Prospective parents and carers at one of London’s leading independent early years settings, The Chelsea Nursery, have been welcomed into the new state-of-the-art facility in recent weeks to tour the site and find out more about what it has to offer.

Located just off Kings Road in Chelsea – and situated within the excellent rated Prep School
Cameron Vale
– the Nursery has recently undergone a hugely significant refurbishment, which includes the addition of a dedicated baby room. The team there were keen to show it off to families who are making plans for their future childcare needs.

Around 60 families have now visited the facility over the past couple of months. They have been able to see first-hand how the introduction of a new arts and crafts area, a reading corner
and an imaginative play area with more open plan space, is bringing significant growth and development opportunities to the children.

Visitors were also able to witness the youngsters burning off some energy and enjoying a new free-flow playground. This has been designed to offer increased opportunities for physical
exploration, curiosity, creativity and engagement with the natural environment, complementing the Nursery’s existing programmes of outdoor Forest School.

In addition, the brand-new baby room was on show, with dedicated nursery practitioners on hand to talk to parents about how each child will receive a tailored care in line with the one
to three staff to children ratio requirements.

They also explained how the strong focus on learning through play – as outlined in the primary areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum – will be encouraged through
creative music and movement sessions, and how the cosy, quiet sleep space will be accessible at any point during the day when a baby needs a rest.

Up until now, the co-educational pre-school setting has catered for boys and girls aged 2-5 years for 50 weeks of the year, offering full and half day sessions between 8am and 6pm. From
January 2023, it will expand its offer to little ones from three months old to provide a valuable and home-from-home setting for busy families.

Bridget Saul, Headteacher at Cameron Vale, explained: “The design and layout of our new baby room, as well as the wider Nursery revamp, has been carefully planned to ensure our children
thrive in a safe, stimulating, and spacious environment which offers multiple opportunities for free flow movement, play and learning. This is so important in the early years because as the children grow, it encourages independence as they choose to move between
each space at different points during the day.

“We’ve had a super turnout at our recent open days, and it’s been great to give such a warm welcome to so many potential new families. The feedback has been really positive, with many
reporting that they really valued the opportunity to meet the team and gain an insight into our nurturing ethos and to also visualise the setting itself.

“Choosing a nursery is a big decision, particularly for first-time parents, and part of the process has to be about making a judgement on whether a place has the right nurturing feel.
We really pride ourselves on creating a warm and inviting environment, with a distinctive family atmosphere, and we hope that we have been able to convey this at our recent open days and show first-hand how we celebrate individuality and unlock the potential
of each and every child.”

Recent
Ipsos
Mori research shows two in five (39%) parents believe the most important factor when choosing a provider is identifying one that encourages their child to socialise
with other children. It also found that two thirds of parents of children aged 0-4 (66%) reported that their child is currently using formal childcare, despite greater home working options and shifting work patterns following the pandemic lockdowns.

These trends are very much reflected at The Chelsea Nursery, which continues to see a demand for places. As well as the expanded offer attracting a new cohort of families,
the addition of the Baby Room also means that current parents and carers of pupils attending Cameron Vale School will also have access to wider childcare for younger siblings. Meeting the needs of all families who are juggling work and childcare commitments
is a top priority for the setting.

So too is ensuring a smooth transition from the Nursery to the school. For those youngsters due to move up in the September 2023 reception intake, additional ‘Discovery Days’
have also been taking place to help the children acclimatise to their new surroundings and meet their new teachers. Additional open day dates for both the Nursery and the School are also planned for the New Year, on 11th
January and 8th February, and
there are always opportunities for parents to attend informal tours each week.

Headteacher Bridget Saul added: “Our ambition is to help each and every child develop a life-long love of learning. We aim to spark their imaginations and make them curious
about the world around them as they grow and develop. Offering our children the chance to embrace change and make it a normal part of the learning process is, we believe, an important skill for them to develop for the future.”

The Chelsea Nursery and Cameron Vale School both form part of education specialists, the
Forfar Group,
which owns and runs a network of educational settings across the UK and put the child’s enjoyment of education at the heart of everything they do, from the minute they walk through the door.

To book a place on an upcoming Open Day, visit
www.cameronvaleschool.com.