As a Family run business we pride ourselves on our quality of service. Your child, and their learning, development and welfare are our number one priority.

Your child will be assigned a key-person; they will be the person who is responsible for their care on a day-to-day basis.
Each day you will be given either verbal or written feedback (whichever you would prefer). Staff will carry out daily and weekly observations on your child and will use these as a basis for planning activities based upon their interests and their stage of development. All observations will be filed in their development files which is available at all times for you to read. Each month you will receive a newsletter which will be posted to you along with your invoice. This will keep you up to date with what’s going on in and around the nursery. It also helps us to celebrate birthdays and achievements.

Twice a year you will be invited to an informal meeting with your child’s key worker. This is a chance to review the development file and celebrate the progress they have made in the last six months. Many of the staff are parents themselves so they are aware of the huge responsibility that choosing the right environment for your child can bring.

The staff have a range of qualifications. We have a fulltime qualified teacher with Early Years Professional status, an additional graduate, NNEB and NVQ level 3. Over 90% of our staff hold a professional qualification, staff that are still working towards their qualification do not have key person responsibility and are not left alone with the children. We work very closely with the colleges to support trainees.

In addition over 80% of staff holds a paediatric first aid certificate, ensuring that your child will be safe hands in event of an accident. Staff also hold certificates in health and safety, food hygiene, equal opportunities, child protection, and special needs.

We are aware of the huge financial burden that childcare costs can provide. Staff have a good knowledge of what help you may be entitled to.
Help with childcare costs is available from a range of different sources. The following covers parents who are very young, those who are students those who are lone parents, those who are entering training or work, and those already in work who want to use childcare.

– Child tax credit and the childcare element of working tax credits

– N.E.G funding for 3 and 4 year olds

– New deal childcare support

– Employers support towards childcare costs (nursery vouchers)

We aim to cater for parents’ lifestyles – call us if you have any other questions.

Once your child is registered with us and a start date has been agreed we encourage you to visit us as many times as you feel is necessary. Please feel free to visit as many times as you want. We like you to spend some time with us before your child starts that way you can meet the staff and they can get to know you and your child. After that we invite you to leave your child for some time as it really helps if you can invest time into settling your child before you begin.

A notice will be displayed on the parents board and all necessary precautions taken.

This varies with your requirements and we can tell you the situation by telephone or during pre-registration visit.

We recommend that parents walk their Kindergarteners to the playground for at least the first few days of school. Park on the street or in the lot at St. James Church and walk your child into the kindergarten playground.

Additional information is available on our Arrival and Dismissal Procedures page.

All our meals are cooked on site using fresh ingredients. There is always a vegetarian option available. We ensure that the vegetarian option always looks similar to the main meal available, that way children do not notice the difference. If your child has a special dietary requirement please let us know, we cater for most individual needs effortlessly.

We are ideally placed in the heart of the city centre; so with parents consent we try to take the children out as much as possible. Typical visits include, libraries, museums, art galleries, ferry trips , festivals, shows, activity centres and parks. Our main form of transport is in our 6 seated prams which means that the children are safe as they travel to and from locations.

Initially you will pay deposit, equivalent to 1 week’s fees, this is refundable from your last week of fees, provided that you give us 4 weeks notice. All fees are payable monthly by standing order, card, or cash. If your fees are not settled before the end of the month your child’s place will be suspended.

Unfortunately in common with most nurseries in the area we charge full rate, as we still have to pay staff and keep your place open. We offer two weeks at 50% discount to cover sickness or holidays. This is already calculated into your fees which is worked out a weekly rate x 51weeks ÷ 12 month.

Ask and we will do our best to accommodate you.

You will have many other questions so please ask away….. you can telephone on 0151 709 1186 or email us at info@dukesandduchesses.co.uk