A new children’s nursery with hand-painted murals is set to open on Harrogate‘s Hornbeam Park.
Nature’s Little Learners, which opened its first site in Starbeck in 2021, will soon welcome children from birth age to four-years-old.
Owner Samantha Williams, who set up the venture with her husband and daughter, said the Starbeck site has been “over-subscribed for a while now” and she wanted to expand locally to meet demand.
The site, which was formerly an office unit in Crown House, offers different rooms catered to age groups, including a baby room, a pre-school room, a toddler room and a garden room.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“We’re a toy-less nursery and offer open-ended resources, rather than giving children a one-dimensional toy they get bored of after a few uses.
“We’re inspired by the children – they are at the forefront of everything we do.”
The pre-school room.
Ms Williams said the Starbeck site enrols a lot of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and built a sensory room at the new Hornbeam Site to cater for those needs.
She added:
“It’s all about colour and texture in here. SEND children often get overwhelmed, so a few of them can come in here at one time to relax and regulate their emotions.
“Plus, because they’re not alone, they’ll still be learning in here.”
Ms Williams said the £120,000 refurbishment of the nursery was “inspired by children’s books” as she “wants the children that come here to love reading”.
The baby room.
As well as day care, Nature’s Little Learners will hold football sessions in the garden room, as well as dance sessions and yoga for little ones.
Ms Williams added:
“I’m feeling nervous, but I’m excited to welcome new families and see how the children react to the new space.
“I believe nursery needs to be an extension of home – not a watered down version of school.”
The Hornbeam Park site will also hire around 15 members of staff and can accommodate up to 50 children, she said.
Murals
Ms Williams also hired Sarah Marsh, a mural artist from Boroughbridge, to bring the nursery to life.
Inspired by the characters from some of the women’s favourite children’s books, Ms Marsh painted the walls of each room with a different mural.
These include depictions of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Room on the Broom and The Wonderful Things You Will Be.
Sarah Marsh with her Room on the Broom-inspired mural.
Ms Marsh, who studied art and graphic design when she was younger, said she was made redundant from her previous job in November last year. After this, she took up mural painting full-time.
She told the Stray Ferret the murals took around two-and-a-half-weeks to bring to life, using a mix of emulsion and acrylic paint.
A mural inspired by The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
Ms Williams said she hopes the new Nature’s Little Learners site will be open by early May, but parents can book tours of the nursery now.
The nursery costs £68 per day, which includes three meals plus two snacks, nappies and wipes, she added.
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Kids Planet offers funded nursery places in Harrogate and Knaresborough
This story is sponsored by Kids Planet Day Nurseries.
Nurseries in Harrogate and Knaresborough are offering up to 30 hours’ funded childcare, as well as tax-free childcare that can save parents up to £4,000 a year.
Kids Planet Day Nurseries is an award-winning national provider with over 170 nurseries across the North and Midlands, including settings in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Boston Spa, Horsforth and Leeds city centre.
In line with government policy, it offers 15 hours’ funded childcare for three- and four-year-olds, but it also extends the offer to some two-year-olds.
Working parents of three- and four-year-olds may be able to get as many as 30 hours’ funded childcare, depending on eligibility criteria such as salary, age of children and location.
What’s more, parents in work with children aged 0-11 can use their tax-free childcare allowance with Kids Planet, saving them up to £2,000 a year. If their child has a disability, the age limit may be raised to 17, and the savings can reach £4,000 a year.
All Kids Planet nurseries provide nappies, baby formula and baby wipes at no extra charge.
CEO Clare Roberts, who set up Kids Planet in 2008, said:
“Funded and tax-free childcare is available through many providers, but at Kids Planet we provide so much more. For example, our nurseries are all-inclusive, so we include all nappies, baby formula and baby wipes in our fees, saving parents time, stress, and money.”
Kids Planet places great emphasis on the quality of its staff, and in 2018 it launched its own Kids Planet Training Academy, which offers traineeships, apprenticeships and other higher-level courses.
Clare said:
“We want all our nursery employees to be experts at what they do, and the Academy ensures that they are as qualified as they can be, with skill levels that allow them to progress and enjoy long and successful careers in early years.
“That’s good for them, and great for the children they look after, as happy colleagues mean happy children.”