Laura & Ashley's experience of Rainbows Day Nursery
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery?
Myself and my husband have two children aged 3 and 11 months. We both work and rely on Rainbows day nursery to provide a safe, secure and happy environment for our children. Our daughter has attended since she turned 2 and my son has recently started in the baby room.
What made you choose Rainbows Day Nursery?
Rainbows was recommended to us by other neighbouring parents. It’s a local nursery which is set in a perfect environment to help our children thrive, develop and explore. We loved that it was situated in the park surrounded by green fields and woodlands. At first we were unsure whether a child-minder or nursery setting would be best suited for our daughter but now feel that Rainbows can provide the perfect combination of the two. Although they are a day nursery they provide a much more personal experience with smaller room numbers than other nurseries in the area allowing the children to interact and build relationships without feeling overwhelmed. They also encouraged her to spend time with her younger brother, and help him settle in and adjust to a new environment, preparing snacks to take to him, which in turn helped develop her independence.
What does your child like the most?
Our daughter has always struggled when saying goodbye to us, in any environment but it’s so reassuring to see her confidence grow throughout the time she’s been at Rainbows. She has made some great friends and can’t wait to tell us about her day when we collect her. Although the nursery is very ‘child-lead’ they also help encourage the children to explore new things with plenty of creative play and provide lots of new and varied activities. She particularly loves playing in the garden where the staff have worked hard to create and build lots of interactive resources. Our son has already built good relationships with the staff at rainbows. He is given the opportunity to explore lots of activities throughout the day including sensory play, musical activities, stories, painting, puppets, educational toys and much more.
What do you value most?
We really value the time the staff have devoted to building safe and trusting relationships with our children. Our daughter has unfortunately been quite poorly over the last year, and sometimes had to take absence. When well enough to attend nursery they have been very caring and attentive to her needs such as: when she’s tired they have provided her a quiet space to go and rest or allowed her to sleep at a time which suits her. We had no doubts enrolling our son into Rainbows and am sure he will enjoy his time there as much as his sister has.
March 2023
Hattie & Alex’s experience of Rainbows Day Nursery
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery?
My husband and I work full time in London. Our daughter has attended 5 days a week since she turned 1. We feel really lucky to have found such reliable, local, high quality care for her.
What made you choose Rainbows Day Nursery?
We explored a number of options but settled with Rainbows because it’s a small setting and you feel comfortable that they respond to each child’s needs. She has thrived in this environment because it feels like a close knit family - very nurturing and caring.
What does your child like the most?
She’s not turned 3 yet and already has about 4 best friends! They hug and hold hands as soon as she arrives, it’s so sweet and she’s very sociable now. The daily activities are diverse, from science week where they do loads of fun experiments, to dressing up, crafts, cultural activities, singing and dancing.
What do you value most?
The staff team. They have built a genuine connection with our daughter, who chats about them at weekends and is excited to go each morning. She’s a really happy, well rounded, polite little girl and we’d recommend Rainbows to other parents.
March 2023
Jack & Cara's experience of our amazing nursery.
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery?
Me and my husband both work, so we send our daughter (14 months) to Rainbows Nursery. We chose Rainbows as it is close to our house, but more importantly it just has a great feel with it being set in a beautiful green space, with super friendly staff.
What made you choose Rainbows Day Nursery?
We started her on two short days, when she was ten months old, while I transitioned back to work after mat leave. We did this as we thought it would be a great way to get us both used to being apart. But it turned out being separated was not to be an issue as she LOVED it from day one. When she turned one I went back to work four days a week, and she upped her days to four full days.
We had a home visit prior to her starting, where she immediately took to her key worker. This meant the settling-in process went really well, which really put us at ease with the upcoming changes. My daughter has never so much as shed a single tear going into Rainbow's Nursery which is amazing given she is Mumma's girl. Rainbows is home from home for her, and for that we are eternally grateful to the Rainbow's team.
What does your child like the most?
My daughter is thriving at Rainbows and developing at the rate of knots, with the team continuously encouraging her every step of the way. She absolutely adores being with the other kids, and getting stuck in with messy play, art and science experiments.
What do you value most?
For us the following things have been a huge contributor to why we are so happy with our choice to send our daughter to Rainbows.
- Our daughter has multiple allergies, and eczema, they have been beyond amazing in helping us to manage both of these things. They continue to work with us to help introduce new foods and keep her skin at bay. They are so invested in keeping her comfortable they even replaced all the carpets in the caterpillar room as the existing ones were causing her to have reactions. Being that I have an allergy baby, I am obsessed with what she eats, and what she eats for her lunches is amazing. It is fresh, homemade, balanced nutritionally and tons of variation. Spanish chicken and jerk chicken are two of her favs. The chef sends me weekly plans for her allergy free food too to keep me sane, and is always happy to jump on a call with me to discuss anything to do with her diet.
- The staff have genuine care and connection with our daughter, they adore her, and she adores them. It's unbelievably cute, but also reassuring to know it is not just a job for them, they are truly invested in the setting and the kiddies.
- They try to copy her home routine as much as possible to keep things consistent for her, such as napping in a dark room with white noise on etc, at the times we ask. and similarly, when we try to make changes to her home routine (dropping to one nap and removing day milk) they do the same for her there.
To conclude we absolutely recommend Rainbows to anyone. It is family run and has a family feel. We love it.
March 2023
Liz & Will's experience of Rainbows Day Nursery
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery?
