Kido Waterloo Nursery & Preschool (St. Patrick's)

The nursery is inspired by Reggio Emilia's philosophy. Children have the space to find something that encourages them to discover, play and learn in every corner. We believe that a combination of free and structured play, an engaging and interactive learning environment, and an abundance of love, care and attention provide the most solid foundation for children in the early years.

Your children need lots of energy to learn and play. Our healthy, nutritious meals will make sure they've got plenty. We serve breakfast, lunch and a healthy snack too. We also have vegetarian options and are happy to chat about any specific dietary requirements your child might have.

All of our teachers are formally educated and have a wealth of experience in the childcare industry and a genuine passion for teaching children. We put our heart into it and welcome teachers from different nationalities and cultures. This along with the 100 hours' internal training is all to ensure we give your child the very best learning and development experience while they're in our care.

You won't miss a moment of their development or day with the Kido App. Through the Kido app for parents, you'll get regular updates, pictures and communication from your child's teacher throughout the day. Also during pick-up and drop-off we'll be sure to talk through anything you need to know and answer any of your questions.

Kido was inspired by a group of parents from different parts of the world that found it hard to find premium quality early years education for their children. They searched for a great team of specialists to create an innovative educational program that would provide quality education and value the parents' involvement. And they found it! Our international team of specialists, together with our founders, have created an innovative curriculum that is customised according to each child's developmental needs and allows the parents to have an active role in it.

Our nurseries are open from Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm (site dependent). We offer options for early drop-off and later pick-up within 30 minutes of our normal operation hours. The nursery is open all year round apart from public bank holidays, one week during Christmas and two training inset days.

We have created a curriculum that supports your child's next steps in development through indoor and outdoor activities. It's inspired by the best teaching philosophies like Montessori, Reggio Emilia and the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The Kido curriculum is in line with the EYFS framework and we use Development Matters as a guide to assess our children's learning. Your child will also learn different languages like Spanish, French and Mandarin through our language programs. Physical activities and music play a key role in our daily activities. Children will take part in STEM projects and Explorer Day - project-based learning.

We are proud of our team of educators that are qualified from an apprentice level to Level 6 and Qualified Teacher Status or higher. The majority of our team members have a minimum Level 3 qualification and have current first-aid training. We have our very own training team, and we provide weekly onsite, real-time training to our team members

We have one teacher for every three children below the age of 2, one teacher for every five children between the ages 2 and 3 (effective from September 2023). We normally have supernumerary team members in the building to support with the daily routine, and because of our support staff i.e. housekeeper, kitchen assistant and admissions managers and members of our Hub team, they far exceed the typical building ratio required by Ofsted.

Your child will be offered breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and snacks throughout the day. The food is prepared with high quality fresh ingredients by our catering companies that specialise in preparing meals for children. The menus are prepared by a team of chefs, dieticians and nutritionists who create menus that are appealing to the children and ensure they achieve their recommended intakes of calories and nutrients. The food offered is nut-free. The portions offered take account of the age of the children and are in line with the regional recommended portion size for babies and young children. They are also offered milk and alternatives to it, and water is available at all times in their rooms. A copy of our menu is shared with you once you join the nursery and every time it changes. You will be informed about your child's feeding routine daily on the Kido app.

Yes, we have vegetarian and vegan options as well as other options you might require. Our chefs have a clever menu design to adapt to the different food requirements and create a balanced diet for children with allergies or other dietary requirements.

Once you sign up with our nursery, our team asks you for information, including any allergies. Our team creates an allergy card that is displayed wherever your child has a meal. Allergy lists are displayed in every area of the nursery. The chefs are informed about allergies, and the food comes in a different sealed container. We also have colour-coded bowls when the food is served. Depending on the severity of the allergy, we will need to create a healthcare plan that is displayed in all the nursery areas. Our team is undergoing food handling and allergy training that is updated once and when needed. We have a strict allergy process that is adhered to in all our nurseries, and the team is trained and updated on how to follow it. There are several options available for each dish, designed to contain different allergens. We also offer a range of very simple dishes, such as Gluten Free Pasta in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, which is suitable for children with very complex and changing nutritional needs.

Once you have chosen the nursery you are interested in on our website, you can click the “book a tour” button, and select a convenient time and date. Our admissions manager will follow up with a call to ensure you are ready for your tour.

Our settling-in process is unique to each child and usually will start with play and stay sessions in the nursery, where you and your child attend together. On the first day, you will be introduced to the key person that will support you through the settling process. You will join in the room that your child will be based in, and you will have a chat to get to know your key person while she/he engages your child in play. Based on the information you tell us about your child and your requirements, you will work with your key person and management to devise a plan that works for your child.

Toilet training is a big step for children! Once the time comes, we will discuss the process with you and ensure the nursery and home routines are aligned and mutually reinforcing. We do offer potty for potty training, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Almost everything! All the meals and snacks during the day, nappies, wipes, additional-curricular activities such as language teaching and athletic activities and all other resources that are used during the day.

Yes, we accept the 15-hour funding that applies on the following term after your child's 3rd birthday. The 15-hour funding is applied by our nursery, and you don't need to do anything. If you are eligible for the 30 hours funding, you will need to provide your unique code that we will apply to claim your funding. Because the 15/30 hour funding is for 38 weeks a year and our Nurseries are open 51 weeks a year, this equates to 11.2 and 22.4 funded hours a week.

Yes, we accept childcare vouchers.

Yes, we accept tax-free childcare. You will need to set up your account for tax-free childcare. You will then search for our nursery using the Ofsted registration number. Once set up you, can pay your invoices using the TFC system.

We require two month's calendar notice when leaving, with your deposit being used to cover part of the last month's invoice.

We have the option of full days (8 am-6 pm) and half days with an option of the morning (8 am-1 pm) or afternoon (1 pm-6 pm).

Yes. If you would like to change your sessions, you can speak to our team, who will be able to accommodate the change, subject to availability. Any changes to your sessions require two months' notice.

Yes, you can book additional sessions depending on our availability.

Once we confirm the availability at the nursery, we will send you an Enquiry Form to complete. In order to secure your space, we require a deposit. The deposit is credited back to your account on your last month at the nursery upon a month's leaving notice. Once all forms have been completed we will register your child and your nursery manager will be in touch to arrange settling in sessions.