First Place Day Nursery, Bushey

Children’s wellbeing is considered throughout the nursery day at First Place Bushey. Our large hall provides space for physical activities and games indoors, while free-flow access to the garden gives children regular opportunities for outdoor play, movement and exploration.

Quieter reading areas provide a change of pace within the nursery day, giving children space to enjoy books, stories and calmer activities away from busier play.

Working closely with families is an important part of our approach. Through the GrandirUK App, families receive daily updates about their child’s nursery day, helping them stay connected with their experiences at First Place Bushey.

Throughout the year, families also have opportunities to become involved in nursery life through parent meetings, Stay and Play sessions, breakfast grab-and-go stations, personalised tours and special events celebrating occasions such as Mother’s Day.

Together, these opportunities help create regular connections between the nursery, families and our wider Bushey community.

Children at First Place Bushey enjoy a varied mix of activities and experiences throughout the nursery day, including creative art, messy and sensory play, imaginative experiences and early language games.

Across the nursery, babies, toddlers and preschool children have opportunities to explore and learn through both indoor and outdoor experiences, with activities adapted around their different ages and stages.

Regular outings also extend learning beyond the nursery. Toddlers explore the local Bushey community through trips to the park, visits to the library and time spent at a local care home, giving them opportunities to discover their surroundings and connect with people and places in their wider community.

Our nursery in Bushey Village has bright, well-equipped playrooms and shared spaces thoughtfully designed around children’s different ages and stages.

• Baby room: A bright and welcoming space with age-appropriate resources and opportunities for our youngest children to play, explore and experience their daily routines.
• Toddler room: Designed for hands-on exploration, with opportunities for messy play, sensory experiences and creative discovery.
• Preschool room: A varied environment where older children can explore, make choices and practise a range of skills as they prepare for their transition to school.
• Large hall: A generous indoor space providing further opportunities for movement, physical activities and group games.

All three playrooms have free-flow access to the garden, helping to make outdoor experiences a natural part of the nursery day and giving children opportunities to move between indoor and outdoor play.

Outdoor space

Our garden provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor exploration and active play, with resources including a sand pit and climbing wall for children to investigate and enjoy.

Backing directly onto Bushey Manor Field, the garden also benefits from a green outlook, connecting the nursery environment with the countryside beyond.

Across the outdoor space, children have opportunities to move, climb, explore and use their imaginations through a varied mix of physical and creative play.

Quality of care at First Place Bushey starts with building strong relationships with children and their families. Our team takes time to get to know each child as an individual, while regular communication with families helps practitioners understand their routines, interests and individual needs.

Working closely with families also helps create continuity between home and nursery, with information shared as children grow, develop and their needs change.

Small group experiences provide further opportunities for practitioners to spend time with individual children, respond to their interests and provide thoughtful support throughout their nursery day.

Our curriculum at First Place Bushey follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with a holistic approach that considers children’s emotional, cognitive, physical and social development.

Practitioners consider children’s individual interests, needs and stages of development when planning experiences, creating opportunities for learning across the different areas of the Early Years curriculum.

Our GrandirUK education programmes, including Make & Bake, Move & Groove and Innovate & Investigate, complement the curriculum with a varied range of hands-on experiences. Through these programmes, children have opportunities to create, communicate, move, investigate and solve problems as part of their nursery day.

At First Place Bushey, we take a holistic approach to Early Years learning and development, considering each child as an individual and recognising their emotional, cognitive, physical and social development together.

Our team creates opportunities for children to explore, interact with others, follow their interests and become actively involved in their learning, with experiences shaped around their individual needs and stages of development.

With Bushey Manor Field directly behind the nursery and the wider Bushey Village community around us, children also have opportunities to take their experiences beyond the nursery, exploring the outdoors and discovering more about the people and places in their local area.

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

Our baby, toddler and preschool rooms all have free-flow access to the same garden, creating opportunities for brothers and sisters in different rooms 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 Donna, our friendly First Place Bushey team brings a wealth of Early Years knowledge and experience to the nursery.

Our practitioners work closely with families throughout their child’s nursery experience, providing regular feedback and sharing information about their learning, development and daily experiences.

Families can also speak to the team for advice and support when needed, from their child’s first days at nursery through to their eventual transition to school.