Portside nursery has a toddler room and a preschool room. We take children from age 2 years up to 5 years. Our nursery is within Portside Children’s Centre, where we have good links with other professionals, for advice and support for our children and their families. 

Our staff are warm, nurturing and knowledgeable to support the children to reach their full potential, and be confident and have a high self-esteem to equip them for their next chapter in their learning journey. Staff have attended a range of courses such as Makaton to support children’s speech and language development. Across the nursery staff use Makaton consistently, alongside speech to support children’s communication and understanding. Staff observe and talk to children about their interests and add enhancements to their play to support their next steps in learning.

Our rooms are light, airy and spacious with a range of areas including a comfortable quiet zone for children to relax, look at their favourite books and listen to soothing music. Children enjoy exploring sand, water and a variety of other messy play activities. Each room has a large construction area, where children have access to a variety of small world and construction materials. Children enjoy using the large blocks and planks to create obstacle courses. In our home corners, we try to create a home from home effect. Toddlers start mimicking actions they have observed, before moving onto using their imaginations and creating their own play themes. In out outdoor area, we have a large climbing frame with a slide, trikes, scooters and a range of resources to support children’s gross motor skills, as they run, jump, balance and climb.