De Nieuwe Draai

Welcome to De Nieuwe Draai, our integrated child centre located at Merelweg 44 in the heart of Heerhugowaard. Since 3 August 2020 we have offered fully merged childcare and primary education based on the belief that children develop 24 hours a day. For our youngest children, aged 0 to 4, we have created Domain 0-3: a safe, homely environment where every child has a fixed peer group, a personal mentor and no more than two familiar faces each week. Our three living-room style groups for 0-3 year-olds are carefully designed with soft colours, natural materials and quiet corners where babies and toddlers can sleep, play and explore. Each room has a direct door to its own enclosed outdoor play area, making outdoor naps and play as natural as indoor activities. We use horizontal grouping: children of the same age are together so that activities, nap times and meals can be perfectly tailored to their developmental stage. Our pedagogical policy rests on four core goals: providing emotional safety, developing personal and social competences, transmitting values and norms, and raising children towards independence. We use the ‘Child Tracking System’ with an individual child development plan and a portfolio in which your child collects evidence of his or her development. Twice a year we invite you to a child development meeting with the mentor; together we look at what your child needs and which new challenges are appropriate. Daily routines, meals and care are fully aligned with your home situation. We change nappies, feed and settle children to sleep according to the rhythm that suits you. Special diets or allergies are of course respected. Everything your child needs – nappies, wipes, bottle feeding, hot meals, fruit and drinks – is included. We use skin-friendly care products that respect sensitive baby skin. Relaxation and rest are just as important as stimulation. Therefore we offer outdoor sleeping in our quiet garden, take short nature walks in the neighbourhood and read aloud every day in our cosy book corner. Creative development is stimulated in the creative studio, where little hands can explore paint, clay and natural materials. Physical activity takes place in De Draai sports hall, where we use ‘learning through movement’ to stimulate gross motor skills. Communication runs through the Konnect Parent App, where you will find newsletters, holiday schedules and your child’s start and end times. We are open 52 weeks a year from 07:30 to 18:00 so that you can always take flexible childcare. Feel free to drop by for a tour; we are happy to make time to meet you and see whether De Nieuwe Draai is the place where your child can grow up shining.