Nursery Management: Town and Country - Going the distance

Setting up a nursery in an isolated rural area or in the heart of a busy city where space is in short supply can be a daunting task. But rather than seeing such problems as a hindrance, the most successful urban and rural nurseries ensure they use their environments to their best advantage.

Lucy Cartwright, owner of Farm Friends Day Nursery, concedes its location, 'five miles from Shrewsbury and not on any bus routes, is not really convenient for anybody'.

This isolation, however, has become the nursery's 'unique selling point', according to Ms Cartwright, with eight out of ten of its children coming from urban families in Shrewsbury willing to travel for 'its unique farm experience'.

Based in a converted milk parlour on her husband's farm, daily routines for the 100 children who attend include visiting the farm's cows, sheep and turkeys; nature trails; growing vegetables; visiting its sensory garden; using the climbing wall; and watching the tractor driven by Ms Cartwright's husband, who is known as Farmer Dave to the children.

Down town

The busy urban settings of the UK's city nurseries may be markedly different, but the principle of getting the best out of your environment remains the same at London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), which operates 24 nurseries in the capital.

LEYF chief executive June O'Sullivan says, 'Some days we'll simply get the children on to a bus and go across London Bridge. They learn about travelling around the area they live in and they love the experience as well.'

The busy streets also provide children with road safety lessons and, for greenery, LEYF makes use of local parks.

The most notable advantage of basing a nursery in an urban setting is its access to culture, says Ms O'Sullivan, who ensures there are regular trips to nearby art galleries such as the Tate Modern, theatres and even the opera for the children. She adds that such trips also foster a sense of community and 'help make the children feel part of their city'.

Jackie Phull, owner of Kings Heath Grange Day Nursery in Birmingham, agrees that in both rural and urban areas, community spirit needs to be central to daily nursery life.

'That is very important to us,' she says. 'So, for example, if we are doing a cultural project, we will take the children to the local mosque or church and speak to people there.'

Room to move

Obvious disadvantages of setting up a nursery in an urban location are a lack of space and the high cost of property.

But these can also become an advantage, argues Ms O'Sullivan, as it can encourage partnerships within the community that are often the only way to secure space.

For the 2012 launch of its nursery in Kennington, LEYF linked up with the Henry Fawcett Primary School and now uses two of its classrooms for day care under the name Henry Fawcett Community Nursery.

Sue Bingham, owner of London's Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nursery School, took advantage of lower property prices in 1997 to purchase two Georgian houses on City Road, Islington. Compared to rural nurseries such as Farm Friends, space is limited, but Ms Bingham has extended to include a garden after buying a plot of former derelict land from a neighbour.

'We are right in the middle of a very busy, congested area, so this extra space has made a real difference,' she says.

Local markets

For urban and rural settings alike, commuters can be crucial for sustainability. Being on the main road from north London to the City of London is vital to Hopes and Dreams' income.

Similarly, Lisa Pratt, director of Street Farm Day Nurseries in Suffolk, explains that her nursery is strategically located in the village of Elmswell because it is near the A14 road and convenient for commuters between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.

For Tony Driffield, owner of Mama Bear's Day Nursery and Pre-School, which runs nurseries in towns and cities across the South West of England, locating a nursery where there is a good socio-economic mix of families is also key.

This has been central to his decision to open two further nurseries next year in the Clifton and Totterdown areas of Bristol, which have a mix of affluent and poorer families, and are on main commuter routes through the city.

Mr Driffield says: 'We need to cast our net wide to ensure we get high occupancy levels.'

Going the distance

But while nurseries are successfully turning some of the challenges of rural and urban life to their advantage, there are still some distinct problems that remain difficult to overcome.

Long distances involved in travelling to multi-disciplinary meetings for children with complex needs or in care is a particular drain on staff time in rural areas, says Charlie Kilshaw, deputy manager and SENCO at the Pre-School Learning Alliance's The Woodside Centre. The nursery is based on the edge of a rural housing estate on the edge of Tiverton, Devon.

She says, 'We have a little boy with cerebral palsy. If we are going to liaise with other professionals about his care, that involves a 30-mile round trip to Exeter.'

The high turnover of families moving in and out of urban areas is an issue that continues to hamper city nurseries' sustainability.

This is particularly pronounced in central London, where the Coalition Government's cap on benefits payments has increased the exodus of families towards the cheaper rents of London's suburbs.

