A former workplace only nursery in Teddington is now exclusively accepting children who live in the KT1 postcode.

Bushy Tails Nursery and Pre-School, which is located on Bushy Road near the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and entrance to Bushy Park, previously only accepted children whose parents were NPL, LGCC, or OPSS employees.

However, the nursery has now decided to extend applications to the "wider local community," says Bushy Tails' Nursery Manager, Emma.

She added: "We've been a workplace exclusive nursery for over 26 years, so it's really exciting to open our doors to new children."

Bushy Tails is part of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) nurseries chain, meaning it aims to be a sustainable nursery where its children plant, grow and harvest a large variety of fruit and vegetables, which they then cook and eat.

This year, LEYF achieved the King's Award for Sustainability and has been rated London's best nursery out of up to 45 nurseries across the capital.

It provides Early Years education and childcare to children from birth to five years old. 

Babies can enrol into Bushy Tails' Babies room (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

Moreover, the nursery's children enjoy a wide range of activities—from science experiments and breadmaking to sensory play with foam and ice, as well as singing nursery rhymes.

With Bushy Park right next door, they also make regular visits to experience nature and the great outdoors up close.

In addition, the nursery makes use of its three large gardens and takes children on regular trips into Teddington, including recent visits to Happy Potters Ceramics and Squires Garden Centre.

Bushy Tails' children create their own art work which is displayed on the classroom walls (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

Children have the opportunity to create their own artwork, exploring a variety of materials and techniques. Their creations are proudly displayed on the classroom walls, celebrating their creativity and giving them a sense of accomplishment and ownership over their learning environment. 

Bushy Tails is passionate about allowing its children to play outdoors, whatever the weather, and thus has three gardens.

Bushy Tails has three gardens where its children can play and grow vegetables (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

This nursery boasts three expansive gardens where children can grow their own vegetables, dig in the soil, and observe the life cycle of plants firsthand. Beyond gardening, the outdoor spaces are designed to encourage active physical play, helping children develop their gross motor skills through climbing, running, jumping, balancing, and riding tricycles. 

The gardens also offer imaginative play opportunities, such as building dens, role-playing, or exploring nature, fostering creativity, curiosity, and a love of the outdoors. These experiences promote not only physical development but also teamwork, problem-solving, and an appreciation for the environment.

Bushy Tails has three classrooms which are based on age groups, including babies, toddlers, and pre-school. 

It also has its own in-house chefs who provide fresh meals prepared on-site to offer children nutritious, tasty food.

Bushy Tails' Toddler room (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

As the nursery is open from 7.45am – 6.15pm, the children are provided breakfast, lunch, tea, and two snacks. 

As a LEYF nursery, Bushy Tails follows the LEYF pedagogy , which is child-led, meaning that the children provide input in the planning every week based on their different interests. It is designed to strengthen children's educational success by widening their social and cultural capital, with a strong focus on language and communication, giving all children an equal chance to thrive. 

For example, the pre-school group purchased some fish for their classroom back in March as they wanted a pet.

Bushy Tails' Pre-school room adopted some fish (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

Speaking about the pedagogy, Bushy Tail's Pre-School Room Manager and Marketing Lead, Kiran Mahi told Nub News: "The LEYF Pedagogy is based on years of knowledge and learning so that we are able to provide children with a unique way to learn, helping to prepare them for school and life beyond." 

LEYF staff training is paramount, and LEYF has created the London Institute of Early Years, where both internal staff and external candidates can undertake learning and development from apprenticeships, through to BA Hons degrees. 

Staff can access this training at Bushy Tails, and the nursery has two staff members undertaking the Early Years Degree, with another two taking a Level 3 Apprenticeship.

Bushy Tails follows the LEYF pedagogy (CRedit: Tilly O'Brien)

Speaking about working at Bushy Tails, Kiran said: "I really love working here. We have very caring staff and we can see that with how the children work with them." 

Bushy Tails is currently taking enrolments for 2026 and expect places to fill up quickly.

You can find out more about the nursery and how to apply via its website.

Bushy Tails' Pre-school room (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

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