Introduction from Lewis and Jayne Wood (Proprietors)

It was nearly eight years before actually opening the doors to The Wishing Tree that Jayne and I first discussed the possibility of setting up a nursery. Having been customers of a leading nursery for nearly ten years with our own children, we gathered many experiences from which to create our own childcare setting. We decided right from the start that we would only provide a childcare service if we could achieve the highest standards.

There was much to recommend the nursery that our children attended and we always felt that they were stimulated, safe and happy. However, there were also times when we felt that perhaps there were missed opportunities to do things differently or bring in new ideas.

With over 40 nurseries in Brighton and Hove we did not want to be a "me too" operation and we decided very early on that there would be no compromising and to that end we turned down many opportunities along the way.

Finally, in Carden Avenue we found the perfect location in which to set our nursery, being spacious, homely, safe and very convenient for access in and out of the city.

Of course, the most important element of the nursery is our staffing and management, which comprises over 45 team members, both full and part time. Our philosophy in selecting our team is to ensure they share and contribute towards the nursery's vision of quality and high standards.

Since we opened in 2004, our commitment to quality has yielded two Ofsted "outstanding" awards in 2005 and 2008 for which we are very proud. 

Maintaining excellence is not easy and we acknowledge that the childcare profession is very demanding and there can be a high degree of staff 'burnout' caused by the pressures of the role. Consequently, Jayne and I continue to be absolutely committed to supporting our management team to ensure staff are motivated, trained, well paid and happy.

The Wishing Tree is the culmination of many 'if only' and 'one day we'll do this' conversations with family and friends. It is also the culmination of much thought about the detail that goes into delivering a successful nursery. For the future, we will continue to build upon the well respected, efficient and happy environment for which we had planned and hoped all those years ago.

Background

Our ethos is to provide an all inclusive service to parents and carers within our fee structure, covering every aspect of care such as meals, snacks, drinks, formula milks, weaning menus, nappies, toiletries and lotions. We communicate closely with each parent / carer to ensure that any special needs are acknowledged and wherever possible catered for. Each child is provided with a care plan which details everything we need to know and this is updated on a regular basis.

The nursery building is set in a large detached house with plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces to explore. The house has been sensitively upgraded to accommodate nursery requirements and also retains many of its original features. Rooms are spacious, airy and light and undergo continuous improvement throughout. Much of the play equipment comes from Community Playthings who specialise in natural materials.

Activities are not overly formal and are designed to encourage children to explore and enhance their understanding of the world around them. Whilst at this age we do not follow a rigid curriculum, we are accredited for the Early Years Foundation Stage which will prepare children for school and dovetails into the national curriculum. There is more information about the curriculum on this website (EYFS).

On the ground floor we have four rooms dedicated to children aged 2 to 5 years. There are two rooms (Toucans) arranged as an interconnected area for children aged 2 to 3 years. These rooms are divided into areas including messy play, soft play, table top activities, a dressing up area, computer zone, home-corner and sleep mats. The room is also linked directly to the garden with its own French doors as well as further access to the climbing frame area. 

Also on the ground floor there are two very spacious pre-school rooms (Owls – Blue and Green) for children aged 3 to 5. In our pre-school rooms the activities are geared towards the Early Years Foundation Stage, in particular preparing the way for entry to school and the early learning goals. We encourage parents and carers to take an active role in their child's learning and to that communication is paramount.

On the first floor we have our dedicated baby unit arranged as four rooms (Hummingbirds, Puffins, Penguins and Flamingoes) all interconnected to allow easier management by our qualified staff.  Our baby unit looks after children aged 3 months to 2.5 years. The rooms are very well equipped and offer a variety of activities, such as arts and crafts, music and movement, heuristic play, sensory area and lots of opportunities to share the outdoor area with the rest of the nursery. Babies will also be taken for walks in buggies, and to that end the nursery benefits from being close to Withdean and Preston Park.

Appreciating that our people are our most valuable asset we have a dedicated staff room on the second floor. This room was designed as a place where staff can come and recharge their batteries during their break times. At the Wishing Tree we believe that a healthy and balanced diet is very important for the children, and so with that in mind we created a kitchen specifically to prepare fresh, well-balanced, additive free, home cooked food. Menus are rotated every 4 weeks and will be posted on the notice boards each week as well as sent to your email address.

Our outdoor area and garden is a particular feature of the nursery being some 300 square metres in area, very well equipped and secure all round.  The extensive safety surfacing has allowed us to create an all weather playground to burn off some of that excess energy.  Children will also enjoy growing their own flowers and herbs in planting areas dedicated to each room. Next door to the nursery is Withdean Park, with its own woodland walk. And finally, not forgetting our two brilliant maintenance men, Pete and Norman, who are always busy making improvements to the garden . Projects have included a climbing frame, wooden play-houses, an activity centre, decking, sail shades and a decked and fenced area just for babies.

Safety, security and hygiene have been a particular focus for us and we have invested heavily in facilities such as burglar and fire alarms, safety and double glazing, fingerguards, CCTV throughout, a biometric door access system, heat regulated taps and radiators, fire doors, clearly marked escape routes, emergency lighting, electronic keypad and video entryphone. Our commitment to Health and Safety will be underpinned by the quality programme.

For our parents and visitors, there is a welcoming reception area equipped to deal with those wanting just to take time out or to sit a little longer whilst perhaps a child is being settled into the nursery. We encourage you to come and view the nursery, either during our normal hours of 8.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m. or even outside these times by prior arrangement.

If you would like to know more about our nursery then please ask for or download a copy of the parent handbook or the information guide.