The Sandcastle Nursery

Lucy Fuller

a year ago

I often struggle to find the time to write a review for anything, however Sandcastle Nursery deserve more than just a review. My daughter is about to wrap up her final week at the nursery in 'Green Room' before starting school. As you do when choosing any nursery for your child, we viewed several different options in and around where we were moving to. All were nice but Sandcastle had its own homely feel to it that absolutely couldn't be beaten. I don't mind saying, moving from a village nursery setting previously, I had concerns before visiting as to its 'busier' location but once you set foot in the door you realise it's a wonderful space filled with light and lots of happy faces. We moved to the area when our little girl was 2, she had been used to another nursery setting, attending 4 days a week and the transition in to Sandcastle Nursery was handled seamlessly by the team (even on the hottest week of the year I might add). Things I noticed immediately in comparison to our previous nursery was the experience and dedication of the staff at Sandcastle. Day's were clearly planned out, breakfast was a calm affair (how they do that with multiple toddlers I will never know!), the children learn to sit and wait for their friends to finish eating before leaving the table and I could tell that each child's own interests were explored and championed. My little girl moved through 3 of the 5 rooms (missing the baby rooms due to her age) and each move was again handled with care, so much so she barely noticed. Where possible a key worker from the room moves up with them to aid with familiarity which again was lovely to see. It's worth noting that when I initially looked at nursery's (and in the previous setting my little girl was in), I was always looking to ensure there was an blow-by-blow account on an app so i could see what was going on all the time. Sandcastle don't operate like that, albeit there is an app and as parents we do get lovely updates with photos and videos and a synopsis of what's been happening. I came to realise though, I only needed the app with the constant updates when I didn't really trust that my little one was in the absolute best hands. At Sandcastle I just knew, I didn't need to see her every moment, I could tell when i picked her up every evening and dropped her off every morning, and that for me was an important learning curve on what to look for when it comes to the best nursery for your child. We have come away with amazing memories of singing carols by the xmas tree outside the nursery every Christmas, a handwritten birthday card and book for every birthday, family fun day's over weekends, Father's & Mother's day stay and play sessions, nativity shows, baking, outdoor play, music lessons, drama with Katie, French with Kathy etc etc. The entire team are wonderful, for us there are some special mentions for Jo, Christina, Myles, Naheeda, Gaynor & David! Honestly, look no further. It's incredible. Go and see for yourself.

Melissa Roach

3 years ago

They say it takes a village to raise a child and we didn't appreciate this more until our son was born. We can honestly say that Sandcastle have been the perfect addition to our village. Our son is thriving at the nursery. He is always happy to go in (often encouraging us to leave the room waving bye bye and escorting us out the door!) and rather than running out in the evening, he wants to show us what he has been doing (many a time we have had to join in activities being able to leave). The staff are outstanding. Always going the extra mile to teach and care for the children. There is a clear structure for the day, which gives the children comfort and security, whilst all activities are designed to ensure that key milestones are met. It is very much a partnership relationship with guidance and support given to parents which we have greatly appreciated. The list of staff I could thank is too long which is again a testament to the nursery. Our son is still very fond of the staff long after he has moved to a different room. I appreciate that when looking for a nursery you have to weigh up all of your 'wants' and, given its central location, there are some issues with parking and space at Sandcastle. However, knowing that our son is well loved and given the care and learning support he deserves outweighs everything else.

Emma Berry

3 years ago

We are so incredibly grateful for the patience, kindness and genuine love over the last 3 years with our eldest son. He LOVED nursery, and all of the staff and activities, and we will be forever grateful for this amazing start to his educational journey. We’re so glad we get to keep you in our lives with our youngest son for another 3 years! Can’t recommend Sandcastle enough - for anyone considering Sandcastle, look no further in your search - you’ve found a dedicated, loving environment for your children to thrive in.

Elizabeth Kinsey-James

7 months ago

A wonderful nursery with highly trained and experienced staff who show real care for the kids. This place has been the best decision we have made for our children. I highly recommend

Mandy Plews

3 years ago

A gigantic THANK YOU to Sandcastle nursery for looking after our little girl from age 1-4. She has really enjoyed her time with you all and has matured as a little girl who is ready for her next challenge of school. She was always so keen to go to nursery and this is testament of the friendly, encouraging environment that all the staff create at Sandcastle. Amongst all the fun times and playing with friends, the structure of the nursery day and all the disguised learning has set her up to tackle school no problem! Despite moving away from the area, we didn’t hesitate to sign our daughter up to Sandcastle nursery after such a positive experience with our son previously, even though it was a detour on the work commute for us every morning. We thank you so much for taking care of both of our ‘babies’ over the past 8 years and are very sad that our journey with you is now over. Thank you, thank you, thank you :-)