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Corner House® Gillsland Nursery
Your Local Nursery in Edinburgh
Corner House Nursery South Gillsland is a well-established and trusted nursery situated in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. We provide stimulating childcare in a caring and family-orientated environment for children from 3 months to 5 years of age.
We are open Monday – Friday from 8 am – 6 pm and registered to care for up to 58 children. Our property is a beautifully designed house located minutes away from George Watson’s College and has convenient bus links to public transport, making us a perfect option for commuters. We also have plenty of on-street parking available providing easy drop-off and collection for you and your family.
Our unique features
Home from home
Cosy, comfortable atmosphere
Extensive garden to explore
Spacious playrooms
Meet the Manager
Stephanie Craig
Nursery Manager
Our Nursery Brochure
We will guide you through every step of your childcare journey and help you discover everything you need to know about our nursery. Come and join our family of nurseries across the UK. If you have any questions or enquiries, please feel free to contact us.
Alternatively, why not book a personal tour of our nursery where one of our friendly team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Day Nurseries Reviews
What Parents Say About Our Nursery
Outdoor Discovery: Growing, Learning, and Playing in Nature
We love to get outside here at Corner House Nursery. We have a large outdoor play area where children find opportunities to have fresh air and fun in a safe and secure area.
Featured in our outdoor environment we have a sandpit, a story corner, a natural construction area, a climbing frame, a mud kitchen, a basketball net and much more. As well as these fabulous outdoor play areas we also enjoy walks in our local area to allow our children to absorb the sights and sounds of our local community. Our nursery is also lucky enough to have access to a dedicated area within the Craiglockhart Nature Reserve through the Forest Schools Association.
We are committed to being an environmentally friendly nursery, making changes wherever we can in order to make the world a cleaner place! We are a registered ECO-Nursery and are committed to teach our children about their environment and the effect we have on it in our day to day lives.
Our Approach to Education at Corner House, Gillsland
Our curriculum includes a Realising the Ambition: Being Me framework in conjunction with Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence approach that offers hands-on perspectives to encourage the skills your child will need in the nursery and beyond:
- Mathematics: Integrating numbers into real-life routines
- Schematic Play: Quality learning environment providing the potential for children’s creativity skills and allowing them to follow their own interests confidently
- Listening, Attention and Speaking: Teaching children to express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using complete sentences
- Personal, Social and Emotional Education
- STEM Activities: Building and problem solving using science, technology, engineering, and math
- Ensuring children are physically active from birth and meet the Chief Medical Officers (2019) guidelines of a minimum of 3 hours per day
Our Nursery Fees and Funding
We can offer flexible booking patterns and a range of funding options, including government funded childcare. To find out more information on pricing and availability, please request a call back and we will be in touch shortly.
Our fees include:
- Quality Early Years Care and Education
- Healthy, well-balanced menu for all children
- Access to a wide range of quality resources and equipment
- E-Learning Journals via ParentZone App
- Regular newsletters and parent evenings
- Free settling-in sessions
- Nappies, wipes and formula milk
*Terms and conditions apply to our funding options. Contact us for more information.
Most Enjoyed Activities at Our Nursery
Our nurseries offer a wide range of nursery activities and extras to enrich every child’s experience at nursery and to support busy parents.
Physical Development and Education
As part of our curriculum, we are committed to ensuring children are physically active for a minimum of 3 hours per day. Physical Development Champions at each nursery are passionate about physical development and create and design specific activities based around movement, raising the heartbeat and exercising the cardiovascular system.
Special Festivals
Our nursery encourages children to celebrate a wide range of festivals and celebrations throughout the year. We always encourage our little one’s families to share their backgrounds too! This is one of the best ways for children to learn about different religions and cultures by celebrating various world religious festivals, food tasting from different countries and dressing up in the national dress of their friends.
Encouraging Communication
Every day at our nursery we understand the importance of promoting language and communication. Through your child’s daily interactions with other children and our practitioners, we seek to encourage communication and identify speech and language difficulties and supporting your little one in their development journey. With our calm, relaxed lunch experience, Our trained practitioners understand and expand the communication developments that take place during this time.
Fundraising Activities
Taking part in fundraising activities helps children to learn about others that are less fortunate than themselves and to understand how we can help them. Fundraising events are good fun and are a great way to bring children, families and communities together. Some of the fundraisers we have taken part in are: sponsored toddles, superhero days, baking cakes to sell and garden parties.
Graduations
We celebrate the big move to primary school with a special graduation ceremony each year!
Heuristic Play
We encourage Heuristic Play with our 1–2-year-olds, embracing every child’s natural curiosity. Heuristic play involves offering children a range of different objects and receptacles with which they are encouraged to play freely without adult instruction.
Planting and Growing
We make use of our wonderful outdoor spaces and forest areas by encouraging children at our nurseries and Out of School Care clubs to plant, grow and tend to fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs throughout the year.
Settling-In Sessions
Our nurseries offer free settling in sessions. Parents can bring their child for a couple of hours first, gradually introducing the child to a new environment. Settling in sessions are aimed at helping your child to adapt to their new surroundings and become more familiar with the staff and other children.
E-Learning Journals / Parent Zone App
Our E-Learning journals and Parent Zone app allow you to see your child’s activities at nursery with the click of a button. Staff upload images and notes about your child’s participation in activities at nursery for you to access wherever you are. Our nursery tablets offer exciting and stimulating learning experiences tailored to challenge and engage little ones.
Baking Activities
Wherever we can we encourage children to partake in preparing their meals at nursery. We love to see children take pride in their culinary creations and enjoy healthy and delicious food.
