Frequently Asked Questions

When your baby joins us there are many things that we can do to make the transition as seamless as possible. We are aware that lots of children favour sleeping in prams, baby chairs and even cars. At nursery, we  provide cots for the children to sleep in and cannot offer an alternative. You can help prepare your baby for their exciting new journey by establishing a good sleep routine during the day. We typically recommend beginning this a few months prior to them starting with us. Once a good sleep routine is in place, we can work with you to ensure your child is well rested throughout the day so they can enjoy the activities on offer.

It is advisable for your child to experience different social situations outside of the home. Arranging play dates or attending baby classes are a great way of building social skills prior to joining nursery. This will allow your baby to meet other  familiar adults and build bonds.

 Babies:

     a. An all-in-one waterproof outdoor suit for the garden and shoes or wellies for outside. 

     b. A small bag with a few changes of clothes.

     c. Bibs

     d. A dummy or comforter (if your child has one)

     e. Any bottles and formula or expressed milk. You are welcome to leave a tub of formula here with us for your child if you find it easier.

Toddlers and Preschool:

a. A thick, waterproof coat during winter, a lighter coat for the summer.

b. Wellies to be kept at nursery

c. A small bag with changes of clothes

d. Any dummies or comforters (if your child has one)

If your child starts with us in our baby unit they are guaranteed a space in our toddler and preschool groups. They typically move groups as they near their second birthday. There are no additional charges and no re-application process.

We welcome communication with parents, especially when the children are settling into their new routines. We understand that a child starting nursery can be a drastic change for both parents and children so we aim to meet everyone's emotional needs. We encourage parents to call us so that we can update you on how your little one is adapting to their new surroundings. We would much rather you call us than be sat worrying about how your child is. We believe fostering honest and open communication from our setting to your home so if we find that your child is taking a little longer to adapt we will let you know. You can then collect your child from their taster sessions a little earlier but most of the time, they are absolutely fine and we worry more than the reality. We also have an app we use called 'Famly'; which is a daily link between us and you. You can set yourself and any other family member up so they can access your child's daily information such as what they ate, nappy changes and any observations staff have made on your child's development.

You are most welcome to supply us with expressed milk for your child. If your child has only been breastfed and hasn't taken a bottle before it is really important that you prepare them in advance of starting. It may help if you express and your partner gives the expressed milk in a bottle. This may take a month or so for your child to adapt, so give yourself and baby enough time before starting to establish taking feeds from a bottle.

We open from 7.45am-5.45pm Monday to Friday. This doesn't mean you have to drop them to the door at exactly 7.45 and collect at exactly 5.45, you can drop off anytime after 7.45 and collect anytime before your session ends. We have a number of different session times to choose from that will allow you some flexibility in your routine.

The nursery is closed for all bank holidays, the days in between Christmas and New Year and TT week. Due to the unpredictability of the weather during race week, which can delay practices, we close at 4pm to allow enough time for parents and staff to get home safely.

We will need to know before your child starts what they are.

We have a menu which caters for most dietary requirements, for example, vegetarian, lactose intolerance and most allergies. If your child has many allergies we can have a discussion before they start about whether we can cater for them or whether it is best for you to provide your child's own foods. We will, wherever we can, try and cater for most allergies and intolerances.

We employ a chef who prepares the children's breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks daily. Our menus are carefully designed to include a range of food groups to optimise the nutritional value of the meal. Our menus rotate fortnightly to provide a carefully selected variety. If you have a specific dietary requirement, please speak to the manager prior to enrolling. Please be aware that in certain cases, you may be advised to bring a pack lunch.

We aim to bring each child on one trip per week to our Secret Forest. This is a private piece of land for our use only and not for the general public. This adds to the mystery and intrigue for the children and allows us flexibility to visit 5 days a week if we desire. We are also fortunate to have the old railway line glen a short walk away. We often visit this glen in addition to our weekly trip to the forest. Trips are dependent on staffing and weather. Whilst we welcome all weathers, certain months have less trip visits than others. 

Please read our Medication Policy. If you have any questions, please contact our Manager.

View our Medication Policy