This summer, Orange Moon Training apprentices will complete a work experience placement in Seville, Spain, courtesy of the Turing Scheme.
Not only is this a valuable opportunity to gain work experience in another country, but also to build independent living skills, communication skills, increase their knowledge and expertise in their chosen field and of course enjoy a beautiful Spanish city.
This is a pilot trip, but one we hope to continue each year from now on!
20th June 2023
Introducing teddies to our UK nurseries
“I took my teddy into my early years setting to see what’s it’s like and have the experience of spending the day there! I introduced the bear to my room which is the Tweenies room and I got the children to name him for me. They came up with Paddington Bear!
He even also got to explore in all the other rooms as well as the garden!”
– Emily
5th July 2023
Settings Confirmed
Our learners have found out which settings they will be based at in Seville:
- Claudia and Grace will work at Castillo Magico Torneo.
- Coral and Haleigh will go to Castillo Magico Los Remedios.
- Gavin, Amelia and Jess will work at GDS.
- Rachel & Savannah will work at Jardin Magico.
- Abigail, Emily, Kady, Letisha and Madeleine will go Buba Lula.
7th July 2023
“My children designed the teddy’s clothes. And pre-school held a competition to name him. He’s called ‘Jarvis’ !” – Jess
9th July 2023
“This is Bear, named by the baby room!”
12th July 2023
The children have been helping me to pack by writing me a packing list and choosing what I should put into my suitcase!’
‘The children also helped to paint some British and Spanish flags to reflect the union of the 2 countries as we work together on this trip!’
“During Magic’s last week last week of the nursery she visited the Pre-school room and she has bonded very well with the children. She explored the home corner, sand pit and reading area with the children and had lots of fun playing with them.
The Pre-school were so excited that Magic is going to Spain to spend time with other children, so they
drew some pictures for her to take and show the children in her new nursery.”
“Magic also paid a visit to the Baby room and she enjoyed getting involved in a messy play. They explored together a sensory activity with shaving foam and paint and learnt about the insects that were hidden in the mix. Also Baby room staff members and children made a picture to take with her and give it to the children in her new setting.”
– Claudia
17th July 2023
First day - Welcome briefing and tour
OMT apprentices and teddies arrived at the Sevilla Dream hostel at 3am this morning, where we were happy to crawl into bed and get some much-needed shut eye ready for our first day.
Today started with breakfast in the hostel and our first challenge of communicating with hostel staff with limited English, using key words and gestures (does this sound familiar!) we ordered a typical Spanish breakfast of toast, fruit and biscuits accompanied by tea or coffee. The heat was already filtering through as we got ready to meet Dan from 3international for our induction and local tour. Sunhats, sun cream and lots of water were the order of the day as we walked around Seville identifying local landmarks such as the police station, pharmacies, and sights of interest. We then walked to the local Spanish school where we will go each week to learn Spanish and Dan delivered an information session / welcome meeting. Moving around in the heat was an experience and a significant challenge as the temperature climbed to 40 degrees. We quickly learnt to find the shade and the importance of hydration as well as the benefits of having a fan.
After the induction we used our map reading skills to get us back to the hostel via a stop off for some lunch, where we deciphered a Spanish menu, ordered some food, and paid for our own meals. The afternoon was free time and whilst some apprentices went back to the hostel to practice the Siesta others went exploring in Seville and managed to find a McDonalds!
Tonight, we are looking forward to a welcome meal of vegetarian Paella in the hostel at 9.30pm relating to the typical routine of the day in Seville.
Tomorrow the apprentices go to visit the nurseries that they will be working in from Wednesday and have a meeting with the manager. This will involve working out the travel arrangements and for some, negotiating the buses.
We are bonding as a group through these shared experiences and already starting to reflect on what they do, share their practice, thoughts, and ideas with each other. Everyone is open to learning and ready to find out more!
18th July 2023
Day two - Meeting Nurseries and Managers
Today was a big day as all the apprentices went off to visit their new placements and meet with the managers. This involved:
- Getting up on time after a late night
- Navigating their way there, for some this included use of the buses
- Working out how long it would take to get there
- Thinking about what questions they needed to ask
- Dressing appropriately for work as well as the hot weather
- Making a good first impression
During the meeting they found out who they would be working with, who if anyone spoke English, what age group they would be working with and what hours they would be working. All the placements welcomed us, and some apprentices stayed and worked a shift after the meeting.
