Kiddi Caru Day Nursery, Grange Park, Northampton

Wellbeing at Grange Park is supported through many of the everyday experiences children enjoy at nursery. Our nursery chef prepares fresh meals on site, often using ingredients children have helped to grow in our vegetable patch. Yoga brings opportunities for movement, balance and a change of pace, while our open-plan garden gives children regular opportunities to be active and spend time outdoors.

The GrandirUK App keeps families connected with updates on their child’s activities, routines and progress throughout the nursery day. We also offer take-home activities and a lending library, giving families different ways to continue exploring interests at home.

Families are invited to be part of nursery life too, through Stay and Play sessions, fun days and special events throughout the year, including Mother’s Day breakfasts, Father’s Day tea and Grandparents’ Day.

Children at Grange Park enjoy a varied mix of experiences, including Boogie Mites, Sing and Sign, Move and Groove, Innovate and Investigate, yoga and loose-parts play. Through Make and Bake, children can also get hands-on with food, using fresh ingredients grown in our own garden.

Children regularly head out into the local area too, exploring nearby woodland and parks. These outings give them opportunities to spend time in nature, discover different environments and extend their experiences beyond the nursery.

Our Grange Park nursery has eight well-resourced playrooms, each designed around the needs of children at different ages and stages.

• Water Vole: Our room for babies.
  
  
• Kingfisher and Otter: Our rooms for younger toddlers, from around 12 months to 2 years.
  
  
• Tugboat, Moorhen and Swan: Our rooms for older toddlers, from around 2 to 3 years.
  
  
• Lock and Canal: Our preschool rooms for children aged 3 years and over.

Each playroom is thoughtfully arranged with age-appropriate resources and experiences, giving children opportunities to play, explore and follow their interests. We also have a dedicated sensory room, providing a quieter environment for sensory experiences and time away from the main playrooms when children need it.

Our nursery office is close to the entrance too, making it easy for families to speak to a member of the team at drop-off or pick-up.

Outdoor space

Our open-plan garden is accessible to children across the nursery, with a separate area designed for babies and younger toddlers. A mud kitchen, vegetable patch, den-building area, mini-beast area, sand and water play and plenty of open space give children different ways to explore, create and be active outdoors.

Two pet rabbits live in the garden too, giving children opportunities to help care for them and learn more about the needs of animals as part of everyday nursery life.

Continuity of care is an important part of life at Grange Park. Our long-serving team provide familiar faces for children and families, taking time to get to know each child’s routines, interests and individual needs.

These consistent relationships mean children can spend their nursery days with people who know them well, while families have familiar team members to talk to at drop-off and pick-up.

Our curriculum at Grange Park is inspired by the Curiosity Approach, with in-the-moment learning that responds to what children are interested in and exploring. Our team use these interests to create meaningful opportunities for children to investigate ideas, solve problems and develop new skills through play.

Experiences are shaped around each child’s age and stage, giving them opportunities to develop their communication, physical skills, emotional wellbeing and learning across the Early Years curriculum at their own pace.

We believe children’s interests can be a powerful starting point for learning. At Grange Park, the Curiosity Approach helps shape our environment, while in-the-moment learning allows our team to build on the things children notice, question and want to explore.

An interest sparked in the mini-beast area or while helping to feed our rabbits can become an opportunity to investigate, ask questions and make new discoveries together. By listening to children’s ideas and giving them time to follow their curiosity, we encourage growing confidence, independence and a sense that their interests matter.

For families with more than one child, having siblings at Grange Park means one drop-off and pick-up on Wilks Walk, with convenient access to the M1. With eight playrooms, brothers and sisters can each enjoy a space suited to their own age and stage while still having opportunities to spend time together in our open-plan garden.

They may even find themselves exploring the mini-beast area or helping to feed our rabbits together, giving siblings opportunities to share some of the experiences that make nursery life at Grange Park distinctive.

Sibling places are subject to availability, but where we have space in the appropriate room, we will always do what we can to find places for brothers and sisters together.

Led by Nursery Manager Shauni, our experienced team bring a wealth of Early Years knowledge to Grange Park. Many members of the team have been with us for more than a decade, with our longest-serving team member having worked at the nursery for over 20 years.

Across the team, their knowledge and training includes speech and language support, Sing and Sign, mental health first aid, SENCo training and Autism Awareness. This breadth of experience supports a collaborative approach, with team members able to share their knowledge and work together around the individual needs of children.