Co-operative Childcare's brand new, beautifully appointed nursery has just opened in Bounds Green, Haringey. The new setting replaces the group's former 50-place nursery a mile down the road in Palmers Green. A sum of £612,000 has been spent on refurbishing what was a former Greek school, located close to Bounds Green School and Children's Centre.
The group currently operates 50 nurseries and offers more than 3,400 places, putting it in the top ten of the country's providers. The new nursery will provide its flagship for London.
Mike Abbott, group general manager of Co-operative Childcare, says, 'We are very excited about the new nursery, which is bigger and enables us to offer more facilities in bright and airy rooms. It has great facilities, including an on-site kitchen where all meals are freshly prepared and cater for all diets.'
Nursery manager Selen Suleyman expects the 83-place site to fill up quickly. 'Children from our Palmers Green nursery have relocated and we also have new sign-ups, with 55 children currently registered,' she says.
Twenty three members of staff have moved over from Palmers Green and there are plans to recruit an additional ten individuals to work with the higher volume of children as occupancy increases.
What children want
The nursery's first floor houses the baby unit and is dedicated to the care of under-ones. Ms Suleyman says, 'This is a fun and relaxing space providing the best possible environment for babies to learn and play.'
She reports that the baby unit contains a changing area, a milk kitchen, a sleep room and a play area, which will include brand new resources such as sensory materials and toys.
The first floor is dedicated to children aged three months to one year. It features a rooftop garden that has been specifically designed for babies, with artificial grass, a sand pit and wooden crawling blocks.
All staff are particularly proud of the ground floor, which opens out to two separate outdoor areas, one for oneto two-year-olds and another for threeto five-year-olds. Each has free flow, enabling children to enjoy their own spaces with age-appropriate challenge and activities.
The garden for the younger age group includes a sheltered cosy area, a bike and a toy garage.
Developing the outdoors, and the nursery as a whole, has been very much about talking to the children and listening to what they would like.
Ms Suleyman says, 'They told us they would like a physical play area with a climbing frame and a slide, which is something we have included.'
She is looking forward to the development of the sensory room. 'This is a great experience for early years children with special needs and for children in general because they can experiment with lights and colours.'
She is also delighted to be working in partnership with Bounds Green School and Children's Centre.
'We all believe it is a wonderful nursery, which will provide amazing opportunities for the children,' she says. 'They have so much space for their development and it's great to now be up and running.'
