Housed in a former synagogue, the 100-place Royal Village Day Nursery in Southend has maintained its original 1910 stained glass windows and oak pews to create a stimulating environment for the children.
The nursery's proprietors, Bryan and Jenny Woodford, had been looking to expand their nursery for the past two years but were unable to find a big enough building, until they stumbled across the synagogue. Mrs Woodford said, 'Southend-on-Sea is a very congested area and when we found the synagogue on the market we realised its potential. It just felt right.'
They have added a third level to the existing two in the building to cater for a soft-play gymnasium, a training room for staff and parents, office space and a rest room. The day nursery, which takes children from birth to the age of five, also has two baby units and six cosy home-base rooms for toddlers and older children.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
