Why do parents and children love Pippins Preschool?
The video below was made by Pippins’ families as a show of appreciation for the outstanding preschool staff, and highlights some of the things our families love most about sending their children to Pippins.
At Pippins, families are at the heart of everything we do. Instead of hearing it from us, please read on to hear from other local families in their own words. If you’re a current or former parent/carer, we’d love to hear from you! Please share some thoughts on your child’s experience with Pippins, to help give future families a feel for what our preschool is like. Testimonials can be submitted
here.
2019
‘When we first started looking for a preschool or nursery setting for our child I honestly didn’t think we’d find somewhere that would be so understanding and accommodating to his extra needs. But then we walked into Pippins and every single person was so warm and welcoming. You didn’t make us feel different and you included our son as much as he would let you. We can never thank you enough; going at his pace has massively contributed to the progress he’s made. Pippins has changed my son in so many ways. He’s more confident, more physically able and much more social and vocal now. We don’t know how to thank you for all the hard work you’ve put in with him, for how kind you’ve all been and how encouraging you’ve been to him. We are all so grateful to all of you at Pippins and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
2020
‘All three of my sons have been part of the Pippins family. All three bloomed during their time there. All the extra visitors they have in throughout the year have helped to make lasting memories. My son still remembers the visit from the animals, especially the snake! That was about ten years ago and he still talks about it yet. He remembers all the teachers and some of the activities that he obviously enjoyed. My youngest son is part of the Pippins Preschool family now and he raves about the ladies. He always has a story to tell. I would highly recommend Pippins to anyone with a preschool-aged child. All the ladies are very friendly and approachable.’
2020
‘The Pippins staff are outstanding – I cannot speak highly enough of them. From before my son even started attending Pippins, I felt like all of the staff were so interested in getting to know him as an individual, and working with me to make sure he felt confident and happy from his first day. Now, I can’t get him to leave at the end of the day!’
2020
‘Thank you so much for all your support this year, we can never repay you for all that you have done for our child and the progress that he has made whilst at Pippins. You gave our child a chance: he has never been so happy and is now ready to take the next big step, and we will forever be grateful to you.’
2020
‘Pippins is such a lovely, welcoming and supportive preschool. All of the staff are smiley and approachable and take the time to get to know your children. They have a wonderful large outdoor space in their back garden as well as running special sessions such as Forest School and Musical Bumps.’
2021
‘Wonderful preschool, both of my daughters have attended and not only have they enjoyed it, but it’s helped massively with their development, which has in turn made a real difference to our home lives. Can’t thank them enough for the work they have done, and I highly recommend them to any parents or workers in the area looking for childcare.’
2021
‘Our son has thrived at Pippins. The staff are attentive to his interests and play style, allowing them to provide personalised stimulation and opportunities for development. The forest school is a firm favourite along with the added music sessions!’
2021
‘Pippins is a very well-run preschool with all staff totally committed to the welfare, development and enjoyment of all the children in their care. Our little one has thoroughly enjoyed her time there so far and continues to develop well in all areas thanks to the dedication of all of the team.’
2021
‘My son doesn’t want to leave! Pippins is a great pre-school with amazing staff who really go above and beyond to provide the best experience for the children in their care. My daughter’s favourite memory is learning to tie knots with her teacher. My son loves playing outside in their lovely gardens and at forest school.’
2021
‘Our daughter attends Pippins and absolutely loves it. She has developed so much confidence since she started and she can’t wait to go in each day. The additional activities offered, such as forest school and musical bumps, are amazing. We couldn’t be happier.’
2021
‘Pippins is an amazing nursery. My daughter has been there for over a year now and enjoyed every moment from the beginning. Staff always have a smile on their faces and are very happy to answer any questions parents might have. The outside area at Pippins is a very nice size with plenty of play equipment. Pippins offers a forest school that allows the children to experience nature in the wild area. We would highly recommend this nursery.’
July 2022
‘I just wanted to say how happy and amazed we are by all the fantastic things you have done for [our child] so far. In the very short amount of time she has been at Pippins she is settled, happy, willing to come and eager to tell us all about her day with you all. She has made friends and is growing in confidence all the time. She talks about what she has been doing and can’t wait to get into preschool each Friday.’
July 2022
‘I’m now coming to the end of my second stint as a parent of a child at Pippins, and have nothing but positive things to say about the team and everything they do for the children there. They go out of their way to ensure there’s a wide variety of activities and one-off special events to make it an exciting time, continually doing their best to make the setting as great is it can be. Everything from creating extra summer shaded areas when it’s too hot, forest school activities (which my second child loves), singing, endless arts & crafts, not to mention supporting their development with speech, friendships and general learning.
‘First time out for us it was super easy, as my eldest just seemed to settle in, make friends and didn’t have any developmental struggles. With my second child it’s been a lot harder, as unfortunately she’s struggled with speech and social interactions, which means whilst most of the time she’s incredibly funny and energetic, she can also be a bit difficult to manage. We knew from an early stage that she wasn’t going at quite the same rate in terms of milestones, and Pippins were excellent at keeping us informed of how she was developing in the setting as well, that way we could put joint actions/strategies in place, working together to help her grow.
‘After we moved into her second year it became apparent she would need more support. This took a lot of time and effort from an administrative point on the part of Pippins to apply and get the extra funding to allow her more one to one time. Sandra, who was directly managing this alongside Mandy, was excellent, and through their support and guidance we were successful in receiving the extra funding and support she needed. And I’m delighted to say it’s really made a difference, not only to her development but to our lives outside of the school, as at certain times we had been really struggling. Additionally, to the extra one on one time, they’ve been holding meetings between us, John Huntingdon’s Charity and Icknield to help her transition there, and we’ve successfully moved from her not wanting to go [to primary school], to being excited about it.
Overall, the entire team at Pippins have been great, they’re all very approachable and love telling you about what your children have been up to, documenting as much as they can so you can share in it, and just generally doing everything you would want and hope from a childcare setting. To any parents considering pre-schools in the area, I would happily recommend them, my youngest is now 7 months, and I am also looking forward to taking her there as well in the not so near future.’
July 2022
‘As the end of term draws near I have been reflecting on what a truly wonderful preschool Pippins is. My third and final child will leave soon and I feel sad that this will be the last time a child of mine will get to go there. Three children and three amazing experiences of unwavering support, care and early years education. The staff are knowledgeable, supportive and create a fun and dynamic learning environment that meets each and every child’s individual needs. Thank you so much for making a difference, going above and beyond, and for everything you have done for my family. We are going to miss seeing you all so much!! For anyone considering Pippins for their little one, please don’t hesitate to book your space – you couldn’t wish for a better preschool 💗’
July 2022
‘From my experience as a parent I have found the pre-school to be a nurturing environment for my little girl. She started during Covid and was not really aware of how to play with others. She is now confident to play with others and has developed friendships amongst her peers. The staff are all very caring and know my daughter well. She is always eager to attend and tells me all the great things she has learnt. The staff regularly do activities which work on developing her skills ready for school including writing, counting, and managing her own personal care. She has really enjoyed forest school and learning how to be safe around fire, while whittling sticks etc. I have appreciated all the communication from pippins from regular updates on tapestry, email correspondence […] and staff feedback via focus child sessions and in general when picking up my daughter. My daughter is due to leave this term to start school and we will both be sad to be leaving the Pippins family.’
