I could literally write an essay for this feedback but I’ll try and keep it brief.
What can I possibly say about Jollies that will do them justice? I knew from the minute I looked around with my tiny newborn that this was the place to leave him. The warmth of the staff and the friendliness and dare I say eccentricity of the owners made it clear that this was going to be our kind of place. The children looked happy and relaxed and engaged and it was clear they were in an amazing environment.
From leaving our son with the amazing Fiona in Possums to now facing our last few weeks before N***** takes the step to big school I have never felt anything but safe and secure leaving my precious child in their care. I could be here all day praising them but I’ll pick out what to me are the important points.
1. The staff. Absolutely amazing all of them they are kind friendly approachable and professional and seem to have endless patience and energy. Not just that they really know the children and understand their personalities and abilities and can recognise when they need to be moved to a room where they are mixing with slightly older children which Fiona did for N*****and I credit that decision with the reason why his speech has always been so good.
2. The activities – looking through N*****’s book shows how many different things he does all day and the vast array of learning experiences provided. I particularly love how the staff recognise where the children have an interest in something and quickly set up a fun but educational experience for them whilst they are engaged. The children spend a lot of time outdoors exploring and engaging with their friends too and I love how the emphasis is on the child choosing what activity they want to engage in and the staff joining them and linking the learning. Amazing skills all of you.
3. Safety – our children are of course incredibly precious and it’s hard leaving them with effectively strangers when you have to go back to work especially when they’re tiny. The staff at Jollies have always made me feel very content about leaving N***** there knowing he’s going to be well looked after. We’re informed when he has an accident appropriately and the staff make sensible decisions when he is unwell about if he needs to come home or not and if they think medicine is needed and always seek consent and fill in the appropriate forms. During the covid 19 pandemic the protocols kept the children safe and in their bubbles with minimal outbreaks during the peak which was an amazing achievement and everything has always been impeccably cleaned as appropriate. The food is healthy high quality and delicious and they deal with food allergies sensibly and I was particularly impressed when N***** had an egg allergy and Sian went out and got egg free pancake mix so he didn’t have to miss out on pancake day. That level of personal care is what makes Jollies so amazing.
4. Finally the communication. We are kept regularly informed about our child’s progress and what they have been doing each day through eyLog and through the slips at the end of the day followed by the big boards when they’re older. Staff are quick to tell us of any issues and the Facebook group is an amazing and useful asset. This heatwave made me concerned about sending N***** into nursery but Jollies communicated over the weekend with their plans to keep the children cool how they were adapting their normal activities to focus on the childrens’ safety and although unfortunately N*****’s not able attend due to illness I would have felt happy sending him in knowing the staff would have looked after him brilliantly.
In short Jollies have provided the best possible start for N*****and he is more than ready for school thanks to their influence and care. I am so grateful we chose this nursery for our son and I would hope that any inspectors would be able to see how outstanding they really are.
N***** says ‘my favourite place to go is Jollies. I love all the toys and my friends and the grown ups give amazing cuddles and are nice to me and are good at teaching. They are helpful and take good care of me’.