Building strong bonds with our families is important to us and this starts with quality communication. Here at City and Little City Nursery we believe in the importance of working with our parents and carers to ensure your voices are heard. Its our intention that your views and opinions on our services are not only respected but utilised to improve what we offer. In this way, we aim to ensure we are supplying the best nursery environment and experiences for your child.
Our facilities are split across two buildings. Little City caters for our youngest children aged 0 to 36 months, whilst City is set up to receive children aged from 33 months until school age.
Each building has a number of large playrooms, spacious garden areas, a sensory room, sleep rooms, a parents room, offices, a staff room, a kitchen and a laundry room. We also have a state of the art security system which controls our door entry system, has CCTV monitoring of sleep areas at Little City, and allows all the rooms in each building to speak to each other or to a manager.
Little City has three purpose built playrooms complete with nappy changing units, a sleep room and a large sensory room equipped with UV lights, a projector, glitterball, bubble tube and fibre optic lights. It also has two outdoor garden areas with small climbing frames, loose parts play, sand and water play, and a variety of outdoor toys. We also have a comfortable parents room which can be used for breast feeding.
Our baby room, Caterpillars, caters for children aged 0 to 18 months and offers a variety of stimulating sensory and age appropriate experiences, including sand and water experiences, loose parts play, a home corner, a story area and a sensory area. It has its own sleep room across the landing with cots and with CCTV and sound monitor.
The Butterflies room is for children aged 19 to 24 months, and the largest playroom is the Busy Bees room for the oldest children at Little City aged 24 to 36 months. Both of these rooms offer loose parts play, sand and water play, crafts and painting, sensory experiences, a story corner, a home corner, construction and small world experiences and have direct garden access.
The ratio of adults to children in our Caterpillars and Busy Bees rooms is 1:3, and 1:5 in our Busy Bees room.
Our oldest children are accommodated in our City Building, which has two large playrooms, a quiet room, a large dining room, a large outdoor garden area, a sensory room and comfortable parents room.
The garden area has a mud kitchen, loose parts play, sand pit, and water play, as well as lots of space and resources for physical play and the development of gross motor skills, such as a hammock swing, rope bridge and balancing blocks. We also have an outdoor classroom complete with lighting and heating.
Our oldest children are accommodated in our City Building, which has two large playrooms, a quiet room, a large dining room, a large outdoor garden area, a sensory room and comfortable parents room.
The garden area has a mud kitchen, loose parts play, sand pit, and water play, as well as lots of space and resources for physical play and the development of gross motor skills, such as a hammock swing, rope bridge and balancing blocks. We also have an outdoor classroom complete with lighting and heating.
Additionally, we have access to a small woodland area at the rear of the nursery where children regularly go for walks. Children also have the opportunity to go on forest school outings on two days a week at Hermitage of Braid nature reserve. Children visit here to engage with learning in the outdoors and enjoy inspirational, stimulating, hands on outdoor learning experiences including den building, making and playing with swings, hammocks, climbing trees, playing with organic materials, outdoor games etc. They are supported throughout by staff to manage their own risk safely.
The Ladybirds room caters for children aged 2.5 to 3.5 or 4 years, and is bright, and inviting. It has an exciting messy play area offering a number of sensory and creative experiences including sand and water trays, painting easel, playdough table and crafts and gluing table. There is a construction area with block play, and a small world area with cars, a dolls house, dinosaurs and animals, a fun home corner with dolls and a den, a cosy story corner with a selection of age appropriate books, story spoons and puppets, and a mark making table with crayons, pencils, pens, different coloured paper, rulers, etc. Ladybirds room also has a nappy changing station, child sized toilets and sinks and facilities for potty training. The ratio of staff to children in this room is 1:5.
Our largest play room is known as the Early Learners and is for our older children aged 3.5 to 4 years up to school age. This room is our preschool department where we follow the Curriculum for Excellence in conjunction with GIRFEC and Realising the Ambition best practice guidance. Experiences and outcomes are planned responding to children’s interests and learning, and children are able to explore a variety of contexts and experiences through play supported by our dedicated staff team in a safe environment where children are encouraged to learn to manage their own risks.
Facilities include a large ‘messy area’ with sand, water and mixing trays and a playdough table, as well as an art area which a painting easel which can accommodate several children at once, junk modelling, gluing and crafting resources and and a gallery of children’s artwork.
There is also a fun home area with dressing up where children can engage in imaginative role play, and a cosy story corner with a sofa, blankets, story spoons, and age appropriate books where children have opportunities and resources to practice story telling, share their news, and join in with songs and rhymes. In the adjacent quiet room, there are sensory toys, musical instruments, and song spoons and here children can explore group games, singing, dancing, and other expressive and artistic pursuits.
