The children at toddlers range from a year to two and half years. Toddlers is split into two 
groups; T1 – which are the younger group, and T2 who are the rising two’s, and two’s!
Our basic hours are Sunday to Thursday, from 7:30am until 4:30pm, with the option of a 5:30 finish. Fridays from 8am until 1pm is also optional. Click here to see attendance options and prices. Our dedicated staff are early years trained and provide a 1:5 ratio, with additional staff available when required, such as during settling-in periods.
Some children move up from babies…
Children move up gradually from babies from a year onwards. 
Children can stay on at babies as long as they want/need, and integration into the toddler group is a gradual process, when the child, parents and staff are ready!
Some children come straight to toddlers:
There is the option to enter the nursery directly into toddlers, rather than coming up through babies. The capacity at toddlers is bigger than babies, so we usually have space for people who wish to enter at this stage. Entry is from aged one onwards, although 
sometimes children (even at one) will benefit from a few months in the baby group before they join the toddler group, if they have never been to nursery before, it will provide a ‘softer landing’.
What happens in T1…?
In T1, there are up to 15 children, and three dedicated early years practitioner. The space includes a large play room, with an eating and craft area off to the side, and dedicated sleep room for naps, afternoon sleep and sometimes quiet activities… T1 opens into a large garden area, which is shared with T2. Sometimes the T1 children use the back door into T2, and play there also! We love to encourage the children to explore the space in the next group, so that they become familiar with new friends, the space and the staff.
Some children are already walking when they reach us at T1, but not all of them. The 
space is designed for transition between crawling and walking, and is great for new walkers, as well as those who are more experienced. Lots of play happens on our carefully designed play spaces on the floor, and we also have some small and large tables where activities are facilitated and where children eat. We don’t blend food in the toddler units, children who are still eating blended or mashed food, stay in babies until they are ready for whole 
foods. Some (but not all) children in T1 sleep in the mornings as well as in the afternoon (after lunch). Whilst the day structure follows the same routine at T2, there is much more flexibility and a slower and more nurturing pace.
What happens in T2…?
In T2, there are up to 20 children, who are already two or rising two years old. There are a further 4 practitioners in T2, we have a 
ratio of one practitioner to every five children. Children in T2 already start to show a higher degree of independence and participate more fully in structured activities and organised sessions for more sustained periods. There is of course, plenty of time for free play, and exploring the meaningful environments that we create each day! Children in T2 are walking confidently, they sit comfortably at tables and chairs, and can start to express their own needs. Language is emergent, and children begin to use words and sentences more and more whilst in T2!
There are main spaces inside T2; the main room – which has an activity zone with tables and chairs, and two activity rugs for floor play, and the second area which incorporates the book corner, role play area and construction area, and opens onto the large outside space, shared with T1.
Children in T2 rarely sleep in the mornings, if they do – they join their friends in the T1 sleep room; but all the T2 children sleep after their lunch! We pack up one of the playrooms in T2 and put down all the children mattresses, which their sleeping things.
Changing nappies
We of course change nappies whenever the children need us to, if their nappies are very heavy, or if they have had a bowel movement. However, roughly every three hours, we have a set time, when we change all the nappies to make sure that they are always feeling comfortable and fresh. This is built into our daily routine.
Click here for the day structure