key to society's future development.'
Julian Grenier is deputy head of Woodlands Park Nursery, part of the London borough of Haringey's Early Excellence Network
