Supporting Families: Inside The Wendy House Day Nursery In Hornchurch.

By Jordan Curry – Trainee Journalist

Jordan is an aspiring journalist with an NCTJ Level 3 qualification, supported by Ability Today, who is passionate about reporting on community stories, features, and crime.

The Wendy House Day Nursery has provided childcare to families in Hornchurch and the surrounding area for over three decades. They won a national day nurseries platinum award last year which is proudly shown off in the photo below.

Nursery manager Laura utilises nearly twenty years of experience and leads a team of staff from the front. Liaison with parents, play, overseeing children’s progress and nappy changes are among her varied duties.

Asked what the sector’s biggest challenges are currently, she he cited recruitment and misunderstandings about the day-to-day role. (E.g. It’s all play and babysitting)

“There are not many jobs where you can get covered in glitter, wear pyjamas at work and pretend that you’re a dragon. Nursery life is fabulous and super rewarding.”

One apprentice at the Wendy House who attended in younger years is shortly qualifying to Level 2 in Childcare after seeking post-16 College alternatives. Laura herself once cared for them.

Coronavirus restrictions and the cost-of-living crisis mean the Wendy House has experienced “tricky” moments in recent years. Parents and carers trusting staff relationships meant there was broad support when more children returned to nursery as lockdown restrictions eased.

Wendy House regularly signposts families to support services and webinars when they’re in difficulty, arrange for Havering mobile library to stop at the nursery and recently adopted an ‘enrichment curriculum’.

This includes outside providers visiting with small animals and creepy crawlies in a familiar environment. Children whose families can’t afford to regularly access such experiences therefore don’t miss out.

Expanding childcare is one strategy the government’s using to encourage more households into work with the aim of improving slow economic growth and skills shortages.

However, mealtimes, nappies, everyday “consumables” and equipment are excluded from the up to thirty hours of ‘free’ government funding. Flexibility to spread these hours outside of school term times also varies between each provider.

Laura welcomed working parents being offered the new fundingand did acknowledge the high costs of childcare but says “No-one really questions prices charged by other businesses. It helps ensure we properly remunerate staff and continue our high quality of care.”

Havering Council opening a fund that businesses can use to expand their premises was praised. Upon successful application it will help ensure the “unprecedented demand” expected once the final childcare expansion phase comes on stream in September 2025, is planned for.

Thirty hours of free funding will extend to between nine months and two years old.

Laura believes Havering Council operating “transparently” can help them develop and maintain local business relationships.

Nursery CEO Deborah’s perspective meant we could understand how changes in October 2024’s Budget may affect The Wendy House and wider early years sector.

Deborah was “disappointed” that the Budget failed to announce support for early years providers.

“Rising National Insurance contributions and minimum wage in April 2025 will have major financial impacts on The Wendy House. No business rates relief for nurseries, instead favouring hospitality and fitness is money that could and should be used for improving quality of childcare. Education investment also excluded early years.” Deborah told us.

“We review fees annually and endeavour to keep increases to a minimum. 

However, by September 2025, Havering Council will be funding 80% of childcare costs and until new childcare funding rates are announced for 2025/2026, we remain concerned that these figures will not take into consideration our increased costs. Every early year’s provider faces a worrying time.”

Could a family you know benefit from The Wendy House Day Nursery? Call 01708 437250 or visit Home – The Wendy House to learn more.

The Havering Daily endorse all quality childcare in the borough. Parents/carers are best placed to decide which one suits their circumstances.

Photo credit: Wendy House Day Nursery

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