Our Approach to Childcare
Clayesmore Nursery provides high-quality early years care and education within a nurturing and stimulating environment. Located in the heart of the Clayesmore School estate, the Nursery is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am–6.00pm, 51 weeks of the year, and offers a child-centred beginning to lifelong learning for children from three months to 4 years old.
At Clayesmore Nursery, we provide a nurturing and inspiring environment where children learn through play, exploration, and discovery. Our unique approach fosters curiosity, creativity, and confidence – ensuring every child grows to love learning and the natural world.
Specialist Learning
The learning environment is thoughtfully designed to support exploration and develop early communication, social and physical skills. Our extra curricular activities such as music and movement, storytelling, dance, french and spanish, gardening, physical education, pond dipping, drama, yoga, mindfulness, art and ceramics, cookery, local walks and outings further enrich each child’s experiences and broadens their horizon from the earliest age.
Part of a Wider School Community
Being part of the Clayesmore School community offers Nursery children unique opportunities to join in wider school life. Children take part in whole school activities such as concerts, the Christmas Nativity, Sports Day and seasonal celebrations, fostering a sense of belonging and confidence as they grow.
Healthy Meals & Mealtimes
Nutritious freshly prepared meals are served daily, with full consideration for dietary needs and allergies. On special occasions, older Nursery children share lunch with senior pupils in the Main House Dining Room, helping to build positive social skills and community spirit.
Working in Partnership with Parents
We believe strong partnerships between home and nursery are essential. Children’s development is recorded via Famly, which keeps parents closely informed about their day at nursery. Termly parents’ evenings and an open-door approach with nursery leadership help to ensure every child’s progress and wellbeing are supported.
Community & Café
Our nursery parents can relax with a coffee or tea and connect with other families at The Writer’s Block Café, located next door to the nursery and open to members of the public all year round, including weekends. The nursery warmly encourages parents to join us in a variety of activities and celebrations throughout the year. We also value parents’ voices and invite them to be an active part of our nursery parent forum.
Growing, exploring and discovering
No two days are the same at Clayesmore Nursery, but each one is shaped by a careful balance of structure, freedom and discovery. Children move between indoor and outdoor environments with ease, building confidence through exploration and play.
Babies
Our youngest children are cared for in a calm, nurturing space where routine, comfort and connection come first. Through sensory play and gentle interaction, babies begin to explore the world around them, forming strong attachments and a sense of security.
Toddlers
Curiosity begins to lead the way. In the Toddler room, children are encouraged to move, explore and communicate. They begin to form friendships, develop language and make sense of the world through play.
Pre-School
As children grow, so does their independence. Our Pre-School children are gently introduced to more structured experiences, helping them develop confidence, resilience and readiness for their transition into Clayesmore Prep.
