Four rooms, growing up together

Children move up a room when they are ready, not on a birthday. Each room is a little bigger, a little louder and a little closer to school.

Book a visitFees and funded hours
  1. A baby boy lying on a soft carpet, looking up

    Buds

    12 months to 2 years

    1 grown-up to 3 children

    Soft floors, low shelves and a sleep room that smells of lavender.

  2. A toddler in a red dress building with blocks on the floor

    Shoots

    2 to 3 years

    1 grown-up to 4 children

    Water trays, first words and first best friends.

  3. A girl in an apron painting at a low table

    Blooms

    3 to 4 years

    1 grown-up to 6 children

    Funded hours begin, and so do the big projects that last all week.

  4. A boy in a white jacket looking up while holding a toy

    Meadow

    4 to 5 years

    1 grown-up to 8 children

    Letters, scissors and shoelaces: ready for big school, still very small.

The making table

Dough, clay, paint and glue, every single day. We keep the mess at child height, the aprons by the door and the finished things on the shelf by the coats.

  • Salt dough
  • Finger paint
  • Clay coils
  • Small hands covered in red and blue paint on a painted plate

    Finger paint

  • Coloured clay coils bent into arches standing on a table

    Clay arches

  • A child pressing a pink cutter into yellow dough

    Cutter shapes

  • Lumps of red, green and blue dough on a wooden table

    Dough lumps

  • A girl rolling blue modelling clay at a table

    Clay snakes

  • A child painting with watercolours on paper on the floor

    Watercolour

A toddler crawling through tall green plants and yellow flowers
A toddler in yellow wellies stamping in a puddle among autumn leaves

Out in all weathers

A walled garden behind the house, with room to run, dig and hide. We go out twice a day, every day: rain is just weather with puddles in it.

  • Mud kitchen
  • Willow tunnel
  • Vegetable beds
  • A bug hotel
  • Puddle suits on pegs

Settling in, one step at a time

Two weeks, four small steps. You stay as long as your child needs you, and step back only when Jess and your child are ready.

  1. Days 1 and 2

    Stay and play together

    You come in with your child for an hour. Jess plays alongside you both and learns the songs, the snacks and the words for everything.

  2. Days 3 and 4

    A short goodbye

    You say goodbye at the door and wait in the kitchen with a cup of tea. Twenty minutes, then back for a cuddle.

  3. Days 5 to 7

    A morning on their own

    A whole morning with Jess and the room, lunch included. We send photos so you can see how it's going.

  4. Week two

    A full day, then home-time hugs

    The first full day, with Jess close by. Most children have a favourite friend by the end of the week.

Leo, a small boy with blond hair
Leo
Jess, his key person
Jess
Leo's mum
You
By week two, Jess is close by and you are a wave away.

Cooked here, this morning

Rosa cooks every lunch from scratch in our own kitchen, vegetables first, and plans every diet and allergy with you. This is the menu for the week of 12 October.

Nut-free kitchen

  1. A white bowl of clear vegetable broth

    Monday

    Chicken and vegetable broth

    Pudding: apple slices and yoghurt

  2. A bowl of beef and root vegetable stew

    Tuesday

    Beef and root vegetable stew

    Pudding: rice pudding

  3. A bowl of yoghurt with oats and raspberries

    Wednesday

    Fish pie with peas

    Pudding: yoghurt, oats and raspberries

  4. A wooden bowl of sliced fruit and berries

    Thursday

    Chickpea and spinach curry

    Pudding: a rainbow fruit bowl

  5. A white bowl of raspberries and blueberries

    Friday

    Tomato pasta with hidden veg

    Pudding: berries and cream

Questions parents ask

And if yours isn't here, ask us at an open morning or call the house: someone always picks up.

What ages do you take?

From twelve months until children start school, usually the September after they turn four.

Do you take funded hours?

Yes, 15 and 30 funded hours for every age we care for, term-time or stretched across the year. We take them off your bill before we send it.

What should my child bring?

Wellies, a spare set of clothes and a comforter if they have one. We provide nappies, wipes, sun cream and every meal and snack.

How do you handle allergies?

Our kitchen is nut-free. Rosa sits down with you before the first day and plans every allergy and diet, and each room has the list on the wall.

Is there a waiting list?

For Buds there often is. Register at an open morning and we will tell you honestly how long it is likely to be.

When are you open?

Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 18:00, 51 weeks a year. We close between Christmas and New Year.

Fees and funded hours

One simple day, three ways to use it. Meals, snacks, nappies and trips are always included.

  • Mornings

    7:30 to 13:00

    £44a session

    Breakfast, garden time and lunch before home.

  • School day

    9:00 to 15:00

    £56a session

    The heart of the day, the same hours as big school.

  • Full day

    7:30 to 18:00

    £72a day

    Everything, with tea at four and the late story.

Funded hours, 15 or 30 a week from nine months old, come off the monthly bill. There are no extra charges for meals or nappies on funded hours.

Ask about your hours

Come to an open morning

Saturday mornings in October, ten till twelve. Bring your child, have a coffee in the kitchen and meet the people who would care for them.

A bright playroom with flowered curtains, a yellow table and small chairs
Address
1 Example Street, Chorlton, Manchester M21 0ZZ
Hours
Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 18:00

Book your place

Which morning?

We reply within one working day to confirm your place.

Free 8B template. Get it →