Dunblane Nature Kindergarten

Ramoyle, Dunblane FK15 0BD
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9.9 71 Reviews
  • Dunblane Nature Kindergarten, Dunblane
Delighted to have been awarded NMT Nursery Group Award 2018.

Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is situated in the beautiful town of Dunblane, with its calm and peaceful community. There are easy links to the motorway network, excellent parking for safe and easy drop off and collection and they are just a short walk to the local train station. The nursery is very much a part of the local community making links with Dunblane, Newton and St. Mary Primary Schools, Dunblane High and Queen Victoria High and providing both nursery and out of school care services.

Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is based across two buildings, a large two storey sandstone villa and a new build single storey property each with direct access to the outdoor play areas. Each building is divided into specially designed play rooms, beautifully furnished and equipped with a plentiful range of quality resources. They have three secure individual fun gardens for each stage of a child’s development to improve the educational experience they provide, giving the opportunity to explore and investigate a wide range of materials and enjoy physical play in a safe and fun environment.

The two buildings are surrounded by a highly engaging and challenging garden area. The garden design was created through consultation with children, parents and staff to encompass a community project and a sense of place for all to enjoy. When parents come to visit, they will find a haven for children to have fun whilst learning. The under footing will compromise of a mixture of turf, wood chip and stone, the various materials chosen to promote the development of child core stability, which in turn develops the balance from within the inner ear. These materials were also chosen for children to work with as a loose part, enhancing the children’s learning experiences as they pick and choose what materials to work with.

Care Provided by Dunblane Nature Kindergarten

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Linda Boon (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 14
  • Total Places for Children
  • 62
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 0 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Christmas & New Year

Funding & Fees Guide for Dunblane Nature Kindergarten

  • Contact us to learn more about our competitive fee structure. Funded spaces available.


  • Parking
  • The nursery has its very own car park at Dunblane Nature Kindergarten, which you are more than welcome to use when visiting us. Ideal for drop offs and pick ups for you and your family too!


Dunblane Nature Kindergarten Reviews (71)

Total of 71, showing 41-60
9.9

Dunblane Nature Kindergarten has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.930) out of 10, based on 25 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Dunblane Nature Kindergarten has 71 reviews.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have a 20-month-old toddler that currently attends Dunblane Nature Kindergarten. I first came across this nursery when walking our dog. I saw a group of children all dressed in full waterproof suits playing in the trickling stream having the best time, splashing and giggling with one another. As my
husband and I walked on, the children all filed into a nursery, we looked at each other and both said, "When we have children, they need to go to this nursery."
3 years later we had our little girl and eagerly booked a visit. We were so impressed with the nursery ethos of exploration, problem-solving and positive guidance. We love that the play facilities are made from natural materials and the children are encouraged to learn about the nature that surrounds them from such a young age.
When our little one first started Dunblane Nature Kindergarten we had the usual tears and separation fears but the staff made this so much easier for us all and she settled there very quickly. Now I have trouble getting her to leave of an evening.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My child, who is in the oldest nursery group, is always happy to be dropped off and, when I pick her up, excitedly shows me everything she’s done that day! The staff seem happy and well-versed in early years curriculum and nursery policy. The children are given choices with food and everything is cooked
fresh and on-site, although there could be more variation. Emails are answered promptly and professionally. My child’s ideas and opinions are listened to and acted on.


I would like to see more theme-based weeks, such as space, animals, music, but that’s about my only criticism. That said, they did a Burns week and have a vegetable allotment space, where children are encouraged to help and watch plants grow.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Overall a great outdoor-focused nursery! Very nice, caring staff and a good variety of activities for the kids to participate in.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Myself and my husband and 2 children relocated to Scotland in February. When we moved we reviewed a few kindergartens in the area and found that Dunblane Nature Kindergarten ticked all of our requirements and more.


Our 2 children settled in fantastically and the staff are more than welcoming and

our children have really taken to their care workers.


Our oldest is 2 and has never been in a kindergarten environment before and within 1 week of settling in and some tears (which the staff dealt with amazingly) he skips into his class which we love to see.


We especially love Dunblane Nature Kindergarten's approach to the outdoor environment and their motto that there is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing and therefore our children get loads of safe and healthy outdoor time, regardless of the weather.


