St. Mary’s Nursery is situated in a purpose built unit with its own facilities and playground. The nursery is financially independent and is run as a registered charity. We are run by a committee drawn from parents past and present and co-opted people who have experience relevant to the nursery. All parents are invited to join our committee and, therefore, have a say in the financial and everyday running of the nursery. We hold meetings three times a year and we very much value and welcome contributions made by parents. Although our building is within the grounds of Ashford St. Mary’s Church of England Primary School, we are not part of the main school. Unfortunately entry to the nursery does not automatically guarantee a place at the primary school.

Our nursery consists of a large main room, cloakroom, toilet area with appropriately sized toilets, urinal and wash basins, a smaller room which contains our books and computer and a small office. We also have a large outdoor playground where we have a large wooden train, a permanent table and benches and our storage shed.

We use our main room for free play, most of our group activities and as an eating area at morning break time and lunch time. The smaller room is used for smaller group games and activities and to allow the children a quiet area to use the computer. We use our outdoor area every day whatever the weather, so it is important that children always bring in a coat. The children love to spend time outdoors and we provide a wide range of activities to enhance their enjoyment and encourage them to use all their senses. We ensure that the nursery is safe and secure with a main gate which is inaccessible to children and nursery doors which may only be opened from the inside.