Arnhall Nursery

Gardens Cottages, Keir Estate, Dunblane FK15 9NU
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10 145 Reviews
  • Arnhall Nursery, Dunblane
Arnhall Nursery is run from a large stone built property with unique features such as a turret. The main building set over 2 floors caters for babies up to 3 years old. They have a separate building in the garden which caters for their 2.5 to 5-year-olds. They also have their own outside class room and log cabin. The nursery has a large and completely enclosed garden and its very own forest schools on its doorstep.

Arnhall Nursery is a private day nursery that delivers high-quality childcare which is created by working with parents to understand the individual needs of each child.

The nursery is set in beautiful surroundings on the Keir Estate, ideally located just off the M9, it has a safe and secure garden where children can play and learn about the outside world.

Children are encouraged to learn through play and nursery staff use fun and engaging activities to boost the children’s confidence.

The children take regular walks on the country estate, forest school sessions and extra-curriculum activities such as Jo Jingles and Enjoy A Ball are on offer.

All meals are included and the nursery offers healthy and nutritional breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, home-cooked by an in-house chef.

Care Provided by Arnhall Nursery

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Norma McFarlane (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 36
  • Total Places for Children
  • 107
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30
  • When Closed
  • Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Arnhall Nursery

  • Please contact us for a copy of our current fees or for any information on funding.


Total of 145, showing 21-40
10

Arnhall Nursery has a Review Score of 10 (9.969) out of 10, based on 38 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Arnhall Nursery has 145 reviews.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery, filled with positive experiences for our daughter. The team at the nursery take great care to ensure the kids have a fun and educational experience each day. Couple this with fantastic food and a brilliant outdoor setting, needless to say, our daughter is very happy.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent nursery, both of my children are/have attended here and we couldn't ask for much more. Staff go the extra mile to make sure the children are happy, settled and learning in preparation for school. So friendly, open and helpful.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has attended Arnhall Nursery since he was six months old. It definitely helped his development and positive attitude. The staff are amazing; they helped him smoothly transition to a new room, ensuring he was happy and welcomed.
My son loves the outside area and the daily forest walks.
Highly
recommend!

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent nursery! My son started at 7 months old and he has flourished.
They are kind, supportive and caring.
He loves nursery days and we have no concerns about sending him in.
The food is amazing, some days I am jealous of the lunch options.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son loves going to this nursery and as his mum, I don't have to worry at all about him. The staff are brilliant, he has a close bond with everyone in his room and specifically his key worker. They do lots of different activities and take them outdoors as much as the weather allows. I can see the
impact they are having on his learning every day. The staff clearly really care about my son and I know he is in incredibly safe hands. Booked my unborn son in for a place already!

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery in a beautiful setting. My little one is always happy to go in and play with all her friends. The frequent updates on the family app during the day give peace of mind that she is being well cared for. The staff are all fantastic too and have a great bond with my little one.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at Arnhall have been amazing with my family. They meet my daughter's needs and help her grow and develop. They have created a tight-knit community that feels nurturing and safe and my daughters loves going to nursery every day (even asking to go on weekends!) The food variety and frequency
are amazing and my wee one comes home asking for all types of different foods!
The outdoor environments are the perfect mix of traditional classroom and forest school which meets our families' needs perfectly.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both my children have used Arnhall and I think it's excellent. Caring, sensible staff and fun activities, including lots of outside time - make it really enjoyable for the children. My daughter loves attending. Also really useful that there are early drop off and later pick up options around work times,
which I find invaluable. Would highly recommend it.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I can't recommend Arnhall enough for what they have done with my child. My little one has been there for 14 months and is now 3 years and 3 months. My little one is outside all the time and thrives. They have an amazing structure for the kids and my Little one is allowed to do a lot on their own and
show independence but still guided. The little ones' numbers and words are great too. Classes can also mingle which lets my little one help with smaller kids and then also play with the older ones too. 10/10 for Arnhall.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has absolutely thrived at Arnhall, she is growing in confidence every day and genuinely loves the carers in her room. The mix of indoor and outdoor learning, the use of materials available and the creativity and kindness of the staff make me very happy to hand over my little one each day.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery staff is very friendly and attentive creating a close relationship with children and listening to feedback from parents. Our key worker has really helped with our son's confidence and nurtures his skills.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Wonderful nursery, can't fault it! Lots of messy play, outdoor exploration, learning and development. The staff are excellent and the facilities are great. Any issues dealt with in a timely and supportive manner.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your continued support.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My children are so well looked after, and I can tell this by how pleased they are to go to nursery. They're always given a variety of activities, opportunities and adventures; they're fed well and their general wellbeing is carefully considered and nourished on a daily basis. The outdoor learning areas
are great and staff seem happy to be there.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. Team Arnhall.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has attended Arnhall for over 2 years and loves it. The outdoor space is fantastic and the rooms are great too with lots of sensory activities, carefully thought out games and play and she always greets me at the end of the day with a huge smile having had a "good day". The staff are fab;
they go above and beyond to provide a fun and caring environment for the children and even do beautiful hairstyles! We have seen her develop through nursery with her social and verbal skills in particular. I would recommend Arnhall and we haven't had any negative experiences. Thank you to the staff for creating a wonderful place that my daughter loves and looks forward to.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. Team Arnhall.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

