Recently, we took a little trip down to our local child care providers, Fennies Day Nursery and Preschool in Amy Road on Oxted’s east side and spent some quality time with the staff and little ones.
The first advantage is that it’s just a few minutes walk from the station if you’re dropping off on the way to work and in a super convenient location right by the entrance to Ellice Road Carpark.
The second thing you notice is that this facility is purpose built, and huge! An amazing building, which opened in 2019, with different zones for different age groups, lots of friendly, smiley staff (very important!) and a relaxed feel despite their very obvious focus on security. There are no phones allowed inside the rooms, and every room is coded entry, but it certainly doesn’t make it feel intimidating; simply safe and secure, which is what you want for your child and for your peace of mind.
We had a guided tour of two of the main rooms; firstly the toddlers who were enjoying some time in a reading corner with the lovely Jade, followed by a bit of craft and glue time before lunch (made on site by dedicated kitchen staff). The children all look relaxed and happy, a testament to their lovely carers/educators, several of whom are former Oxted School girls with families that are well-established in the community.
Upstairs we sat in with Katherine, Level 3 Baby Room Leader, who has been with Fennies for 2 years and loves her job. She’s brilliant with the babies, who clearly adore her and it’s lovely to see all their smiling faces as she plays games, exploring the sensory pads and mirrors and gives each one load of attention.
Fennies is all about providing quality early education with indoor and outdoor spaces to create a world that “ignites imagination and sparks exploration”.
Founded in 1992, with its head office in Leatherhead, it’s still very much an independent and local, company, with its roots firmly planted in Surrey. It has a large support staff, including specialists in art, PE, language (Spanish) and SENCO, who are constantly visiting the various sites to see how they can develop and improve what they already offer, which is already pretty outstanding.
They hold regular open days, so keep your eyes peeled to their social media or just call or pop in for a quick chat with Oxted manager, Claudia.
We got the impression it’s a tightly run ship and a very happy one. We had fun! Thanks for having us Fennies…
Are you ready to explore Fennies?
Address: 29 Amy Rd, Oxted RH8 0PX
Hours: Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm
Phone: 020 8770 3222
