Welcome to Lily Pad Brackley

At Lily Pad Day Nursery Brackley, our space is divided into three main areas: our youngest children, the Butterflies, the middle years, the Frogs, and our oldest children, the Otters. Each of these spaces are specifically designed and equipped to support and inspire your child during their age and stage of development.
A child playroom with colorful toys, including a large plastic grid with multicolored interlocking blocks, a small slide, and various other blocks and toys on shelves and tables. The room has white walls, wooden floors, and is decorated with bunting and photographs hanging from the ceiling.

  • Our indoor spaces have everything your child needs to help support them as they leap into learning. Whatever it may be that they take an interest in, there is a place and a space for them to enjoy. From areas to make lots of noise and get messy, to cosy, calm corners.

    We are also lucky enough to have our dedicated hall space. It is an open area in the centre of the nursery that we often use for indoor physical activities such as ball skills, music and movement, and parachute play.

    There are three different age groups at Lily Pad, we call them our ponds. Each group have access to their own secure outside area with age appropriate equipment. When it’s not too cold we like to keep the doors open so the children can move freely between their inside and outside areas.

    At the rear of the nursery we have our playground that is perfect for running around, jumping off logs, or getting creative in our mud kitchen. We also have a fairy garden perfect for imaginative play. At Lily Pad, we believe being in the great outdoors is an essential part to a fun filled day.

  • Zoe is a dedicated Nursery Manager with over 25 years of experience in early childhood education. She is passionate about creating a warm and nurturing environment where every child feels valued and supported. Throughout her career, she has focused on maintaining high standards of care while supporting and developing a strong, motivated team.

    Building positive relationships with families is central to her approach, and she is committed to ensuring the nursery is a safe, inclusive, and inspiring place where every child can flourish.

    Outside of work, Zoe is a proud parent of three children, enjoys playing netball, and values spending quality time with her family.

  • We are open Monday to Friday, 52 weeks a year (excluding public holidays).
    You can book as many sessions as you require (but no less than 1.5) and if you need to start your day a little bit earlier, breakfast club might be just what you need.

    + Breakfast Club: 7:30am – 8:00am 

    + Full Day: 8:00am – 6:00pm

    + Morning Session: 8:00am – 1:00pm

    + Afternoon Session: 1:00pm – 6:00pm

    In addition to the above, we also offer the following hours for Otters only:

    + School day: 9:00am – 3:00pm (with the option to add an hour either side: 8.00am – 9.00am and/or 3.00pm – 4.00pm

  • We are happy to help in any way that we can. If you would like to enquire about a place for your child please click here.

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Our Ponds

A young child with blonde hair and painted hands sitting at a table, finger painting with purple and green paint. In the background, colored toys, a wooden tunnel play structure, and patterned curtains are visible.

The Butterflies 

From 3 months to 20-24 months

  • At Lily Pad, our baby provision, called The Butterflies, is divided into two dedicated rooms: one for our youngest babies and one for our older babies. The younger babies enjoy a calm, quiet space filled with tactile and messy activities, while the older babies enjoy all the above with an increased focus on developing their emerging walking and physical skills.

    There is a dedicated sleep area, and babies have their own secure garden with equipment tailored to their needs, where they can safely explore the outdoors and enjoy fresh air and nature.

  • Our baby room is led by caring, qualified, and experienced Practitioners who have a strong understanding of child development, especially for children from birth to 2 years. Each baby is assigned a Key Person who builds a close relationship with both you and your child, ensuring individual needs are met and supporting your child’s personal, social, and emotional development.

  • We work closely with you to follow your baby’s routines around feeding, sleeping, and nappy changing, helping to make the transition from home to nursery smooth and comfortable. Mealtimes are special moments where babies eat together to encourage social interaction. Through the Famly App, you can receive updates on feeds, nappy changes, and sleep times to stay connected with your baby’s day.

  • To help support your babies emerging communication, we provide extracurricular Sing and Sign sessions which you can choose to opt in or out of.

  • Our activities focus on our four core areas of learning: Life Skills, Discovery, Communication and Relationships - foundations essential for all future learning. Our practitioners plan experiences that nurture these areas while fostering your child’s natural curiosity and development.

A young girl with blonde hair, wearing a pink shirt, is leaning over a collection of wooden logs and toy insects, examining them closely. Part of an adult wearing a blue shirt is visible on the left side of the image.

The Frogs

From 20-24 months to 30-36 months

  • Our Toddler Room, known as The Frogs, is where the serious exploration begins! And that’s why our environment is full of resources that invite experimentation and encourage toddlers’ natural desire to “do it myself.” It also supports early friendships and social skills. The space is warm and welcoming, where your child feels safe to play, sleep, and explore. They have their own dedicated outdoor garden they can access freely, plus daily use of a larger playground for more energetic activities. 

  • The Frogs, is led by caring, qualified, and experienced Practitioners who understand the big changes toddlers go through between ages two and three. This is a time of huge developmental growth, and our team supports your child every step of the way.

    Each toddler has a Key Person who builds a close relationship with you and your child to meet their individual needs and support their personal, social, and emotional development.

  • We work with you to follow your child’s home routines for toilet training, feeding, and sleeping. When your child is ready we support them with toilet training to help them become confident and independent.

  • To help support our Frogs we provide optional extracurricular Boogie Mites and Rhythm Time sessions for those families that choose to opt in.

  • Our activities focus on our four core areas of learning: Life Skills, Relationships, Communication and Discovery — foundations essential for all future learning. Our Practitioners plan experiences that nurture these areas while fostering your child’s natural curiosity and development.

