A tailored, personal service
Rocking Horse Nursery is a well-established nursery located in Duddingston, Edinburgh. Since 1990, we have been providing quality childcare in a loving and attentive environment. Our nursery is a low-rise building with the benefit of an enclosed garden, play area, and a spacious kitchen area where we prepare homemade cooked lunches for the children. We are registered to accommodate 30 children and operate a 1:3 staff ratio for children aged 0-2 years, 1:5 for children aged 2-3 years, and 1:8 for children aged 3-5 years.
Our Services
At Rocking Horse Nursery, we accommodate children between 3 months and 5 years old. We have dedicated rooms for all of the children with the ability to play together in the garden and on walks/trips. Our opening hours are from 7:30 am to 6 pm, and we are proud to offer home-cooked lunches, many of which use our garden-grown vegetables. Our Early Years cook involves the children in the making of snacks and the children really enjoy baking together.
We are very fortunate to be close to many local amenities such as Figgate Park, The Library, and the seaside. We regularly visit these places and incorporate active learning experiences within our nursery garden, including planting and growing our own vegetables.
The Explorers (0-2 years)
The emphasis in this room is on love, care, and building strong relationships. We work closely with parents to establish a routine for our youngest children. Within the playroom, we build on children's interests and provide activities from the lead of the child. The room has the benefit of direct access to our nursery garden for outdoor play which is covered with soft surface and has suitable outdoor toys which we rotate regularly to stimulate and challenge our children.
The Investigators (2-5 years)
The Investigators Room is a large, bright, and open play space for the 2-5-year-olds to explore. The Investigators use the garden room door for direct access to the nursery garden too, as well as getting out and about on trips. The staff within the room plan to ensure a balanced programme of activities, in response to children's interests and preferences. As the Investigators reach pre-school age, staff help to prepare the children for school.
Our Staff
We pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced childcare teams in Edinburgh. Our staff are enthusiastic and engaging, working in a motivated environment. We have a dedicated team of early years practitioners who promote curiosity, enquiry, creativity, and independence in a supportive manner with quality experiences and open-ended resources. Calming and safe spaces are provided for the wellbeing of the children.
Gillian Somerville - Nursery Manager
Degree of BA in Childhood Practice
Started September 2008
Jennifer Devlin - Nursery Deputy Manager/Investigators Room Leader
SVQ Level 4 Social Services (Children and Young People)
Started September 2012 as a student, became an employee in February 2013
Emma Cusack - Nursery Assistant Deputy Manager/Explorers Room Leader
SVQ Level 3 Social Services (Children and Young People)
Working towards BA (Honors) in Early Childhood
Started