It's very friendly staff. As a mum, I can relax to put my kid there. My kid is very happy there, making friends there. All nursery teachers like to listen to any problems and are very helpful in solving them. I feel get good support there.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. Team Arnhall.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery has been very helpful and supportive with my daughter's transition into nursery and helping her settle. The allocation of a key worker role has been vital to this which has been great and they have kept us updated when she's with them via the app.

Reply from Norma McFarlane, Nursery Manager at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. Team Arnhall.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child loves every day at the nursery and comes home telling us about all the great activities and learning they have done indoors and outdoors. She talks about all the staff highly and has great relationships with each one.
As a parent, I find the staff very friendly and approachable, and at the
end of each day, always give a brief update. Communication and updates through the app are fantastic, I enjoy seeing all the photos and what they have been up to.
I love they take part in things going on like book week, charity events, etc.
Overall I feel the nursery is a lovely safe setting with lots of outdoor space and the best staff.

Reply from Shona Maclean, Marketing Manager - Scotland & The North at Arnhall Nursery

Thank you for your lovely review. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Arnhall Nursery for 4 years and throughout her time she has been supported very well, from babies right up. The outdoor areas are great and I hear lots of lovely stories about her forest sessions. She has great relationships with staff and I feel like they really know my little
girl very well and are great at planning activities and events based on her interests. We will really miss Arnhall when she goes to school in the summer but I’m confident that the staff have given her the best experiences to prepare her for P1.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My granddaughters have had the best experiences attending Arnhall. The opportunities for outdoor play and forest school experiences are by far the best. The staff are amazing at providing high-quality learning experiences. We will miss Arnhall when my youngest granddaughter goes to school in August
and will treasure the memories they have made forever. They have given them the best start in life.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have 2 great-granddaughters one of which still attends Arnhall Nursery and the other has progressed to primary school and it is very noticeable from her school work that the early learning gained from Arnhall Nursery has been very beneficial to her. We have the pleasure of looking after our other
great-granddaughter on a Monday and it is obvious from watching what she does throughout the day and the way she talks about her days at the nursery that there is high-quality teaching and learning taking place at Arnhall.

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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.969)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.969) out of 10 for Arnhall Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 38 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 38 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.969 for Arnhall Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (441 Excellents x 5) + (14 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 455 Ratings = 4.969

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Arnhall Nursery is based on 38 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 107 number of registered child places is 21.4, which has been reached with 38 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (39)

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Meet the Team (6)

Norma

Norma McFarlane

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2003

Norma started at Arnhall Nursery in 2003 as a Room Supervisor. In July 2011 Norma was promoted to Nursery Manager and since this time has successfully developed into the role. Norma holds her HNC, SVQ4 and a BA in Childhood Practice. Norma is currently working towards her Froebel Practice. In her spare time Norma enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking her dog and cycling.


Amanda

Amanda MacDonald

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2011

Amanda has worked at Arnhall for over 10 years. She holds her SVQ Level 3 in Early Years Education and Childcare, her PDA8 and is currently working towards her Froebel Practice. Amanda enjoys meeting up with family and friends and also walks with her dog.


Caroline

Caroline O'Neil

Job Title: Bumblebee Room Manager

Joined: 2021

Caroline is a Level 9 SCQF Qualified and is the Room Manager of the Bumblebee Room. Caroline joined Arnhall Nursery in 2021. Caroline is also trained in Paediatric first aid enjoys spending time with her two boys and her dog Theo.


Julie

Julie Dick

Job Title: Ladybird Room Manager

Joined: 1995

Julie is the Room Manager for the Ladybird Room and has worked at Arnhall for 25 years. She holds her SVQ Level 3 in Early Education and Childcare. In her spare time, Julie enjoys running and going away in her campervan with her partner.


Dawn

Dawn Dickson

Job Title: Grasshopper Room Manager

Joined: 2017

Dawn is the Room Manager for the Grasshopper room. She holds her HNC in Early Education and Childcare and has worked at Arnhall since 2017. In her spare time, Dawn enjoys reading, going for walks and spending time with her little girl.


Jayde

Jayde Hallam

Job Title: Dragonfly Room Manager

Joined: 2018

Jayde is the Room Manager for the Dragonfly Room and has worked at Arnhall since 2018. She holds her SVQ Level 3 in Early Years Education and Childcare. In her spare time, Jayde enjoys being outdoors, going to the gym and socialising.