Musselburgh Nature Kindergarten

Indoors, the space is clean, bright with excellent toys and activities.

My child has been at Loretto Nursery for 2 years. In that time her and my experience has been very mixed. Unfortunately, there is a very high turn around of staff, which means that on a daily basis there is often a different person in the room greeting the children, therefore even after 2 years she struggles to settle and it’s a battle to get her to go.

The staff promised her a reward for being brave at drop off times but then didn’t follow through. The children are very much left to their own devices to play and I very rarely get artwork or painting home. There is also no evidence of any learning. About a year ago they had a very good teacher and the children were learning phonics and Spanish and their learning was evident all over the walls but she left and there hasn’t been any evidence of learning since.

I am very disappointed in the nursery and feel that it is not meeting my needs. Unless drastic changes are made in the management of the nursery I would not recommend it.

This nursery is the best I could have hoped for to send my daughter to. The space is amazing, outdoor area is a massive space with tipis, mud kitchen, climbing things and swings, sandpits. An amazing outdoor space to grow and learn and play! The staff are so friendly, kind, intuitive, knowledgeable, kind and fun. Anyone who is feeling a little unsettled leaving their child, they offer the best support and really put you and ease. I would recommend to any parent!

My youngest daughter started last August near her first birthday and she is really happy at Loretto. She has thrived there. We had a lot of settle sessions before she started which surprised me but it was absolutely worth it as she settled very quickly. I feel very involved with what she does while at nursery. The thing I value the most is that the staff (who are great) obviously all know her really well and like her too. My eldest daughter has now started one morning a week and I have really appreciated how much effort they make with her even though she’s there for just a short time.

My son has been attending Loretto since he was 7 months old. He is 26 months now and every day he looks happier when I drop him at nursery. He feels secure with the staff, loves the food and the facilities and we, as parents, feel very lucky to have a place there for him.

The nursery photo shoots appear to have not taken place for 6 months or more. I would like to see more parent to staff introductions, particularly through transition stages for children between the different age groups and room changes.

My daughter is very happy when she goes to nursery. I would like to have a greater variety in the food, as my daughter does not love pasta so much. Staff are very friendly, I am very pleased with this.

Our daughter attends Loretto nursery primarily due to the link with the school. However, she is really enjoying her time in the 3-5s room. The buildings and garden are lovely, and the nursery has access to the large playing fields behind. The nursery staff are friendly, and the nursery has been investing in new staff to increase teaching experience. Our daughter enjoys the nursery food, which has recently been improved.

My son and daughter have been at the nursery for a year now and we have had an excellent experience of all three rooms. Both my children settled into the nursery almost immediately and this was thanks to the expertise and dedication of all of the staff members. They both continue to flourish there and I find the staff and facilities are excellent. The staff are approachable, caring and make it very easy for me to leave my children there for a significant period of time knowing they are in very good hands.

We love the additional classes ie music, p.e. and the large outdoor spaces.

My daughter started at nursery about a month ago. I wouldn't send her anywhere else. The staff are all so friendly, kind and professional and really care about the children. She has only been there a short time but already we see a difference in her eating and communicating. Couldn't recommend Loretto highly enough!!

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and great menu! My little one can’t stop talking about going back to nursery.

This is my daughter's second nursery and we changed for logistic purposes, however, we are very happy with how she is progressing.

My daughter settled in with no tears and has enjoyed every minute of it. I get to hear from the ladies when I collect her, as well as from my daughter herself how much she is doing during the day and it is all good learning fun! The ladies who work there are friendly and it is always clean and as tidy as can be with lots of children!

It is clear to see how she is developing and both myself and my husband are very happy to see how well she is doing.

My son didn't settle very well but both managers and staff made it both easy for me and my son to settle in. Couldn't be happier.

I am delighted with my choice of nursery. My daughter has recently joined and I had been dreading the process of maternity leave ending and settling her into nursery. I have been so pleasantly surprised by the whole experience which has gone much more smoothly than I ever imagined. I believe this is down to the wonderful staff and lovely environment. My daughter is happy there and I feel happy that she is receiving the best possible care.

A very vibrant progressive nursery with a real family feel. Our child loves to attend and to see his friends and the outdoor space, and the nativity at Christmas makes festival time lively too.

The front garden could do with some care, nettles growing where young children play is not a good combination.

My daughter came from another nursery in May 2017 and from day one she fell in love with everyone. We noticed how quickly she started learning with her new teachers (songs, numeracy, dance, language). Excellent work guys. Thank you.

When looking for a nursery, we established that we wanted to find an environment where leadership was present from the top, where staff were engaging to both children and parents and where there was an overall sense of belonging and happiness and I am pleased to say that in the short time we have been with the nursery we felt that. If things went wrong, not that they often do, they were corrected. Our children have been nourished and come home happy and you can't wish for more.

Practical things that every parent thinks of:

- Great staff - it's lovely to see people that like their job and welcome you every day with a smile.

Our little boy joined the nursery at five months old, attending just two afternoons per week, to begin with. He absolutely loves his Loretto Nursery family and is always bubbling with happiness when we pick him up having had such a lovely time there. He was the youngest there at the time he joined, and I was a bit worried that he would require lots of attention being so young, as he could not sit up yet and was starting a habit of fighting his naps. The staff are very caring and friendly and patient, and know what they're doing and were able to give him the attention he needed, as well as the other lovely young children in their care. Even though he was very young, they helped him join in activities safely where he could, so he could learn and have fun. We're all very happy and grateful to the staff for looking after our precious wee one so well.

There are several good nurseries in Edinburgh and East Lothian and several poor ones but we have found, after experiencing several, Loretto Nursery to be the best. The staff are excellent, down to earth, lovely and above all extremely capable. My little boy runs in every morning and as a mum, I feel relaxed leaving him there because I feel so reassured that he is going to be well looked after and have a lot of fun. We are not local to Musselburgh but it is worth the drive, easy to park and the ideal Esk-side location is a treat every morning. Huge bonus is that they provide nappies wipes snacks and properly cooked meals included in the fee so all you have to focus on is your wee one, making it much easier for any super busy working mum.