A young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling while sitting at a wooden table, holding a piece of bread with toppings, with another boy blurred in the background near a door with a window.

The Otters

From 30-36 months to big school

  • Our Pre-School Room, known as The Otters is thoughtfully designed to encourage active learning, exploration, and creativity. Children can move freely between the indoors and their own secure garden. Plus they use the larger playground where they can run, take safe risks, and enjoy outdoor play like cooking something delicious in the mud kitchen.

  • The Otters, is led by experienced Practitioners, including qualified Teachers who bring structure to support your child’s growing abilities. They understand how young children learn and develop, with a strong knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

    Each child is supported by a dedicated Key Person who builds a close relationship with you and your child, ensuring their individual needs are met and their personal, social, and emotional wellbeing is nurtured.

  • We encourage independence in our Otters group and our approach combines the very best aspects of both teaching and care. The children often add to their Learning Journey, a keepsake folder full of your child’s progress throughout their time as an Otter.

    Although more structured, the focus is still on active play, exploration and creative thinking. The children have lots of opportunities to play in the home corner, run in the garden and get stuck into all things messy!

  • The Otters enjoy a number of optional extracurricular activities including: Rhythm Time, Zumbini, Rhythmic Gems, Tiny Toes Ballet and Boogie Mites.

    They also head out into the local community, often to the local care homes where they enjoy classes with the residents.

  • Our approach blends learning with care, keeping things fun, active, and creative. While the day has more structure, children still learn through play.

    Your child will bring home a Lily Pad book to enjoy with you, helping them build early reading skills. We explore letters, sounds, and numbers through games, songs, and activities that make learning memorable. The Otters take part in ‘core skills’ on a daily basis to develop and reinforce the skills they will need as they develop and grow.

    Group time for stories, singing, and sharing helps build confidence and communication. Everything we do is designed to support your child’s development and get them ready and excited for their next step, starting school.

  • Our activities focus on our four core areas of learning: Life Skills, Relationships, Communication and Discovery — foundations essential for all future learning. Our Practitioners plan experiences that nurture these areas while fostering your child’s natural curiosity and development.

    We take a holistic approach to school readiness, helping children build the confidence, independence, and skills they need for a smooth transition to school. This includes supporting social development, self-care skills like toileting and using cutlery, communication, curiosity, and a love of learning.

    You can feel reassured knowing your child is happy, making progress, and well-prepared for their next big step when the time comes.

Two young children sitting at a table, eating snacks, wearing bibs, with colorful stacking blocks and a wooden play structure in the background.
A young child wearing a blue shirt, patterned shorts, and a colorful hat is watering plants in a raised garden bed outdoors. There are large leafy plants and a sign that says 'Pumpkins' in the garden bed.
Two young children playing on a wooden indoor slide with a black sliding surface, set on a carpeted area.
Six young children running outdoors on a brick path with green bushes and trees in the background. They are wearing colorful hats and casual summer clothing, smiling and enjoying themselves.
Young boy sitting on colorful interlocking plastic tiles with large plastic gear shapes on a white wall behind him.
A young girl with curly red hair, wearing a white dress with pink and yellow floral pattern, playing with colorful kinetic sand and toys at a table in a bright room with teal walls.
Group of young children gathered around a sensory table with plastic insects, pinecones, and fake leaves, engaging in a nature-themed activity in a classroom.
A young girl with blonde hair in pigtails playing outdoors among greenery, with decorative mushroom and house ornaments on a wooden surface.
Young children wearing blue chef hats and aprons preparing food together at a table in a classroom or daycare setting with colorful decorations and storage units in the background.
A young girl with blonde hair sleeping on her side on a bed, covered with a white blanket and a cake in the background.
Young children sitting at a round table in a classroom, eating snacks and wearing casual clothing with some holding rice cakes, with colorful butterfly decorations on the wall and wooden play structure in the background.
A young girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a dark scrunchie, wearing a light blue hoodie with a small logo, is sitting at a wooden table playing with colorful toys that include yellow, blue, and green blocks and a green string."
Children sitting at a table during snack time, with one girl pouring a beverage from a light blue pitcher and another girl eating a cookie or snack, in a classroom setting.
A young boy with curly dark hair and light brown skin holds a bowl of green leafy vegetables while standing at an outdoor market stall with wood and bamboo fence background.
A group of young children sitting on the wooden floor of a classroom, with one child in the foreground on his hands and knees, engaging with educational materials or pictures on the floor.
Young boy pouring a clear liquid from a pitcher into a green cup during a school lunch or snack time, with three girls sitting nearby and colorful backpacks hanging on a wall in the background.
A young boy with blond hair and a blue shirt, painting on a plastic canvas with blue, green, and white paint in a classroom or art studio setting.
A young girl with curly blonde hair looking at a colorful object or art project in a classroom or art room.
A young girl with curly blonde hair, wearing a pink apron with character print, is focused on hammering a small piece of wood in a classroom or workshop setting.
Child using a tablet to play an educational phonics game, pointing at letters arranged in a semi-circle on a colorful background.
A young girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a pink and white patterned dress and a pink hair tie, is playing in a sandbox with a green toy shovel and a green bowl. There is a wooden fence in the background.
Children playing outdoors at a water play area, with a boy filling a container with water from a spout and a girl nearby, surrounded by a wooden fence, colorful bunting, and trees.
Children participating in a flower arranging activity outdoors, with colorful cups and flowers on a wooden table.

Say Hello

Address
Lily Pad Day Nursery
77 Halse Road, Brackley, NN13 6EQ

Hours
Monday–Friday
7.30am–6.00pm

Email
brackley@lilypadnursery.com

Phone
01280 495095