We couldn't be happier with our choice of nursery for our son. There are many positives; the daily afternoon activities (forest school, cooking, ballet, etc) was one of the main deciding factors when we chose The Ivies, but it's really the staff who have exceeded expectations. You really get a sense they genuinely care about each child, know what they are interested in, and notice when they need support.
If ever I stay a little longer at drop-off, I'm amazed at how well these small children play together, sharing and showing awareness for others. I think it's mainly down to the attitude of the staff, who seem to explain and reason with the children rather than raise voices. I really like that the 2-4 year olds are not segregated into separate rooms by age, because I think the younger ones learn a lot from the older ones, and the older ones learn to be patient with the younger ones.
The biggest measure of how good it is here is the size of the smile on my son's face when I pick him up - he's buzzing with excitement and full of stories of what he's done at nursery that day, proud to show me his artwork. He even asks to go nursery at weekends! I'm pleased his waterproofs regularly come home covered in a healthy dose of mud; I would much rather he be poking a stick in a muddy puddle than poking at the screen of an iPad!
Another thing I'm pleased to see every day is the different array of activities set up on the tables; be it a sensory bin of a tactile substance and figurines or a fresh batch of play-doh, there's always something interesting to get stuck into.
The only thing I'd add is, as a working mother, holiday cover!
