Our story
Where it all began
A word from our owner, Ben:
“I have always been passionate about working with children. After helping in my parents’ nurseries over the years, I decided to attend university to become a Primary School Teacher. Once I completed my degrees, I worked as a Teacher in both Reception and Year 1. During this time I saw how much of a positive impact a high quality Nursery experience could have on the confidence, wellbeing, and happiness of children. Fast forward to now and Lily Pad Day Nursery is here.
From the outset, my vision for Lily Pad has been to create a space where children can feel as comfortable and supported as they do at home. Where they can discover a lifelong love of learning and develop positive mental health supported by inspirational practitioners.
Above all Lily Pad is, and always will be, a space for developing happy hearts and inspiring curious minds.”
A typical day
When they arrive at Lily Pad, your child will be greeted by our practitioners. Once they have had a cuddle and waved goodbye to you, they will be ready to get stuck into their day!
After registration and saying hello to their friends, playtime begins. There are countless opportunities for new experiences and adventures; from exploring a dinosaur swamp, to learning to write their name, all the way through to creating their very own artistic masterpiece.
During their day we also have lots of opportunities for singing, stories, construction, and small world play. Your child will keep their energy up by drinking plenty of water, enjoying healthy snacks and eating nutritious meals.
You will be able to see what they are getting up during their day with updates on the Famly App.
Our Practitioners
Our practitioners are Early Years Professionals who are passionate about working with children. They use their varied experiences to build upon the great foundations set by you at home in order to help your child achieve their very best.
Pond times
We are open Monday to Friday, 52 weeks a year (excluding public holidays). You can book as many or as few regular sessions as you require 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
Our Space
At Lily Pad, our space is divided into three main areas: our youngest children - the Brilliant Butterflies, the middle years - the Fantastic Frogs, and our oldest children - the Awesome Otters. Each of these spaces are specifically designed and equipped to support and inspire your child during their specific age and stage of development.
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 little hall. 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. We also love to decorate it and turn it into somewhere exciting; it might be a pirate ship, a fairy castle, or an enchanted forest. The children love to use their imaginative ideas to help us decide how it will be decorated next!
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. At Lily Pad, we believe being in the great outdoors is an essential part to a fun filled day.
Our Healthy Mission
At Lily Pad we understand a healthy and balanced diet with lots of hydration is crucial to help children feel energised and at their best. From snacks to meals, we feel it is important that you know the food your child is eating is high quality and nutritious. All of our meals are freshly prepared by our wonderful cooks onsite every day. They are full of fruits and veggies and specifically designed to be appealing to children.
Meal times at Lily Pad are a social occasion to be enjoyed and the children sit together in small groups. This is a great opportunity for our practitioners to talk about the importance of healthy eating and drinking plenty of water. We encourage good table manners and when they are ready, your child will begin to use cutlery and start to serve themselves food. This is all part of their journey towards independence.
Our Approach
The Lily Pad way means providing holistic support for every child that we are lucky enough to care for. This means supporting your child socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually as they explore, create, and grow.
Having a strong home-nursery relationship is so important because you are your child’s first teacher. By working together, we can support your child as they grow developing a happy heart and a brilliant mind.
A key part of what we do is making sure your child feels confident and comfortable to be themselves, just as they would at home. Whenever they come to nursery, we aim to inspire them to be inquisitive, imaginative, and kind.
Children are naturally curious and they want to explore the world around them, absorbing as much information as they can. We embrace this curiosity and our experienced practitioners support your child with carefully selected resources and learning opportunities.
At Lily Pad we embrace calculated risks as a necessary and exciting part of learning and life. We encourage and support each child as they express themselves, in doing so helping them to discover exactly what it is they can achieve.