alex_newcastle

I am the old receptionist who used to work at Le Nid, and I can say - hand on heart - that every single member of staff I worked with at Le Nid was passionate about childcare, and were committed to the welfare of the children with all their might. I had the privilege of seeing children flourish and blossom, and be treated as individuals - whilst being in a fairly normal, and safe environment. There were no airs and graces; this is a homely, loving nursery. I will not hide behind a fake name as a disgruntled ex-member of staff - because I think that scaring existing parents, is cruel. There will always be staff issues in every business, as we all know - but when there are children involved, I think we all need to remember that a mother/father reading back-biting at a school, is potentially distressing, and the last thing they need on top of everything else going on in their life. There was no homogeny in the way they approached lessons - there was a genuine interest in finding ways to make the children learn and respond. Sometimes the way the practitioners could interpret very slight changes in the children astounded me. They really knew the children inside out, and really cared about them and their families. The teachers and assistants would look at ways to freshen up topics they thought could do with jazzing up. I saw them working into the night to make the classrooms bright and cheerful. Even just as the receptionist, I was taught about safe guarding as soon as I joined - and learned so much being there in my short time. I got to see children taking their first steps with utter joy, laughing and connecting with their teachers; I saw them speaking their first words; I saw the children making connections about concepts and family... The thing I probably miss the most is the amazing parents that bring their children to Le Nid. Every day I'd see parents rushing from their lives - their jobs, or family, recuperating from being poorly - or a million other things, and I got to spend my mornings and evenings with them. It was an intimate gift, and I enjoyed making that part of their day nice. It was an honor to work with the kind of people I have such respect for, and have them trust us with their most prized and loved people in the world. I had no previous childcare experience, and I was just utterly amazed at the level of emotional intelligence the practitioner?s exhibit, and great moral values. Whilst by no means perfect (nowhere is) - I would honestly put my child in Le Nid if I had any, or any one my nieces or nephews. I am one of 9 children. I have 5 sisters, 3 brothers, 14 nieces and nephews and 3 great nephews. I would put them in there tomorrow if I could because I know that being at Le Nid would help them develop before they go to primary school, and acclimatize to a school environment - because that is my personal experience of being there and seeing the children in that time. The Ofsted may feel unfair to me - but it was necessary to highlight areas that need some work - and it can only make Le Nid better. There may have been issues before, with some admin problems, but as a new business, it was bound to need tweaking. The main thing for me is if the children are happy and safe. Le Nid was very clean, the food was lovely and delicious and healthy - and the practitioners were qualified and the room?s ratios were carefully monitored. There was not one single member of staff I felt is a poor childminder, and I am grateful I got to work with them all, and am very sorry I didn't get to say goodbye properly.