Page 8 - Thrapston Life September 2022

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SQUIRRELS
Child care nursery in Thrapston
Melissa Swain founded Squirrels at her home, after she left teaching in 2012, and she’s never looked back...
been successful in the bid to have Thrapston, it was amazing. We have totally loved showcasing the beautiful setting and I truly believe each and every staff member, child and parent who visits can see our love of the building, and also the ethos and approach we take to ensure children in our care have the very best experience.
When was Squirrels established? I started Squirrels from my home, as an Oftsed registered childminder. I decided I wanted to do early years my way. At the beginning I had one child, plus my daughter, twice a week – then
it grew to three children, then six,
then nine! By the time we were Ofsted registered, our nursery in Duston was
full. This was over six years ago and we
now have three full rooms at Duston
and Thrapston Day Nursery, which is
72 places.
What made you choose Thrapston?
I had been searching for the right location for several years now. The history of the school, and the nurseries that had been here – we just had to have this as our next site. I am passionate about preserving the past, reusing what we have day to day and ensuring things last. So this went along with our ethos entirely.
Any plans to expand further?
Always – I have plans, but not sharing them currently. We have a spare room at Thrapston and lots planned from September 2022, so watch this space...
What is the best thing about your job? The people. I work with an incredible staff team across both nurseries; we have staff with masters
in Sen, Early Years Degrees, Level 5, 3, 2 and apprentices. I truly believe in growing someone no matter where they are on their life learning journey. All staff have a chance to grow with us.
Describe your business in five words...
Homely, relaxed, rustic, professional, kind. Most challenging part of the job? Dealing
with a wealth of outside professionals. We
Homely, relaxed, rustic, professional, kind
Tell us more... When we were told we had
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