Kiddi Caru Day Nursery, Downend Road, Bristol

Children’s wellbeing is considered throughout the nursery day at Downend. Our bright, airy rooms use natural materials to create a warm and welcoming environment, with opportunities for both active play and quieter experiences.

Regular access to our gardens brings outdoor play and fresh air into the nursery day, while our nursery chef prepares fresh meals on site each day, with mealtimes forming a familiar part of children’s daily routines.

Families can stay connected with nursery life through the GrandirUK App, with updates about their child’s meals, naps, activities and daily routines. Our lending library also offers books and story bags to take home and enjoy together.

Monthly stay-and-play sessions provide further opportunities for families to spend time in the nursery, join in with activities and experience a little more of their child’s nursery day.

Children at Kiddi Caru Downend enjoy a varied mix of experiences, including Boogie Mites, Sing and Sign, creative play and activities designed around their different ages, stages and interests.

Regular outings also extend these experiences beyond the nursery. Children explore the local neighbourhood, with walks to nearby shops and parks providing opportunities to discover their surroundings, experience everyday community life and practise their communication and social skills.

Our recently refurbished nursery is bright and airy, with three playrooms thoughtfully designed around children’s different ages and stages. Natural colours and high-quality wooden resources create a warm and welcoming environment, with accessible spaces that encourage children to explore and make choices.

• Bumblebees: Our downstairs baby room, designed around babies’ individual routines and early exploration, with direct access to its own garden.
• Butterflies: Our downstairs toddler room, with age-appropriate resources and direct access to a dedicated garden for outdoor play and exploration.
• Dragonflies: Our upstairs preschool room, offering a varied range of experiences as children prepare for their transition to school.

In Dragonflies, children can explore early literacy and numeracy alongside imaginative play, creativity and problem-solving. Upstairs, there is also a dedicated sensory room available to children across the nursery, providing a quieter space for sensory exploration through experiences including textures, lights and sounds.

Outdoor space

Our three gardens are designed around the ages and stages of the children using them. The baby and toddler gardens include a combination of decking and grass, providing different surfaces to explore, while the garden for our older children offers plenty of space for active outdoor play.

Bikes, tyres, climbing equipment and natural materials provide opportunities for movement, exploration and imaginative play. Children spend time outdoors regularly throughout the year, experiencing the changing seasons and discovering different ways to play and explore in their gardens.

Quality of care at Downend is centred around knowing each child as an individual and giving them opportunities to become increasingly independent.

Our rooms are thoughtfully arranged so children can access age-appropriate resources, make choices and explore their own ideas. Practitioners are there to provide reassurance, encouragement and support, while also recognising when children are ready to try something for themselves or work through a challenge in their own way.

Our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), complemented by GrandirUK’s Pathways and Foundations for the Future education programmes.

Children learn through a varied mix of hands-on experiences, imaginative play, outdoor exploration and child-led discovery. Practitioners respond to children’s individual interests and stages of development, creating opportunities for them to investigate, explore the natural world and become actively involved in their learning.

At Downend, our recently refurbished nursery has been thoughtfully designed to create a calm and welcoming environment where children have space to explore at their own pace.

Natural colours and high-quality wooden resources create an inviting setting, with accessible materials that encourage children to make choices, follow their interests and become actively involved in their play and learning.

Practitioners support children as they explore independently, while introducing new ideas and experiences that encourage creativity, problem-solving and discovery.

For families with more than one child, having siblings at our Downend nursery means one drop-off and pick-up, while each child can enjoy the room, experiences and friendships suited to their own age and stage.

A baby in Bumblebees and an older sibling in Dragonflies may be based in different parts of the nursery, but they remain part of the same nursery community, with opportunities to see each other and share parts of nursery life.

Sibling places are subject to availability, but where we have space in the appropriate room, we will always look at the options for welcoming brothers and sisters together.

Led by Nursery Manager Anne-Marie, our Downend team brings a range of Early Years knowledge and experience to the nursery. Every member of the team is trained in paediatric first aid, supporting our commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing.

Clear and regular communication with families is an important part of our approach, helping practitioners understand each child’s individual routines, interests and needs while keeping families involved in their nursery experience.

We also invest in the ongoing development of our team through opportunities including apprenticeships and leadership programmes, helping practitioners continue to build their knowledge, skills and Early Years practice throughout their careers with us.