Will and I went through 4 gruelling years of fertility treatment before we had Ted. When a cycle wasn't successful I would go out for a few hours to walk off my frustration and nearly always ended up in the park where Rainbows is. I used to look at the nursery and imagine my future child going there because it looked so ideal in the setting of the park and I liked the outside space where the children play. When I finally gave birth to Ted it was difficult thinking about childcare and going back to work as me and my husband both have to work full time. I have fond memories of going to nursery when I was little and that's also where I met my best friend who I have been friends with since I was 2 years old so the setting of nursery was an obvious choice for me. I'm very pleased that Rainbows has lived up to all my expectations.
What made you choose Rainbows Day Nursery?
Having waited so long for Teddy it felt really daunting to hand him over to someone I didn't know 3 full days a week whilst I was at work but the staff at Rainbows are so warm and friendly they become like a second family to your child. It helps that the nursery is really close to where we live and we can walk there. When we attended the open day I immediately felt like the setting had character and was a caring place for children whereas other nurseries I had visited weren't very inspiring.
What does your child like the most?
Teddy started in the Caterpillar room when he was 1 and now he's nearly 2. When I drop him off in the morning he smiles from ear to ear when he sees Jade and when I pick him up in the afternoon he's still smiling ear to ear when he sees me.
Ted loves playing outside and his first words apart from Mum and Dad were "out there". He's the first to get into the garden and the last out. I love to hear that he has a little group of friends and they go around hugging and tickling each other all day. He really enjoys painting and he brings home little cards that they have made for Mothers Day, Valentines, Christmas etc. We really cherish them. He is a really social little boy and he likes to look at what the bigger kids are up to and to see if he can do it too. I think the setting really encourages independence and we always underestimate what he can do but he is really proud to show us any new skill he has learnt at nursery. Teddy loves a cuddle and knows that at Rainbows if he really needs one there's a lap ready and waiting for him to sit on and cuddle whenever he wants it.
What do you value the most?
I really look forward to picking him up because I like to hear from Jade about everything he's done that day so I feel apart of his day. I also really like parents evening as I am always completely amazed and really proud to hear how he's coming on leaps and bounds developmentally. The most important thing for us is that Teddy's emotional needs are met and that he is free to be and explore the person he is. He is definitely happy there and that happiness is priceless to us. When I pick him up I always ask him if he's had a good day and he gives me a cheeky smile and says yes.
Teddy is a bit of a routine boy and when he started he struggled to get his naps in because he just didn't want to miss out. The staff changed one of the rooms to replicate the conditions he naps in at home to help him get his naps back on track. They blacked out the windows, put the white noise on, got him into his sleeping bag and followed our put down instructions to a tea. Now he is brilliant at napping there although he still hates to miss out. But I really appreciate the lengths they went to to get him into the same routine he has at home when they have other children to care for too with their own needs.
By some miracle we have recently been blessed with another baby boy and now I am looking forward to him starting nursery at Rainbows later this year because I know he will love it too and Teddy will be so proud and excited to have his little brother there.
April 2023
Anne-Caroline & Kevin
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery?
We both work full time and our daughter who is 2.5 years old has been attending Rainbows nursery since she turned 9 months. When we drop her off each morning we know she is happy and safe, which provides peace of mind so we can dedicate our energy to our jobs. The best moment of each day is when we collect her with a big smile and drawings, or craft, or the cake she baked during the day.
What made you choose Rainbows Day Nursery?
We had considered other options but for us it was obvious that a nursery setting was the best one. After some research online we were most interested in Rainbows Day Nursery because of its location and environment. It’s walking distance from our home and surrounded by a sports pitch, playground and woods. It couldn’t be better for a child! Then, when we met with the staff, we were definitely convinced that our baby girl would be in good hands.
What does your child like the most?
She thrives at the nursery because she has made great friends. She rushes to the door when she knows that some of them have already arrived, excited to sit down and have breakfast together. Since she’s been going to the nursery, she must have cried or protested about going there only a handful of times, which is a great relief. In addition, she loves the variety of activities around different themes throughout the day, the month, the year. She also loves the food which is homemade everyday; I can’t count how many times I see on her daily report that she had 2 portions for lunch!
What do you value most?
The staff value the children, adapt to them and build strong relationships with them. When our daughter started at the nursery, they wanted to know what she likes, her habits, favourite animals or colours etc to create a nurturing environment adapted to her, and activities around her interests. They even got a baby carrier for her as she liked to nap in it when she was a baby. Lately, I had to go to the US for a week on a business trip and mentioned it to the nursery. They organised activities around travelling, planes, and locations in the world during that week, I felt really touched. Besides, there is great attention brought to the development of the child and it is highlighted during the regular parent meetings. But overall, I value that my child is truly thriving at the nursery and makes the most of her time there.
March 2023
Laura & John's experience
Tell us about your family and why your child attends the nursery
My two sons have attended Rainbows over the last two years. My first joined in the Bumblebee room and stayed until leaving to go to school and my second joined Caterpillars when he turned 1 so that I could return to work.
What made you choose Rainbows day nursery?
I was so nervous at the thought of sending both my boys to nursery but after looking at a few, we found Rainbows and I’ve been relaxed ever since. It’s such a small, friendly setting with a beautiful outdoor space for the children to play in.
What does your child like the most?
Both my children have loved the wide range of activities that they come up with at Rainbows and we love hearing about the different things they’ve been up to. From singing and dancing to walks in the woods and lots of outdoor play, my boys love it all.
What do you value the most?
The staff. They are all so caring and cheerful that it provides such a safe and happy environment for my boys. My eldest can be quite shy and they really made an effort to get to know him enabling him to form really special bonds with the team there. I can see how the staff have encouraged each of my boys in different ways to suit their individual personalities and they have both thrived and developed so much since they started at Rainbows. It has been such a relief to find a safe and nurturing place so that I can go to work and don’t need to worry that they will be well cared for.
Thanks so much to the Rainbows team.
June 2023