We are absolutely delighted with Dunblane Nature Kindergarten and look forward to our children's years of growth and learning with the kindergarten.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son changed nursery to attend Dunblane Nature Kindergarten and has never been happier. I love the range of activities he participates in and that outdoor play is a key strength of the nursery. The staff are fantastic, our son is thriving in this environment and we couldn’t be happier with Dunblane
Nature Kindergarten.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Great facility and staff, kids are loving going there. Alternative teaching involving nature and outdoors whenever the weather allows, and also applied indoors too.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son is really happy at the nursery and has developed great relationships with the staff. I love the outside ethos and think it’s great how the children go outside in all weathers. I strongly recommend Dunblane Nature Kindergarten.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter absolutely loves this nursery. Every day is a new adventure. The staff are wonderful and go above and beyond. From the moment you step through the door, you can tell from the warm welcome that you are somewhere special. You can drop your child off safe in the knowledge that they will be
extremely well looked after whilst having oodles of fun and enjoying creative learning experiences. Our car journeys home are often filled with tales from the day’s adventures such as exploring outside and enjoying hot chocolate and marshmallows around the campfire. What more could you wish for?

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Great nursery and out of school club!
Kids are given a variety of different activities, food and experiences. Staff are wonderful!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Absolutely amazing nursery, couldn’t imagine sending my child to a better place. Love all the toys and the kids are outside all the time exploring nature. Staff are always friendly and happy to see your children. Great choices for lunch. Love it!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery! Staff are so helpful and so caring with the children. My daughter has developed so much with their support. Very nurturing team.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have been really impressed by how the staff have helped my daughter to settle into nursery. She found it really hard initially to be away from family but they have been really gentle and flexible to her needs and willing to move at her pace which has helped the transition immensely. She is now really
excited about going to nursery and is always buzzing at the end of the day. I love how much time they spend outside and all the high quality, open-ended play opportunities the children have. I also love the freedom the children have to move between the rooms which gives the feeling of an extended family or village.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5

Not as outdoorsy as it used to be and doesn’t seem as structured. I feel perhaps it has been lacking leadership in the last few years.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Friendly, caring, smiling staff who take great care in ensuring each child is a valued part of the nursery family.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My three year old has been attending for 1.5 years now and has positively flourished as a direct result. Her speech, cognition, reasoning are excellent - all fantastic foundational skills. The staff are very caring, skilled, loving and are all absolutely excellent.
My older child also goes to after
school and she loves it just as much as her little sister. I honestly cannot praise the staff enough - best nursery in Scotland as far as I am concerned!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started in April 2016 and has been enjoying his experience. I have also been very happy with the staff.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son attends 'Dunblane Nature Kindergarten' twice a week. He arrives happy, but is literally jumping with happiness when I collect him. He is always very excited to tell me about his day. He loves being outside anyway, so 'Dunblane Nature Kindergarten' is perfect for him. He gets out pretty much
when he wants, is free to explore and play in the spacious outside space. Staff also take the children on local walks regularly, which he loves. He seems to pick up lots of information at nursery, which I suspect comes from the child led approach e.g. he was telling me about fossils recently. He likes the staff and I am very happy to leave him to their care. They are warm, welcoming and very interested in the children and their care.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have used Dunblane Nature Kindergarten and the after school club for over 4 years and been very happy with the nursery and staff, and will recommend to friends. Our children are happy here and we enjoy the amount of outside time they have and variety of outside play.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our 5 year old son has been at Dunblane Nature Kindergarten for 2 years. We travel out of our way to this nursery due to wanting him to have as much time outdoors as possible. The ethos of Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is excellent. It is child-led and they maximise the use of the outdoor space. We particularly
value the staffs positives attitude to risky play and feel this is so important for children's development. We are so happy with his experience at Dunblane Nature Kindergarten and the lovely home made food is an added bonus.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

An excellent, fun and quirky nursery which offers a good range of outdoor activities and nature based learning. They were excellent at settling in our son and continue to offer him great care.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.930)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.930) out of 10 for Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 25 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 25 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 4.930 for Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is calculated as follows: ( (278 Excellents x 5) + (21 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 299 Ratings = 4.93

  • 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 Dunblane Nature Kindergarten is based on 25 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 62 number of registered child places is 12.4, which has been reached with 25 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 (5)

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Meet the Team (1)

Linda

Linda Boon

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2013

With a professional qualification in childcare many years of experience working with children of all ages Linda manages her nursery and staff team to ensure we provide a secure family environment where you can feel relaxed and confident in the knowledge that your child is being cared for by dedicated staff in a safe environment.