Child First's commitment to offering children choice and real experiences in a richly resourced environment is paying dividends for the business. Having opened five nurseries in the space of six years, the group's owner, Tom Shea, is now undertaking expansion within them to cope with a growing demand for places.
Mr Shea bought four nurseries, in Banbury, Bicester, Aylesbury and Northampton, from Ravenstone House Nurseries in 2007. His Solihull nursery was opened back in 2005. He is determined to make all five the best they can be and says he is continuously reinvesting in his sites.
'I spend £120,000 a year redeveloping and improving the buildings, the outdoor space and the resources and equipment,' says Mr Shea.
'We have been developing Aylesbury and have made big improvements to the outdoor area. We were originally registered for 75 children, but we have had a surge in demand for places and we were regularly turning people away, so we are now registered for 90 children.'
The outdoor area has a workshop where the children can use real tools and learn how to handle hammers and nails. The garden cost £90,000, with a small contribution from the local council.
Mr Shea's plan is to do away with plastic toys across all his nurseries. They are gradually being replaced with toys of wood and natural materials.
'We are also trying to grow more of our own food and we try to make sure that most of the food the children eat is fresh and organic.'
Child First does not offer computers for the children's use. 'In terms of research I have read a lot both for and against, but I am impressed with Aric Sigman's study, Does Not Compute: Screen Technology in Early Years Education,' Mr Shea says. 'This is the study I give to all parents and staff teams, as I think it is balanced and scientifically based.'
The philosophy of free-flow play has been challenged at Child First's Banbury nursery, which is in a listed Victorian building, he says. 'The challenge we now have is to show the potential to people - from the outside the building appears a smallish dark space, while inside, it is becoming bright and vibrant.' Substantially upgraded over the last year, the interior now provides a range of free-flow activities for every age. Opportunities inside are to be enhanced with others outside, as the creative use of a small garden will soon be replicated upstairs with a roof terrace so all children can have direct access to the outside all day.
Work has also begun on developing the outside areas in Bicester and in Northampton, the company's second listed building. The three-acre woodland garden is being used more for growing, learning and building. Improvements have included the relocation of the kitchen to the downstairs, where it has become an eating and working space for the children who are involved with growing and preparing their own meals.
Child First's Solihull nursery has under-floor heating. The windows go from floor to ceiling, and all of the well-lit modern rooms offer access to the outdoors. 'The challenge was to ensure the outdoors reflected the indoors and both were well resourced and run. We are well on the way to succeeding,' says Mr Shea.
As for the future, he has no plans to make the nursery chain any bigger. 'I want to concentrate on making the five I have, as exceptional as I can. When we acquired the nurseries, occupancy overall was less than 20 per cent of their capacity. It is now over 60 per cent this year. This is an accolade to the whole team who have committed time, energy, finances and hard work.'
