What makes us special...

Windrush Nursery has been established for 33 years and for the last 29 has run from my property in West Dean.

The nursery used to take over the ground floor of my home, but since March 2020 a pandemic swept through the world and Windrush had to make some very quick changes.  The house was no longer a feasible place for a nursery and although the garden was lovely through the summer, I was not prepared to spend the winter working from a marquee and a caravan. So over the summer of 2020 a wooden buidling was erected in the garden and a new Windrush was born.

Our large garden is every child's dream. We use this space each day as a rich and ever changing learning environment, transferring many of our indoor activities outside. This enables children to learn and absorb ideas in a different way.

Whilst the activities of the day are carefully planned and structured, there is an overriding sense of flexibility and fun.

We are lucky to be within walking distance of our local woods which we visit regularly and experience the wonder of the changing seasons.

My husband is a well respected and well known sheep farmer in the local area and he brings a whole new dimension to nursery life. His knowledge and love of nature, wildlife and the land that surrounds us is invaluable. The children look forward to visiting the lambing sheds in springtime, watching the sheep shearing and going on tractor rides in the summer.

My staff and I take our roles very seriously, dedicating many hours discussing and planning appropriate activities for the children and catering for all stages of their development. We revisit familiar topics, but are constantly looking for new and exciting challenges for the children to enjoy.

We keep our families up to date with what the children get up to during the day via regular Tapestry photos and observations. 

My passion and enthusiasm for educating, inspiring and caring for children is as strong now as it was 33 years ago.