Food & Nutrition: Building Healthy Habits
Here at Corner House, Gillsland – we have our very own qualified Nursery Chef who creates nutritionally balanced 3 week rolling menus.
Our menus are designed to give your little one the very best start in life. We make this possible by supplying our children with home cooked nutritional food, bursting with fresh fruit and vegetables and all the essential ingredients necessary for healthy physical and mental development. Whenever possible we source our food locally and organically, including seasonal vegetables and fruit into our menus. Our children have a choice of milk or water to drink throughout the day.
Growing Our Own Vegetables
Our children have opportunities to excel as nursery gardeners with their very own vegetable patch!
Cooking and Baking Activities
Our children have opportunities to work with our Nursery Chef through weekly cooking and baking activities.
Vegetarian and Vegan
We are happy to cater for all preferences including Vegeterian and Vegan.
Dairy-Free Milk
We offer a variety of milk including animal and plant based milks. Speak to our Nursery Chef regarding your preference.
Dietary Requirements
We are happy to cater for a whole range of dietary/religious/cultural requirements. Please speak to our Nursery Chef for more information.
No Added Sugar or Salt
We do not add additional salt or sugar. Where possible we purchase products with reduced salt and lower sugar.
Allergies and First Aid
Our staff are trained in First Aid and the team are experienced in catering for allergies. You are more than welcome to meet with a member of our team to discuss your requirements.
Caring for Every Stage: From Babies to Pre-Schoolers
Baby Room (0-2 years)
Nurturing Beginnings
Our baby room provides a calm, safe, and stimulating environment where our babies can explore, discover, and develop at their own pace. With a strong focus on sensory play, close one-to-one care, and gentle routines, we create a loving space where babies feel secure, happy, and encouraged to take their first steps in learning.
Toddler Room (2-3 years)
Exploring and Growing
At this curious and energetic stage, toddlers thrive in a space designed for discovery, movement, and social interaction. Through hands-on activities, messy play, early language development, and guided exploration, we nurture independence while ensuring children feel supported in their growing confidence and abilities.
Pre-School Room (3-5 years)
Ready for Big Adventures
As children prepare for their next steps into school life, our pre-school room offers a structured yet playful approach to learning. With a mix of phonics, numeracy, creative expression, and problem-solving activities, we build essential skills while encouraging curiosity, teamwork, and self-confidence, ensuring a smooth transition to reception.
A Connected Nursery Experience for Parents
At Thrive Childcare, we know how important it is for parents to stay involved in their child’s nursery journey. That’s why we use the ParentZone app—giving you real-time updates, photos, and key insights about your little one’s day, all in one secure place.
Regular Updates
Stay informed with nursery newsletters, announcements, and invitations to exciting events.
Daily Moments
See snapshots and videos of your child’s activities, from learning adventures to playful discoveries.
Instant Notifications
Get real-time updates on your child’s progress, meal times, and important nursery messages.
Nursery Calendar
Keep track of term dates, planned activities, and special events—all at a glance.
Learning Journey
Follow your child’s development through detailed progress reports and key learning milestones.
Two-Way Communication
Easily message our nursery team to ask questions, share updates, and stay connected.
At Thrive Childcare, we want you to always feel part of your child’s world—wherever you are.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer part-time or flexible sessions for children?
Yes we do, please don’t hesitate to ask your nursery manager what is available in your nursery
How do you handle first aid or medical emergencies?
Our staff teams are qualified in paediatric first aid and refresh their knowledge on a regular basis, this is over and above regulatory minimum requirements
What is your settling-in process for new children?
We take an individualised approach to setting our children into our nursery environments, as a minimum we offer three settle sessions to allow children to gain familiarity and then our nursery teams will work with you to decide if more sessions are required
How do you communicate with parents about their child’s progress?
We have a fantastic app where you can view your child’s progress and daily routines. We also hold regular parents evenings and you can request a meeting at any time with your child’s key person to discuss your child’s individual needs
Are there any additional costs, such as for trips or special activities?
This is nursery dependent and will be explained on your personal tour
Do you offer sibling discounts or loyalty programs?
No
Do you provide care for children with special educational needs (SEN/ASN)?
Yes and we work together in partnership with you, external agencies and the local authority throughout your time with us to support you and your child to reach the very best outcomes
What makes your nursery stand out from others in the area?
Our Thrive ethos and values are unique to us and set us apart from the rest
What should I pack in my child’s bag for nursery?
A spare set of clothes are a must, also any comforters your child may need, apart from that we provide the rest!
Should I pack nappies and wipes, or are they provided?
No, they are provided
What is the process for dropping off and picking up my child?
This is nursery dependent as some opening and closing times do differ, ask your nursery manager to clarify. All of our nurseries endeavour to make this transition as smooth as possible for you and your child
What happens if I am late to pick up my child?
We understand that on occasion this can be inevitable, we do issue a late charge if lateness becomes an ongoing issue and will work with you to find a solution
What should I do if my child has trouble adjusting to nursery?
Trust us and trust in the process, we are here to help and advise so please reach out if you are concerned your child isn’t settling, we can work together to help the separation become easier over time
Do I need to provide suncream or outdoor clothing, such as rain boots?
This is nursery specific again however all of our sites provide suncream, you are welcome to provide your own if your child is sensitive to the suncream we provide
Can I change my child’s schedule once it has been agreed?
Yes you can, we will need a months written notice to reduce sessions, if its an increase and we have availability it can in most cases be arranged sooner. You can also book extra sessions when you need them again dependent on availability We regularly offer discounted extra sessions so do look out for those discounts in our nurseries
Take a
personal tour of our nursery
We will guide you through every step to get the most out of our nurseries. Join our family and pay us a visit by completing the contact us form.
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