With four gardens, a riverside setting and easy access to nature trails, Little Pandas Nursery has an enviable location which provides plenty of outdoor activities for children.
This has been particularly welcome during the pandemic as staff were able to continue to provide fresh air and exercise for their young charges. There is also plenty of space inside the Erskine-based nursery, with seven rooms in total available for children aged 0-5.


Approved by Renfrewshire Council, Little Pandas offers 1140 funded hours to children and follows all recommended ways of learning supported by the Scottish Government. It has been providing nursery services since 2014 and is registered for 108 children, including 26 babies.
The nursery is designed to suit the needs of young children in a modern, safe, comfortable learning environment. Playrooms are spacious and bright, each with a variety of age and stage appropriate toys and resources. 
It also features a secure camera system throughout the building to give parents the best possible peace of mind. 


“Our aim is to create warm and caring relationships with each individual child, allowing them to develop and grow in a comfortable and safe environment,” says Manager, Jennifer McNaughton. 
“Our curriculum planning is responsive to each child’s individual needs and abilities. We strive to provide an environment which is fun, exciting, nurturing and enabling. We are committed to offering quality childcare to every child that attends our nursery.”


Jennifer is a qualified sports professional, and the nursery offers sports sessions as well as a soft play area. In addition, there is an outdoor co-ordinator who makes full use of all the outdoor access the nursery provides. 
“It is important to look after children’s physical and mental well-being and they love being here,” says Jennifer.  As a result of its links with the council, specialist teachers visit the nursery, and a Spanish teacher is currently giving the children an introduction to Spanish.
It may seem young to introduce a foreign language, but Jennifer emphasises that everything is age appropriate and a development pathway that ties in with the Curriculum for Excellence has been established at the nursery.


“We try to give them as many skills as we can so that by the time they go to school they are ready,” says Jennifer. “We do a lot of baking with them as well as numeracy, literacy, messy play and imaginative play – all the different types of learning that should be going on.”


The nursery makes sure quality activities and experiences are provided to promote each child’s development and learning, with the emphasis on play and joyful learning to encourage children to think for themselves in a manner that is inquisitive and creative.
Staff refer to and follow best practice as indicated by the Care Inspectorate (Health and Social Care Standards), Scottish Social Services Council and Government guidance on Covid measures. They also apply the Getting It Right For Every Child approach to promote high levels of wellbeing in order to enable each child to become confident and resilient and be given the right support when needed.


Parents, alongside staff and other agencies, are involved with care and development plans designed to help the children meet their full potential. The staff work hard to promote an environment where communication and contributions are sought from children, parents, staff and other stakeholders, which give a sense of ownership of the setting. Staff development as well as children’s development is important at the nursery and continuous professional development is encouraged, while leadership opportunities are provided for all staff. 


Tours available by appointment – just call 0141 8124002. Enjoy a virtual tour on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJc6K_Qx-M