The differences between Spanish and English nurseries were very noticeable from the onset, especially in relation to ratios and the use of mobile phones, and everyone is keen to start work properly tomorrow to find out more.
All the apprentices now have their own money to buy food, so the day has also involved them going shopping independently and batch cooking meals with some tasty pasta dishes being cooked in the kitchen at the hostel. Free time has been spent exploring the local area including the shops with many bargains being purchased.
We are also celebrating Maddie’s 18th birthday today and we will be eating at a local Tapas bar this evening, sampling local cuisine and practicing our Spanish, to celebrate a successful day as well as a very important birthday.
Tomorrow brings early starts with work in the nurseries as well as a Spanish lesson in the afternoon.
Current challenges include the high temperature as we are all try to adjust to the heat and the Cockroach seen in the dormitory last night that resulted in screams being heard throughout the hostel!
Thoughts from Learners:
My thoughts on my first day: well, I was anxious at first about the staff, children and being on the late shift.
When I got to the setting I was greeted by the coordinator on sight who was lovely. I got a uniform to wear.
By the time I entered the room my anxiety had gone, the staff were really welcoming along with the children. Everyone was lovely and very polite. We all introduced ourselves.
I am not in a nursery setting so I am in a summer camp which will be a great experience for me. I did some crafts, got to know children and sat with them for lunch which was lovely. Overall I had a great first day experience.
– Gavin
“Magic made a new friend and she’s helping Magic go to sleep during nap time :)”
– Claudia
My thoughts on the nursery – it is a very beautiful place with a nice garden and from what I’ve seen in the short time I’ve been there they have good resources for the children to learn.
I think music is very important and therapeutic for this setting as when we arrived all age groups were making music using different types of musical instruments. I can’t wait to find out more about their way of teaching and how children develop their learning.
I have noticed a few different things compared to what we are used in the UK, such as staff members having their phones with them in the rooms. But I am looking forward to finding out more about the new nursery I’m going to spend my time here in. 
– Claudia
“Pedro with his scrapbook from my home nursery”
– Coral
19th July 2023
Day three - Spanish lesson & first nursery shift
Today we have enjoyed an enthusiastic Spanish lesson and learnt lots of new words including how to say what our birthday is “Mi cumpleanos es el seis de enero” , where we are from and that we are studying. The apprentices have worked their first shift in their placements and have been shocked about safeguarding practices and the lack of concern around the use of mobile phones, ratios, and a lack of legislation. However, relationships are building, the Teddies have been welcomed by children and staff alike and communication barriers have been broken down by our new friend google translate. The highlight though is being with the children, they have helped us practice our Spanish and we have enjoyed playing with them building trust and relationships and getting cuddles. We are starting to understand how they cope with the high temperatures and keep children cool including the use of canopies.
We are tired as we adjust to Spanish life with late nights, early mornings and working in the heat, and we understand now why the Spanish have a siesta! But we are enjoying being independent, shopping for our own meals, preparing them and socialising together. We are looking forward to more adventures and having more input into the activities and nursery life.
Thoughts from Learners:
‘As part of this week’s theme we are visiting a local uni to learn about animals.’
– Jess
‘We’re cooking in our nursery today!’
– Claudia
‘Today we are facepainting in our nursery!’
– Coral
20th July 2023
Day four - Thoughts on working at GDS Nursery (Gavin, Jess & Amelia)
This week in our settings we have been learning about mammals. Earlier this week we made lots of art projects relating to this topic. Amelia made a monkey out of pipe cleaners and beads, Gavin made a fox from paper cups and straws, and Jess made a Paper Mache whale.
Today we went to the local university’s biology lab to learn lots of facts about mammals. The children gained lots of new knowledge and vocabulary and asked the biologists lots of questions.
We were also able to learn lots from this trip. This included the Spanish names of animals, the different types of mammals, and the methods of preserving animals.
The children show lots of interest in this trip and shared their fascination and excitement with us. Our bonds with the children are becoming stronger every day, and they now approach us -seeking us out by our names.
