Business Details
36 Years
experience
Trusted Childcare & Preschool Services in Bristol
At Orchard Lea, we are dedicated to providing a nurturing environment where children can thrive. Established in 1990, our two nurseries in Kingswood and Keynsham, Bristol, offer tailored childcare through play-based learning. Our experienced team, many with over a decade of service, follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework to foster intellectual, physical, and emotional development. We prioritize strong partnerships with families, offering bilingual support and resources for children with additional needs.Our facilities feature age-specific rooms, outdoor learning spaces, and partnerships with local schools to ensure a smooth transition to formal education. With a commitment to inclusivity and continuous staff training, we create a safe, stimulating environment where every child feels celebrated and empowered to reach their full potential.
Services
Baby Nursery
Toddler Care
Preschool Program
Forest School
Special Needs Support
Flexible Funding
After-School Club
Parent Partnerships
Outdoor Learning
Transition Preparation
Details
- Year established: 1990
Highlights and features
- We offer 30+ years of expertise in early years education across two Ofsted-registered settings
- Our staff maintain 1:3 to 1:8 child-to-carer ratios for personalized attention
- We provide specialized support for children with additional needs and multilingual families
- Our curriculum integrates forest school activities and seasonal learning experiences
- We offer flexible funding options including 22-hour weekly free entitlement packages
What people say
Confident happy child
Rich in learning
Developed so much
Amazing facilities
Smooth school transition
Services
Baby Nursery
Our baby rooms cater to children aged 3-18 months with 1:3 staff ratios. Each setting includes dedicated sleeping areas, sensory play equipment, and continuous care from specialist practitioners. We support individual routines while introducing foundational learning through music, art, and outdoor exploration. Parents receive daily updates through our online monitoring app.
Preschool Program
Our Fish Group prepares 3-5 year olds for school transition with structured learning matching reception class standards. Activities develop literacy, numeracy, and social skills through play-based curriculum. We maintain 1:8 staff ratios and collaborate with local schools for smooth educational progression, including early support for children with additional needs.
Forest School
Weekly forest school sessions develop physical coordination and environmental awareness. Children engage in supervised outdoor activities like stream exploration, nature scavenger hunts, and seasonal crafts. These experiences build confidence through risk assessment and teamwork while connecting with natural surroundings across our Bristol locations.
Special Needs Support
We provide tailored support for children with additional needs through individual education plans and specialist-trained staff. Our settings feature sensory-adapted environments and collaborate with external agencies for comprehensive care. Regular reviews ensure personalized development tracking while maintaining full inclusion within group activities.
Flexible Funding
We administer government-funded childcare hours for eligible families, including 1140 annual hours for working parents. Our flexible delivery model accommodates varying schedules with enhanced provision packages covering meals, activities, and learning resources while maintaining compliance with local authority funding requirements.
People
Sarah Miller
Designated Safeguarding Lead
With over 15 years at Orchard Lea, Sarah oversees child protection policies across both nurseries. She coordinates safeguarding training for staff and ensures compliance with national standards while maintaining direct involvement in daily operations.
Tracey Penny
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Tracey manages Keynsham nursery's safeguarding protocols with expertise developed through 12 years of early years leadership. She works closely with local authorities to maintain Orchard Lea's outstanding Ofsted rating and implement best practices.
Nathan George
E-Safety Officer
Nathan coordinates digital safety across both settings, managing online learning platforms and monitoring systems. With qualifications in early years technology integration, he ensures secure communication between staff and families while protecting children's online welfare.
Questions
What age groups do you accept?
We care for children from 3 months to 5 years across five age-specific groups with tailored staff ratios.
How do you support school readiness?
Our preschool curriculum follows reception class structures with forest school activities and transition partnerships with local primary schools.
Are meals provided?
Funded places include meals at specific times, while other sessions charge £3.30-£3.50 for lunch or tea.
What qualifications do staff hold?
All staff have NVQ Level 3 or higher in childcare with specialist training in first aid, safeguarding, and inclusion.
How do you handle special educational needs?
We create individual education plans with regular reviews, sensory-adapted environments, and external agency collaboration for comprehensive support.
Can I visit before enrolling?
We offer home visits for settling-in sessions and welcome prospective parents to tour our facilities by appointment.
Reviews (5)
Jodie Notley
Aug 18, 2018
Report
Orchard Lea is a wonderful Nursery , my daughter loves going there and all of the facilities and staff are amazing . I will be very sad when the day comes for my daughter to leave.
Jill Marie Watkins
Jan 09, 2017
Report
After a traumatic experience having to change my sons nursery at very short notice we are so pleased with everything the nursery has done for our son and our family already. It seems like fate played a hand in the situation we were in and he is better off.
Vikki Holliday
Dec 29, 2016
Report
Love the nursery it shame my little girl was ill for so many mouths but God I got say thankyou so much for making the get well soon card for her and ring us up asking how she is she go in last group of this nursery but I glad she came to this one I will say this my best nursery I sant my little girl too
Ali Hewer
Aug 12, 2016
Report
This has been the best nursery ever, both my children have thrived here and I would recommend it to anyone
Carina Smith
Feb 05, 2015
Report
A wonderful, homely environment rich in learning, development and fun. Great staff, delighted my little one is part of the Orchard Lea family.