In our literacy area and throughout the Early Learners room we have resources to encourage exploration of mark making and writing including pencils, crayons, felt markers, pens, different colours and sizes of paper and card, envelopes, and other stationary.
In our construction area we have a variety of blocks and other materials available for the children to explore, utilise, create and construct and a spacious construction shed in which to play with these. There is also a small world area with train tracks, cars, animals, dinosaurs and a dolls house.
The ratio of staff to children in this area is 1:8.
Posted on Google H MadsenTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. An incredible nursery where your child is well looked after. Attentive, loving, and engaged staff who all take their time to provide the very best of care every single day. Everyone is so lovely - from teachers to management. Can't recommend this nursery enough.Posted on Google Kenneth McAlpineTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Beautiful red stone buildings!Posted on Google Malcolm LawrensonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Both kids went here and were very happy and well looked after. On site parking making drop off and pick up easy.
‘Food choices were nutritious and reflected current guidance. The nursery chef was a valued member of the team who children were fond of, shown through their engaging interactions and warm approach. We observed confident children engaging in a lunchtime routine that promoted choice, independence, and positive social interactions in an unhurried environment.’
Care Inspectorate, 17th May 2024
Our nursery menus are seasonal and changed weekly according to a four week rolling menu programme, and were created with input from children, parents and staff. We cater for vegetarians, vegans, and any other food preferences such as halal, along with allergies or dietary requirements including gluten and dairy free. An alternative option is offered where children do not like the menu selection, such as the previous day’s lunch option, where available, or a sandwich, plain crackers, cheese and fruit. All dishes are prepared on site by our trained chef and in accordance with the latest nutritional best practice guidelines.
Here’s a sample menu from September 2024.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast/am snack | Continental: cereal, toast, fresh fruits, milk | Continental: cereal, toast, fresh fruits, milk | Continental: cereal, toast, fresh fruits, milk | Continental: cereal, toast, fresh fruits, milk | Continental: cereal, toast, fresh fruits, milk |
| Lunch | Chicken & leek pie, new potatoes, carrots | Vegetable soup with cheese fingers | Pork meatballs & spaghetti, tomato sauce, green beans | Fish fingers, chips and peas | Mixed bean stew served with rice |
| Vegetarian | Vegetable pie, new potatoes, carrots | Vegetable soup with cheese fingers | Vegan meatballs & spaghetti, tomato sauce, green beans | Vegan fish sticks, chips and peas | Mixed bean stew served with rice |
| Pudding | Natural yoghurt with optional fruit puree | Homemade hot apple crumble | Fruit jelly | Custard and bananas | Milkshake |
| Pm snack | Rice cakes, cheese sticks with apples and pears | Baked beans on toast and pepper batons | Pancakes served with berry fruits | Cheese/ham sandwiches, with mixed veg batons | Scone served with melon selection |
We recognise that modern families have differing childcare needs. Accordingly we strive to be flexible and offer a variety of childcare contracts to suit different needs including full time and part time contracts.
We also offer a limited number of term time only places.
We work in partnership with Edinburgh City Council and offer a number of 1140 hours funded places for children aged 3 and over.
Our daily rate for a morning session includes breakfast/morning snack and lunch, afternoon session rates include afternoon snack.
We recognise that modern families have differing childcare needs. Accordingly we strive to be flexible and offer a variety of childcare contracts to suit different needs including full time and part time contracts.
We also offer a limited number of term time only places.
We work in partnership with Edinburgh City Council and offer a number of 1140 hours funded places for children aged 3 and over.
Our daily rate for a morning session includes breakfast/morning snack and lunch, afternoon session rates include afternoon snack.
Discounts currently available.
We offer a 5% discount for siblings. This is available where both children book six or more sessions each week, and is applied to the eldest child’s fees.
Extra Hour flexibility
Extra hours can be booked between 12 and 2pm. If you are booking a morning session which ends at 1pm, but require flexibility, you can book an extra hour from 1pm until 2pm. Similarly, if you are booking an afternoon session from 1pm, you can book an extra hour before the session starts from noon until 1pm, and this can include lunch if required.
Fee Rates
Our fees from 1st March 2025 for morning, afternoon or full day sessions are detailed below.
Morning session:
Under 2 years old £50.40
Over 2 years old £44.00
Afternoon session:
Under 2 years old £44.00
Over 2 years old £40.00
Full day session:
Under 2 years old £89.00
Over two years old £79.00
Extra hours between 12pm and 2pm:
Without lunch £10.55 per hour
With lunch £15.60 per hour
For more information about our childcare contracts, discounts and current fee rates please email or call:
Our nursery is led by Cara Ross and a highly experienced management team, supported by education and business professionals. All staff are SSSC or GTC registered and PVG checked, with most fully qualified or working towards relevant childcare qualifications. We’re proud of our strong commitment to ongoing professional development. Through training, support, and passion, our team ensures the best care and learning for every child.