This week has been full of new experiences for us. Working in childcare in Spain, and working with up to 12-year-olds has been challenging but rewarding. It has broadened our perspective on how safeguarding and other procedures are carried out, outside the UK.
Other updates:
‘We had puppet shows at our setting today.’
– Coral
‘Music sessions and pool parties at my setting today!’
– Letisha
‘My teddy has made a new friend!’
– Maddie
21st July 2023
Day five - Ready for the weekend!
Apprentices ended their first week in placements today with some starting the day sharing breakfast outside with the children. In some of the nurseries they finish the week with outside water play and apprentices supervised the children having fun at a ‘pool party’ where they used water slides and splashed around in paddling pools. Back at the hostel, again, there was lots of reflection on the differences between Spain and UK when risk assessing activities, apprentices are starting to get used to working in Spain and understanding the differences in policies and the lack of paperwork compared procedures in their own nursery back home. We had some great discussions around risk management and how the children are encouraged to manage risk for themselves.
Seville is famous for the artform of flamenco, and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity of a show whilst here, so in the evening we celebrated the end of a challenging week at an authentic flamenco show and enjoyed listening to the music and watching the energetic dancing whilst sharing some tapas.
22nd & 23rd July 2023
Day six - Down time
On Saturday apprentices had a day at Isla Mágica theme park and Agua Mágica water park. Haleigh and Kady raced down the thrilling water slides. Claudia did a spectacular, accidental, back flip and fell off her float in the lazy river making a big splash! Coral, Emily and Amelia enjoyed spending time in the pool and relaxing on the sandy beach and Abi, Grace and Leah had lots of fun jumping in the wave pool. At the theme park, Rachel and Maddie got drenched on the log flume and Jess and Savannah loved the thrill of the rollercoaster (although it made Savannah scream!). The highlight of Letisha’s day was looking around the beautiful Museum of Fine Arts. It was great to experience some of the attractions after working so hard all week!
Day seven - Time for a rest!
Today we got some well-earned rest and relaxation time, we had a lazy morning with some shopping and eating out in the afternoon. Some of us visited the aquarium and saw a huge shark, crocodiles, and some cute turtles! We then spent the evening in the hostel chatting, reflecting on the past week and catching up on some coursework. Everyone is looking forward to getting back into placements tomorrow so an early night was on the agenda ready for our early morning start!
24th July 2023
Day eight - First week at Buba Lala Nursery (Abi, Coral and Emily)
For the first week of our placement in Buba lala we have been focusing on the theme of the beach, this was the focus of the week for the children. Abi, Coral and Emily joined in, in the activities the children took part in. This activity was face painting animals that lived in the sea. They painted animals such as whales, sharks , octopuses and even crabs!
The children were able to colour and create their own turtles with any colours they chose. This helped them to develop their own creativity and they were also allowed to take them home to show their parents.
The theme for week 2 has been stories. The children sat and listened to a story whilst acting it out, as they went along. After the children finished the book they all sat together to do a worksheet on the story, which included sticking different coloured strings to create a multi coloured zebra, as well as colouring pictures.
We have really enjoyed our first week in the setting and have settled in well. We are a looking forward to the next few days and taking part in more fun and exciting activities within the nursery.
Other updates:
Had a productive day today, found out about their curriculum, how they help children with SEND and building relationships with parents. Now my babies are sleeping, room is clean and everything done 🥰
– Claudia
25th July 2023
Day nine - Thoughts from Castillo Magico Torneo
During my first week in my nursery , I have been learning different Spanish songs during assembly. The children loved singing along to the songs as well as doing the actions. We also sang some English nursery rhymes which the children loved especially ‘ The Wheels on the bus’ the children did a great job with joining in with the actions!
On one of the cooler days the children got to go out onto their patio in their swimming pool , we all had different sized cups which we poured the water into and out of. The children enjoyed splashing each other with the water as well as us!
I have enjoyed working in a Spanish nursery so far even though it has been challenging at times .
