Welcome to Nest Nursery
A small, nurturing day nursery designed to feel like an extension of your family.
Tucked away in the leafy suburb of Dringhouses in York, we provide a calm, caring space where children can explore, imagine and grow at their own pace.
Our Approach
We believe in high-quality care delivered with heart. With room for just 22 children and a highly attentive team, our days are built around meaningful interactions, gentle routines and opportunities to explore nature and creativity. Every child is encouraged to develop at their own pace — supported, not rushed.
Our nursery is built around three core principles:
Play
We believe children learn best through play that isn’t restricted by set rules or outcomes. We provide a variety of open-ended materials and flexible play spaces, both inside and outdoors. This allows your child to explore, create and solve problems in their own unique way. By encouraging them to try new things and take safe risks, we help them develop deep thinking skills and confidence.
Grow
Every child is unique, with their own interests and ways of exploring the world. That’s why we pay close attention to what your child enjoys and is curious about. By noticing what excites and engages them, and by really listening to their ideas, we tailor our support to suit your child’s individual needs. This helps your child to feel important, boosts their confidence and encourages them to take pride in who they are.
Belong
Strong relationships sit at the heart of everything we do at Nest. As a small, homely nursery, we offer a warm family feel where children, parents and staff build close, trusting relationships. Children feel safe, understood and confident because they are truly known by the adults who care for them.
FAQs
We welcome children from nine months old until they start school.
We are open Monday to Friday, from 8:00am to 6:00pm.
The nursery is closed on bank holidays and for one week over Christmas. We will confirm the exact Christmas closure dates with parents well in advance.
Yes, we ask that children attend at least two days per week. In our experience, this helps children settle in, build relationships with the team and other children, and become familiar with nursery routines.
We value the benefits of children of different ages spending time together and encourage mixed-age play at appropriate points throughout the day.
We also have dedicated baby and sleep rooms, allowing children to have quieter or separate spaces when needed. Whether children are playing together or in smaller groups, our team provides care, experiences and activities suited to each child’s age, interests and stage of development.
We ask parents to provide a suitable supply of nappies and wipes for their child.
Please bring the essentials your child will need for their day, including:
- A complete change of clothes
- A waterproof coat and suitable outdoor footwear
- Weather-appropriate items, such as a sun hat or warm hat
We make use of our outdoor space throughout the year, so please make sure all clothing is suitable for the weather and clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Yes. We have a small car park directly in front of the nursery. Drop-off and collection times are staggered where possible to help reduce congestion.
As spaces are limited, we kindly ask parents to park considerately and keep their visit brief during busy periods.
Yes. We have a small, covered buggy storage area. Space is limited, and any buggies or pushchairs left at the nursery remain the responsibility of their owner.