Your Local Nursery in Chester
Smarties Nature Kindergarten has been a well-established and trusted nursery just outside the beautiful city of Chester.
With a reputation for providing high-quality childcare since 1989, our nursery commits to creating a home away from home atmosphere for children and parents to feel comfortable and confident in our setting. This is reflected in our previous Ofsted inspections with both our nursery and Holiday Club rated as Outstanding. We are delighted to show you around our Nursery and Holiday club with confidence we are able to provide the very best for your little ones.
We provide childcare for children from 0 to 5 within our nursery and 4 (and attending school) to11 years at our Holiday club. Our nursery is carefully designed and has a varied and plentiful range of resources and equipment, we also have our own private car park at the front of our building for drop-offs and pick-ups. We are open for 51 weeks throughout the year from 7.30am to 6pm for full and half days, as well as working in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Councils to provide funding to eligible families.
Our Unique Features
Extensive outdoor area with Mini Farm and Forest School experience.
Longstanding, committed, welcoming staff team with a Millie’s Mark award.
Awarded NDNA Nursery of the Year UK wide in 2018.
Extra-curricular activities included in fees.
Times
- Monday 7:30 – 18:00
- Tuesday 7:30 – 18:00
- Wednesday 7:30 – 18:00
- Thursday 7:30 – 18:00
- Friday 7:30 – 18:00
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
Meet Our Top Team
Lisa Porter
Manager
Becky Forster
Deputy ManagerGet in touch
We can guide you through every step of your childcare journey and help you discover everything you need to know about our nursery.
Parent Reviews
Keziah, Former Parent
This nursery is absolutely outstanding! Our daughter has attended here since she was 5 months old and we can’t think of a better place for her to be. The staff and facilities are superb and it is clear that she loves every minute of her time there. She has formed close bonds with all of the staff and they, in turn, have done so much to promote her development. We could not be happier with Smarties.
The Singh Family, Current Parents
I want to say how privileged my daughter has been to attend Smarties Nursery. You have provided her with a varied, interesting and stimulating experience and we have watched her go from strength to strength.
The ‘ladies’ are always very knowledgeable, professional and caring. Her phonics are excellent, her word recognition and writing skills are beyond our expectations, and I am sure she wouldn’t have done as well in any other setting.
Outdoors and Nature
We love to get outside at Smarties Nature Kindergarten! We have a magical outdoor setting that spans 2 acres. We also have an established Forest School and the gardens which house our pigs, goats and providing opportunities for outdoor learning across all areas of the curriculum.
Our willow tunnels, hornberry maize, a large mud pit and mud kitchen are just some of the facilities available as well as offering extra-curricular activities outdoors for our little ones including Yoga, Golf, Horse-riding and Tennis!
As well as access to our fabulous outdoor play areas, children of all ages enjoy regular walks in the local area. We take children out in groups, come rain or shine, to take part in a variety of activities set up by our staff. Wherever possible we try to take our indoor learning outside. During our time outside we teach children how to assess risk, problem solve, share, gather and utilise from nature.
Our youngest children are often seen out in our triple buggies enjoying the fresh air, sights and sounds of the local community. We use high visibility vests to keep children safe when out on trips away from the nursery. All children leave wellington boots and waterproof clothing at nursery so they can be appropriately dressed for all seasons!
We are committed to being an environmentally friendly nursery, making changes wherever we can to make the world a cleaner place! We are committed to teach our children about their environment and the effect we have on it in our day to day lives.
Contact Us
Education at Smarties, Nature Kindergarten
Our curriculum includes a Realising the Ambition: Being Me framework in conjunction with Curriculum for Excellence approach that offers hands-on perspectives to encourage the skills your child will need in the nursery and beyond.
Our team, who hold highly regarded Early Years education qualifications, develop curriculum to enable and encourage children to develop at their own pace towards their own potential. Examples of this are:
- 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 always offer flexible booking patterns and a range of funding options, including 3-5 years old government’s funded childcare. To find out more information on pricing and availability, please request a call back and we will be in touch shortly.