– Grace
During my first week here in Sevilla. I got to meet and get to know the children in my setting. I am in a room with mixed ages from ten months old to three years were independent play and activities are the main focus. Though I have enjoyed joining in with some activities such as, the pool day, soft play and creating shapes using fruits! I also had the chance to give my bear to the children, who loved him!
– Kady
26th July 2023
Day ten - Thoughts from Castillo Magico Los Remedios
This week we have been doing arts and crafts with clay with the children at our setting. We have been interacting the best we can with the children in our room trying to speak some words of Spanish so that the children can understand and interact with us also.
We are working in a small but lovely nursery where the staff are really polite and understanding and are just great people to get along with. Today we played a ball game with the children where we tried to learn the names of the colours of the balls in Spanish and then repeating the colours to the children so that they can remember them.
We have also been building towers with the children and counting in Spanish each time we pile on a block, we have been partaking in music sessions every morning where we have been given the opportunity to run these activities on occasion, and have been reading books and singing songs in English helping the children to understand basic English words. We had a lovely pool party last Friday that the children really enjoyed splashing, emptying and filling with their peers.
We have found this experience amazing and are really enjoying our time here in Spain, it’s really interesting to see just how different the nurseries here are to the nurseries back home.
– Letisha and Maddie
27th July 2023
Day eleven - Thoughts from Castillo Magico San Diego
While working in the Seville setting for the past two weeks I have had ups and downs. My values and beliefs have been challenged and I feel like I’m going back to the UK a different person with new perspectives about how much I appreciate my job in Early Years Education and all the policies and regulations we need to follow. I have enjoyed interacting with children and learning more about them and their interests, also I have discovered that I know more Spanish than I thought!
– Claudia
At the nursery we have done loads of activities with the kids with natural stuff like using sticks to play music and playing with food by creating patterns. I have learnt loads in this trip and all the differences between the nursery back at home and the nursery in Seville. I got so many bonds with so many kids and loved getting welcomed by them all. My favourite thing about the day is the good morning song.
– Haleigh
This week’s theme is engineering. We made our own bridges and tested their strength. And also made wind turbines. Today, we went on a trip to Las Setas, and architectural structure in Seville that overlooks the city. – Letisha
28th July 2023
Day twelve - Hasta Luego Seville!
We have come to the end of our placement at Jardin Magico and it has been an amazing learning experience. It has been very enlightening to see the difference between the Spanish and English settings. Children have loved practising their English with us and we have loved being able to practise our Spanish with them. Today with our last day in our placement and as we are leaving, we have brought a cake and some gifts for the children to enjoy . It was also a little boys 3rd birthday, so it was a double celebration with double the cake! We have loved our time at Jardin Magico and will definitely be staying in contact. The trip has been an amazing experience and we especially loved trying all the different flavours of ice cream, it was definitely needed in the 40-degree heat!
Evaluating Our Trip
Takeaways from this trip
“I feel like I gained a lot of self confidence and met friends for life. In regards to the nursery, learnt a lot about their cultures, foods as well as their language. I have gained a lot more confidence within the nursery setting as well as I was made to lead the children and activities.”
“It has made me appreciate my setting and the extensive rules we have however it has also made me realise that we can be too restrictive in the UK.”
“I am able to successfully live independently and navigate new situations. I also quite enjoyed working with a different age range of children.”
How has your early years practice developed?
“I have gained more patience, empathetic, and understanding in the struggles of EAL children, as I have now experienced what it has been like for them to not understand their surroundings.”
“Made me realise that adult led activities do not benefit children at all. Most badly behaved children behave that way because they’re bored.”
“My development in creating greater activities for all children and how we can use the activities from Spain and take this to my setting, also leading about different cultures for my equality and diversity section.”
Would you recommend this trip and why?
“Yes, I think overall it’s a good opportunity to help develop your skills in early years and see what other countries are like with children and how there early years policies differ to the UK”
“This is an amazing opportunity and it it’s a great help in your experience as well as knowledge for your apprenticeship and gives you a different side to how we are in England and being able to adopt to something else and work how you work at home , but to then take that somewhere else.”
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, where you get to learn and experience another culture. Opportunities like this don’t come along often, and it’s a trip I will never forget!”
“It gives everyone the chance to experience a different side to childcare and see how other countries differ to England.”
