After months of planning, designing and building, I am absolutely delighted to share that our West Norwood nursery expansion is finally complete.

As both a Nursery Director and Physiotherapist, I have always believed that children learn best when they can move, explore, create and connect with the natural world. Every improvement we make is guided by one simple question:

“What will create the very best childhood experiences for our children?”

This exciting expansion allows us to do exactly that.
We have transformed both our indoor and outdoor learning environments, introducing a giant sandpit, growing garden, indoor-outdoor classroom, Art Lab, outdoor toilet facilities, new play equipment and calming fish tank, all designed to support children’s development through play.

Whether children are growing vegetables, digging in the sand, observing fish, painting outdoors or exploring our new play spaces, every area has been thoughtfully designed to support their development, wellbeing and school readiness.

Our new growing wall

One of the most exciting additions is our beautiful new growing wall. Children now have the opportunity to plant, nurture and harvest their own produce, helping them understand where food comes from while developing responsibility, patience and a love of nature.

Our garden currently includes:

• Leeks 
• Herbs 
• Lettuce 
• Strawberries 
• Seasonal vegetables 
• Two of our very own banana trees

Gardening is a wonderful way to encourage curiosity, language development, mathematical thinking and an understanding of the natural world.
For many children, there is nothing more exciting than tasting something they have grown themselves.

Our herb planters are already proving incredibly popular with the children. Rosemary, thyme and curry plants provide opportunities to explore different textures, scents and tastes while learning how to care for living things. These hands-on experiences create meaningful learning opportunities that simply cannot be replicated through a screen.

Giant Sandpit

One of the children’s favourite additions is our brand-new giant sandpit. Parents often see sand as simply a fun activity, but in early years education it is so much more than that.

Sand play supports:

• Creativity and imagination 
• Communication and language development 
• Early mathematical concepts such as measuring, volume and capacity 
• Problem-solving skills 
• Fine and gross motor development 
• Collaboration and teamwork 
• Sensory exploration

Whether children are building castles, creating roads, digging for treasure or working together on ambitious construction projects, the sandpit provides endless opportunities for learning through play.

As early years professionals, we know that some of the richest learning happens when children are fully engaged in activities they genuinely enjoy. Our giant sandpit creates exactly those opportunities every single day.

Most importantly, it gives children permission to do what childhood should be all about:
Getting messy, being imaginative, making friends and having fun.

New fish tank, art lab and outdoor facilities

One of my favourite additions to the nursery is our stunning new fish tank, located within our new learning space.

Parents often ask:

“How do nurseries support children’s emotional wellbeing?”

Creating calm, nurturing environments is an important part of the answer.
The aquarium provides children with opportunities to pause, observe and reflect. Watching fish swim can be incredibly calming and helps create moments of quiet focus throughout the day. Combined with our mindfulness, yoga and breathing activities, this space supports children in developing emotional awareness and self-regulation from an early age.

One of the most exciting features of the expansion is our brand-new indoor-outdoor classroom and Art Lab. This unique space allows children to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor learning experiences throughout the day and throughout the year.

Designed to support creativity, exploration and independence, the space allows for:

• Painting and creative arts 
• Messy play 
• Small group learning 
• Investigation and discovery 
• Construction play 
• Year-round outdoor access

We have also added outdoor toilet facilities, allowing children to remain outdoors for longer periods without interrupting their play and learning.
Research consistently shows that children benefit enormously from spending more time outdoors, supporting physical development, communication skills, resilience and emotional wellbeing.

Role play remains one of the most powerful ways children learn. Our new outdoor market and imaginative play areas encourage children to:

• Develop communication and language skills 
• Build confidence 
• Learn to negotiate and collaborate 
• Explore early mathematics 
• Create stories and imaginative worlds

These experiences help children develop the social and emotional skills that form the foundations of future learning.

 Why We Invest So Heavily in Outdoor Learning?

As a Physiotherapist, I am increasingly concerned by the decline in children’s gross motor skills and physical confidence. Many schools are reporting children arriving in Reception requiring increased support with balance, coordination, core strength and self-regulation.

Parents often ask:

“What should children be able to do before starting school?”

Whilst every child develops at their own pace, children benefit enormously from opportunities to climb, balance, dig, build, run, jump, carry, create and solve problems through play. That is why we continue to invest heavily in environments that encourage children to become confident, capable and resilient learners. These experiences provide the essential foundations for fine motor development, handwriting, concentration, confidence and school readiness.

by Sheena Patel, Owner and Nursery Director