Our Vision at The Croft Nurseries
Stonehaven & Chapelton
“Every child cherished, every voice heard”
At The Croft Nurseries Ltd, we believe every child deserves a nurturing start filled with wonder, warmth and meaningful relationships. Our vision is to be a sanctuary of early learning where children feel safe, valued and inspired, growing into confident, compassionate individuals who are ready to embrace the world.
Our Values
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Kindness and connection
We build gentle, respectful relationships that honour each child’s voice. -
Curiosity and creativity
We spark imagination and exploration through play, nature and storytelling.
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Reflection and growth
We learn together (children, families and staff) through thoughtful practice. -
Safety and trust
We create secure spaces where children feel emotionally and physically safe.
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Community and collaboration
We work hand in hand with families, valuing their insights and contributions.
Our Aims
- To provide a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, loved and inspired.
- To deliver high-quality early learning experiences, tailored to each child’s unique journey.
- To foster strong, respectful relationships with families and the wider community.
- To support children’s wellbeing through active play, emotional literacy and healthy routines.
- To empower staff through reflective supervision, continuous professional learning and leadership opportunities.
- To align our practice with national guidance such as Realising the Ambition, Curriculum for Excellence, and SSSC Codes of Practice.
- To ensure every child leaves us with a sense of belonging, confidence and readiness for their next adventure.
Our Curriculum
Transitions – We offer home visits to families, 6 weeks transition period prior to starting nursery place, transitions are supported by our empathy doll (Clara Croft).
Our Curriculum is built around the principles of learning through play, encouraging curiosity and independence. We follow Scotland’s national guidance for early learning and childcare ensuring our approach supports every child’s well-being learning and development.
We feel that children learn best through meaningful play, our staff create environment’s that inspire exploration, creativity and problem solving.
We use online learning journals to record and celebrate each child’s progress. Families can access their child’s wellbeing, photos and observations at any time, helping strengthen the home-nursery partnership and keeping parents fully involved in their child’s development.
Forest School
Our Forest School provides children the chance to explore, play and learn in nature. A small group of 7 children, accompanied by experienced staff, travel on our nursery minibus to a beautiful outdoor site, featuring marshland, ponds, waterless toilets, mud kitchen and tree house. Through hands on child-led experiences, children develop confidence, teamwork and respect for the nature world all while having fun getting muddy and discovering the wonders of the outdoors.
Our Rooms
0-2 years – Baby Room
Our bay room offers a calm, nurturing and homely environment, where our youngest children can feel safe, loved and secure. With a 1:3 staff:child ratio each child receives plenty of individual attention and care. The room is thoughtfully designed with a cosey rest space and baby play gym to support early movement, curiosity and sensory exploration. Our experienced staff follow each babies own routine for feeding, sleeping and play ensuring a gentle and consistent approach that helps them thrive.
2-3 years – Toddler Room
3-4 years – Ante Pre School
Our ante pre school room provides a stimulating and supportive environment where children’s confidence and curiosity continue to grow. With a 1:8 Staff:child ratio practitioners encourage children to develop independence, communication and early problem-solving skills through play-based learning.
Activities are carefully planned around each child’s interest helping them explore early literacy, numeracy and the world around them.
4-5 years – Pre-school
Our pre school room supports children as they prepare for their exciting transition to primary school. With a 1:8 staff:child ratio our skilled practitioners provide a rich, play based curriculum that builds on each child’s interest and ability. Through engaging experiences in literacy, numeracy, creativity and outdoor learning children develop confidence, independence and a strong sense of achievement. We work closely with families and local schools to ensure a smooth, positive transition into their next stage of their learning journey. Pre school children attended weekly Forest School session at our private location at Rothnick.
5-12 years – Out of school club
We provide families with care for children who attend the three local schools. Children are escorted to school through a walking bus. We provide care for our out of school children for Breakfast Club (7.30-9.00) and After School care (3.15-5.30). Our ratio for out of school is 1:8 for children under the age of 8 and 1:10 for 8-12 years.