Ripon
Kindercare at Ripon, opened in January 2005, is the second Kindercare nursery to be constructed completely to our specifications. The single storey building offers maximum space and light and is fully accessible to disabled children and visitors. Situated at the entrance to the former university campus on the Kearsley Road, the nursery offers 125 full and part-time places to children aged between 3 months and 5 years. There is also an After School and Holiday Club facility available within the nursery. Adjoining the nursery is a large,partly wooded, area specifically adapted to form a nature trail for the children.
With brightly coloured wall and floor finishes and softwood internal screens, the children’s rooms provide a safe and stimulating environment. Direct access from each room to secure enclosed play areas ensures that the children enjoy freedom of movement and choice of activities inside and out. These areas, separated by timber picket-style fences and containing rubber play surfaces and grassed areas, allow the children to play safely at all times.
The nursery is split into several rooms; six for those children aged between 12 weeks and 2 years which incorporate milk kitchens and nappy changing rooms; two for children aged two to three years and two for those aged three to five years (these include messy/creative play and quiet areas). Hand-crafted padding to the lower walls adds a special touch to the rooms for the under twos.
Completing the facilities is a full catering kitchen, laundry room, staff room and Nursery Manager's office.
One of the most important issues for a parent choosing a nursery for their child is security. With this in mind we have installed both an audio/visual entry system and CCTV.
Each of our nurseries delivers the Early Years Foundation Stage which covers all those children from birth to five.
The nursery is divided in to sections as follows:
Staff:child ratio – 1:3
The Tinies section is split into 4 rooms with 9 children in each, connected by the milk room and nappy changing area. The babies enjoy sensory work which includes lots of play in beans, jelly, pasta and cornflour, making the most of natural ingredients. Treasure baskets are available permanently, providing a wealth of experiences for the little ones.
Staff:child ratio – 1:3
The Toddlers section is split into 2 rooms that hold 12 children each. As with the Tinies section, the rooms are connected by a nappy changing area and milk kitchen. In these rooms the day is a little more structured, but the emphasis is still on learning through play.
Staff:child ratio (2 to 3 years) – 1:4, (3 to 5 years) – 1:8
The Tweenies and Starters both have 2 large playrooms each which can hold 24 children. Within the room they have an imaginary play area, messy area and quiet area. Connecting the rooms is a large toilet area complete with small toilets, sinks and changing area. The Starters section offers a wide range of activities to help prepare the children for school.
