Written by Jacqui Holford, Nursery Manager
It all started back in 2016… ten years ago, when Loughborough Nursery was born. Since then, just like the children in our care, we have continued to grow, develop, explore and learn from each experience.
The Nursery began with four rooms – Developers, Investigators, Pathfinders and Pioneers, but as our community grew, so did the demand for places. We welcomed a second Pathfinders room and introduced Innovators to bridge the gap between our nursery and pre-school provision. From the early days of Loughborough Nursery to now, every child along the six weeks old to four-plus journey belongs to a room that suits the individual needs of their developmental stage.
One of the things that makes Loughborough Nursery so special is the connection we have to our children and parents. We have continued to evolve by listening to the needs of our families, developing and expanding our provision regularly.
Our Pioneers enjoy Forest School, which is part of the Loughborough Schools Foundation campus, giving them the opportunity to explore, investigate and learn outdoors – often while getting impressively muddy! We also have close links with dedicated PE staff from the Foundation, who work with our Pioneers to help them develop their physical skills, confidence and coordination. And just when we thought our timetable couldn’t get any more exciting, we recently added French to our Pioneers’ experience.
Most recently, in September 2025, we embraced another exciting chapter as we introduced three brand-new, purpose-built spaces – the Library, a stimulating sensory area and our wonderful Discovery Village. Not only do these spaces spark a sense of investigation, creativity and curiosity amongst our children, they also prepare them for school life. From exploring new environments to embracing independence, they aim to provide the foundations for a lifetime love of learning.
Learning isn’t confined to our nursery, however, as one of the things we love most is getting our children out into the local community. Across all of our rooms, children regularly visit the town centre, explore Queen’s Park, browse Loughborough Library and local museum, giving them exciting opportunities to experience the world beyond the nursery gates.
Behind every happy, curious and confident child is a team of adults who are just as committed to learning as the children themselves. Our dedicated and experienced team continually attend courses and training in areas they are passionate about – including SEND, safeguarding and Forest School – and that makes a real difference to the children we care for.
We are also currently working towards gaining our Prem Aware Award – an accreditation which supports schools and early years settings to help children born prematurely – continuing our commitment to supporting our youngest children and their families. And, we were delighted to achieve our Healthy Tots Award in 2024 which recognises our commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of our children by providing a healthy environment in which they can flourish – another milestone that we’re incredibly proud of and continue to sustain.
What stands out most when looking back on the last ten years is the strength of our community. The connections formed in the day-to-day life of our nursery are the bonds that become unbreakable. It is the long-lasting happy memories that our families leave Loughborough Nursery with that make it so special. In a beautiful thank you note, one of our parents worded this beautifully: “The love, patience and kindness you’ve shown them has helped shape who they are, and the impact you’ve had on their early years is something our family will always be grateful for.”
Over the last ten years, we have been privileged to be a part of some of the most special times of a parent’s life. We’ve expanded. We’ve created new spaces. We’ve introduced new learning experiences. We’ve made lots of memories. We look forward to the next ten years and beyond.