Josie Lait, manager at the Pre-School Learning Alliance's Northend Nursery, in the outer London Borough of Bexley, says, 'In March, we really noticed the rise in numbers. We suddenly didn't have any more spaces left and couldn't meet demand from all the new families moving in.'

Staff recruitment also continues to be a challenge in rural areas, due to the distances staff have to travel to work.

Farm Friends' Lucie Cartwright says, 'It's hard to recruit someone who doesn't drive because of where we are, which means getting younger apprentices can sometimes be difficult.'

While rural and urban nurseries face distinct challenges, those in both can effectively make their location work for them by ensuring they have a good understanding of their local environment and community.

CASE STUDY: EARLY DAYS MELVILLE STREET NURSERY, EDINBURGH

Edinburgh's Early Days Melville Street Nursery takes full advantage of the cultural heritage and urban lifestyle of its location in the heart of Scotland's capital city.

Launched two years ago, the nursery, which is located in a four-storey town house, is one of four city centre nurseries run by the Early Days Nurseries chain.

All are in walking distance from each other, and their locations ensure they are ideally suited for both local families as well as those commuting from the suburbs to the area's offices and shops.

Melville Street manager Laura Easter explains that trips for the 80 children aged from birth to five who attend the nursery take place daily and have a strong focus on urban living. These include visits to local art galleries, a nearby church hall for drama sessions, the city's parks and a link up with a local football coaching centre.

She says, 'We use the local area well. We also have a link with the local swimming pool and we take those aged two upwards. This means that most of the children are able to swim before they get to primary school.'

The Edinburgh Festival is an important event in Melville Street's diary. 'With the festival on our doorstep, we make sure there is a full programme for the whole three weeks for the children each day,' says Ms Easter.

Children who attend the nursery, which this year won the National Day Nurseries Association Scottish Nursery of the Year award, also go on trips further afield, with the chain using local trains and its small fleet of minibuses and people carriers to take them out of the city.

Ms Easter says, 'We are right next to Haymarket train station, so we go to places such as North Berwick and Dunfermline. They are about half an hour on the train and because most of the children are with us all day, we have time for that.'

For trips within the city, she is keen for all children over two-and-half to walk. 'I don't like the children to go in buggies when they reach this age,' she says. 'I want them to walk as much as possible for exercise and so that we can help them understand road safety, which is a big focus for us.'

CASE STUDY: FARLEY NURSERY SCHOOL, WILTSHIRE

Set in a former village primary school and two acres of Wiltshire countryside, the importance of outdoor education and play is embedded into the daily routine of Farley Nursery School.

Owner Sue Palmer explains that a key factor in selecting its rural location was her admiration of a Scandinavian approach to early years education where children learn and play outside.

Another was its proximity to Salisbury, where she hoped to attract urban families to its outdoor approach, in particular those commuting between this historic city and surrounding towns such as Andover.

She says, 'The village is idyllic-looking and remote, which is part of its appeal to those who live in towns. All that's here is a church, pub and the nursery.'

Back in 2006, when the nursery opened, the concept of forest schools and other outdoor play was new in the UK, which also gave the nursery a tag as a national pioneer of this form of early education. An article in The Daily Telegraph about the nursery's approach shortly after it launched proved pivotal to attracting a wider group of families from the Salisbury area, which has enabled word-of-mouth promotion to grow.

From a few children attending at its launch, the nursery now caters for 70 and Ms Palmer has launched a new village nursery using the same model at another former school building at nearby Steeple Langford.

During summer school holidays, both nurseries also run Farley Rangers sessions, offering day care and activities for children up to the age of eight.

Despite both having 'beautiful old, rural primary school buildings', Ms Palmer says these are used mainly for nap time and toilet breaks. A marquee is set up in the centre of the nursery's field during the summer for shelter. Further shelter is also found from the site's horse chestnut trees.

Ms Palmer says, 'The children love being outside. Even when it's really cold, we are mainly outside. We just have to make sure we go in and out in bursts, and keep them going with hot chocolate.'

Winter months also provide further natural entertainment, with the lack of light pollution making star gazing and torch-lit walks a highlight of late afternoon sessions.

Ms Palmer adds, 'When it's sunny, they spend their day in their shorts and T-shirts, with no shoes on, running in the long grass and going down the water shoots we have set up. I couldn't imagine running a nursery where the children are indoors most of the time.'