Watermead Nursery

Briony Widman

a year ago

Couldn’t recommend Watermead Day Nursery anymore if I tried. The staff go above and beyond for the children they look after and it shows when my little girl will happily skip into Nursery and sit down with all of her friends, no tears or tantrums. The nursery is kept well maintained and you can tell they don’t shy away from investing in the facilities. I’ve never doubted that my child’s wellbeing and care is not at the forefront of what they do at Watermead. Thank you to all the staff, you are amazing.

Jack Downing

a year ago

Watermead is just fantastic and creates an environment where children thrive. Our Daughter started at Watermead when we moved back to the area. We were really anxious about moving her to a new nursery as she seemed settled in her previous setting however, from day one the nursery have been brilliant, she settled in so quickly and has come on so much - It was the best decision we made! Thank you Watermead!

Charlotte Mann

4 years ago

After a lot of research on Nurseries in the area I fell in love with Watermead and for many reasons. The staff are all wonderful and so reassuring and welcoming. The work they do with the local community. The Nursery itself is stunning. The children all seem so happy when you see them during drop offs and pick ups. And after just a few trials and one full day my son is already thriving and clearly enjoying himself there. They update you with photos and your child's routine throughout the day which is amazing... especially for nervous parents. I can not recommend Watermead enough! If I could give more than 5 stars I would x

Nay (NayNay)

a year ago

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Best Nursery Ever! If you're looking for a nursery that feels like a magical wonderland run by superheroes in disguise, look no further than Watermead! From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by a team of warm, energetic staff who somehow have the patience of saints and the energy of toddlers (seriously, what’s their secret?). The place is spotless—probably cleaner than my own house—and filled with more toys and learning activities than a kid could ever dream of. My child has come home singing new songs, counting to ten, and, most importantly, exhausted from a full day of fun (which means an early bedtime for me—win!). The staff treat every child like their own, and I swear they must have degrees in magic. The forest school is a kid’s paradise, enough space for tiny feet to run wild without me worrying about injuries. All in all, I’d rate this nursery ten out of five stars if I could. Highly recommended—just don’t be surprised if your child refuses to leave at pickup time! Forest School Review: Mud, Mayhem, and Surprisingly Deep Life Lessons If you like the idea of your child turning into a feral woodland creature, Forest School might be for you. It’s basically school, but instead of desks and whiteboards, there are trees, mud, and the occasional child getting way too excited about fire. They learn actual survival skills. Your kid might come home knowing how to build a shelter, start a fire, or fashion a spoon out of a stick. If the apocalypse hits, they’ll be way more useful than you. No homework. The only assignments are “don’t get lost” and “try not to eat unidentified berries.” It’s nature’s playground. Sticks become swords, logs become balance beams, and every puddle is an opportunity. (Mostly an opportunity to get soaking wet.) They get tough. Falling over? Part of the learning process. Rain? No problem. Cold? Layer up and keep going. They come home filthy. Mud, grass stains, the faint smell of smoke—your washing machine will work harder than it ever has. They think they’re Bear Grylls. Expect enthusiastic lessons on the real way to start a fire and why “the best water filter is a moss-covered rock” (it’s not). Weather doesn’t stop them. Raining? Perfect. Snowing? Even better. Parents, however, may not feel the same enthusiasm when standing around in 3°C drizzle for pickup. Sticks. Everywhere. Your house will slowly fill with “really special” sticks, leaves, and occasionally a pet worm they tried to smuggle in. Forest School is a chaotic, muddy, wild adventure that kids love and parents tolerate. It’s a perfect blend of learning, independence, and coming home looking like they just survived a minor natural disaster. Would highly recommend—just invest in a sturdy washing machine. Even my older children are jealous that they never had the opportunity to attend Watermead when they we’re younger..... Ps: The staff deserve a pay rise!!!

Ben

a year ago

Our son, Benjamin Clarke, started at Watermead Nursery earlier in the year. He attended one and a half days a week at a cost of about £600 a month, which is very expensive, but we had been told good things about this nursery so we went ahead and had him enrolled. He seemed to enjoy his time at the nursery, the women who cared for him seemed very nice and attentive. We had no issues with the level or care or education Benjamin was receiving. Unfortunately, a week before Christmas (lovely timing) we got a phone call out of the blue from social services telling us that Watermead Nursery had reported us to them over the welfare of Benjamin. This was in relation to 15 accident reports within a year. Now, we understand fully that these nurseries etc need to cover themselves, so we didn't ever pay too much attention to these accident reports, they reported things like a "bruised fingernail" or "small scratch to his forehead". Benjamin is two years old, we have never needed to take him to the doctors or A&E over any injury or anything that has ever happened to him. We didn't think 15 accidents, such as a bruised fingernail, over the period of a year was that many. I have about that many accidents a year and I am 39 years old. Needless to say that we were totally shocked and appalled by this escalation. The woman from social services was also annoyed as she said Watermead Nursery had given no background to anything and had just said that Benjamin turns up to nursery with "bruises and scratches" which sounds awful. Social services told us they had to phone Watermead Nursery to discuss the matter further as there was no information whatsoever given on the report. After a short discussion with the nursery, social services contacted us to say they aren't taking the case further, they seemed very confused and annoyed that this had been reported to them. In other words it was a complete waste of their time, and this actually puts vulnerable children at greater risk as it overstretches the system. We complained to Watermead Nursery about how they conducted themselves, and they did try to organise a meeting with us to discuss the matter, however, our argument was that this is what they should have done first of all. I can't help but think their policy is to avoid a meeting because it would cost them time and money. Simply reporting to social services is easier for Watermead Nursery to do, it is just morally very wrong. They should take more time and care to investigate any such matter internally before they escalate to social services. Based upon this we have made the decision to remove Benjamin from the nursery, we were paying them £600 a month and it would have been nice if they'd spoken to us first, organising a meeting wouldn't have taken long and we'd have been more than happy to discuss the matter with them. As it stands we cannot help but feel as though this nursery make decisions based upon money, rather than their customers welfare and the children's welfare. Social services told us that one solution the nursery had was to have Benjamin for MORE hours per week... of course that's what they want! This really made us feel that this nursery care more about the money side than anything else. It was the final straw and Benjamin is now cared for by a child minder, who is amazing. We have already found that a child minder service is way more personal, which is what we want, and we highly recommend a child minder over a private nursery such as Watermead.