Welcome Catkins Nursery
Catkins Nursery in Horsham opened in November 2015. We are situated just to the south side of the town with good access to the A24 and easy parking.
The nursery is registered with 'Ofsted' & has just 24 child places. We are open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays for 50 weeks of the year. We are closed usually from 6pm on the 23rd of December until the first working day after New Year, (depending on the day Christmas falls on), & for one week in August. Fees are payable for 50 weeks of the year, bank Holidays are charged for although we are shut but we always give an alternative day instead, unlike most other nurseries.
The nursery is registered to care for children aged two to five years old and runs from a 'purpose run' building in Three Acres, just next to ‘The Needles Hub’.
I have gained many years’ experience in the field of child care and education and have successfully run settings since 2000. I own and manage Catkins Nursery, which is a ‘stand-alone’ setting and not part of a chain. Catkins Nursery gained an 'Outstanding' outcome as a result of our first Ofsted inspection in March 2018.
We are delighted with our 'Outstanding' setting which has a homely, relaxed feel, where each child can grow and learn from traditional values and high expectations.
I believe passionately in delivering high quality childcare. I always felt that large-scale day-care settings were not ideal for young children, and I want to KNOW the children and families we care for. I aim to achieve high standards, and we are growing and developing as a strong and highly qualified staff team in doing just that. The staff team enjoy what they do and we have a great working atmosphere all in one ‘family tiered’ group.
I am a hands-on owner/manager, and I am just as likely to be covered in paint or ‘gloop’ as the children! I think that relationship is really important as a manager, as well as the practitioners, and be a part of the children’s nursery life in fun and play and not a ‘remote figure’.
The quality of the food we provide for the children is second to none! I have a keen interest in food and nutrition, and the food we provide must look and taste good.
A part of the day-to-day nursery routines are focused on the children helping the nursery catering staff. The children help to bring in the shopping deliveries and learn about foods by helping to prepare food and taking part in cooking activities and even growing a few of our own herbs and vegetables.
We also have a lot of fun, creative, messy play that we really enjoy… and if we’re a bit painty or muddy at the end of the day, we’ve had a good time. 😊
See what we get up to on ‘Facebook’ too, at ‘Catkins Nursery Horsham’.
We hope you like what you see and sign up to join our fantastic setting. 😊
Cathy Walden
(N.N.E.B)