Our Nursery fees include:
- Quality Early Years Care and Education
- Healthy, well-balanced menu for all children
- Forest School activities with qualified Forest School Practitioners
- Mini Farm experience
- Diddi Dance lessons weekly
- Music Sessions twice weekly
- Access to a wide range of quality resources and equipment
- Free settling-in sessions
- Nappies, wipes and milk all included
- Sibling discount
Holiday Club Fees:
- Holiday Club fees are due in full before the first day of attendance
- Morning breakfast and afternoon high tea are provided
- Packed lunches to be provided for lunch by parents/carers
- 10% discount if a full week is booked (5 days)
*Terms and conditions apply to our funding options and discounts. Contact us for more information.
Fees and Funding
Popular Activities!
Mini Farm Experience
We have 2 acres of land that houses our mini farm residents. We have pigs, goats and 3 chickens that are used for regular learning opportunities from the Early Years Forest School Curriculum!
Our Forest School
Forest School is an inspirational process that offers our children opportunities to develop their self-confidence through hands on learning experiences in our woodland gardens and outdoor classrooms.
Music, Drama, Yoga and Tennis Classes
Our Yoga sessions are held within house, Music sessions are held weekly and our Diddi dance sessions are held twice weekly as well as our Tennis sessions available for Preschool children as part of our fees – we love to encourage our little musicians, tennis players and dancers to thrive!
Extra-Curricular activities
Extra curricular activities we offer include Ballet, Golf and Horse-riding lessons, providing the best opportunities for children to expand into these interests.
Fundraising activities
Taking part in fundraising activities helps children to learn about others that live differently, or are in disadvantaged situations and understand how we can help them. Some of the fundraisers we have taken part in are: Children In Need, sponsored toddles, Macmillan coffee morning, superhero days and garden parties.
Settling in sessions
Our nurseries offer free 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 and become more familiar with the staff and children, but also help you adapt to their surroundings and feel safe and secure when your little one joins us.
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 create and design specific activities based around movement, raising the heartbeat and exercising the cardiovascular system.
Food and Nutrition
Here at Smarties Nature Kindergarten we have our very own qualified Nursery Chef, Rita, who has been here for 17 years and constantly reviews our menu to ensure we offer nutritionally balanced menus. These run on seasonal, 4 week rotas (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter).
Please speak to a member of our team and advise us when registering regarding your child’s mealtime requirements – if your little one requires a special diet due to allergies, intolerances, cultural or dietary needs we will liaise with you to ensure we provide the same vigilance and food as home. A useful link is some further information regarding the 14 allergens highlighted by the EU and what processes we can use as a nursery to follow best practice. Information on the 14 Allergens
We have recently renewed our Platinum Healthy Eating Award from Cheshire County Council and we have a Food Hygiene rating of 5, the highest score achievable, awarded to us on our last inspection by Cheshire West, Chester Council, and the Food Standards Agency. We are also big advocates for any healthy
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. We also encourage cooking activities involving the children to encourage and support a good understanding of healthy eating and observation on portion control via HENRY. Whenever possible we source our food locally and organically, including seasonal vegetables and fruit into our menus. Baby food is prepared on site and advice is given to parents regarding weaning if required. Our children have a choice of milk or water to drink throughout the day.
Food Hygiene Rating Certified
Hygiene is a high priority practise. We instil a vigilant and organised approach to maintaining the highest standards.
Cooking and Baking Activities
Our children have opportunities to work with our Nursery Chef through weekly cooking and baking activities.
Vegetarian
We are happy to cater for all preferences including a Vegetarian alternative for every meal.
Allergy appropriate and Vegan Options
We offer a variety of milk including animal and plant based milks and other alternatives for allergens and intolerances. Speak to our Nursery team and Chef regarding your childs requirements or preferences.
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