Melville Street Nursery is a private day nursery which is located in the heart of Edinburgh's West End area. Melville Street is one of many nurseries under the Early Days branch, being the newest nursery added to the collection. The nursery is situated in a stunning Georgian townhouse, with state of the art resources on offer to the children who attend. Each age group has their own level in the house, meaning they are well catered for, with additional areas such as a sensory room and outdoor area where the children can explore through their experiences. The nursery holds 3 main age groups; babies, tweenies/toddlers and preschool. In addition to the areas designed for each age group, the children also have teachers come to the nursery to have music and yoga sessions. The children are also taken out of the setting for activities such as swimming and football, where they can then go on to learn and have fun with new experiences and skills. The nursery days are 4 days a week and the opening hours are 8am - 6pm.
Address of Melville Street Nursery - 57 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7HL
Website - http://earlydaysnursery.org.uk/melville-street-nursery/home/
The Nursery is a great setting to be in and gain experience from, as all the staff are friendly and easy to communicate with. They do not hesitate to help add to any work, or talk to you about policies in order to help your understanding. They also make sure to find out what it is that you would like to achieve from having a placement with them, ensuring that they can aid and support you in doing so.
If you are not from the area or have family or friends around to stay with, there are plenty of hotels in the nearby area. Being situated in the heart of the West End area, boasts many options for accommodation, however being in this area in a major city does come at a price. The closest hotel is the West End hotel, which is an approximate 5 minute walk away from the nursery. The hotel can be found here: http://www.thewestendhotel.co.uk/
The West End hotel is a 'Stylish, comfortable and affordable' accommodation, which also has a bar and restaurant in the downstairs area of the hotel. There is a choice of room on offer, you can either stay in a private room, or in a shared dormitory style room. The private rooms come equipped with their own en suites, tv's and drinks making facilities, making it a pleasant and comfortable stay. The dormitory style rooms can either house 8-10 people or 12-18 people with shared bathrooms.
Other facilities on offer is the use of free WiFi, hair dryers and straighteners, 24 hour CCTV, Bed and Breakfast deals and 20% food bill for the duration of your stay.
There are many supermarkets close by in order to get food and drink, the closest being a large sainsburys local store just 5 minutes walk away from the hotel.
Address:
The West End Hotel,
35 Palmerston Place,
Edinburgh,
EH12 5AU
Alternatively, there are many other hotels just a short walk away from the setting including the Edinburgh Thistle Hotel, which is also just a 5 minute walk away.
http://www.edinburghthistlehotel.com/
There are many buses that run throughout Edinburgh, with frequent times starting very early in the day to also very late at night. The number 41 bus runs all the way through the heart of the city and drops you off right at the end of Melville Street. Alternatively, there are many bus stops around the nursery to take you in whichever direction you need to go. Please note that if you were to drive there is parking on Melville Street, however it is pay and display, meaning you would have to pay for a ticket each day. Being a busy city, the closest parking would either be a side street if you were to find one close by, or parking far away and walking the rest of the way.
A full bus timetable of the city of Edinburgh can be found here: http://lothianbuses.com/
Edinburgh also has a train station called Edinburgh Waverly, which is where trains can be found to travel to Edinburgh and from Edinburgh at the end of placement. The website to buy travel tickets can be found here: http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/.
As Edinburgh is such a lively and exciting city, it is not a surprise to know that there are lots of pubs, bars and nightclubs in the area, offering a different night out depending on your preferences. If you talk to some of the locals, they will tell you that a good place to go is Whistle Binkies. Whistle Binkies is a bar which offers a live musical experience, located in the heart of the city, not too far from Edinburgh castle. Another great place to go is Captains Bar, where upon entry, will meet the friendliest bar workers and a great atmosphere.
If shopping is more your thing, then Princes Street is where you need to go. It holds every retail shop ever wanted all on the same road, ranging from shops such as Primark, New Look, River Island and Topshop, to the more expensive such as Jenners department store.
Alternatively, there are shops all throughout the city, boasting Scottish trinkets and souvenirs which are more traditional and cosy places to be. There are also a few indoor shopping centers such as the St James, however they do not have as many choice of shops on offer as Princes Street.
There are also many cultural places of interest to visit such as Edinburgh Castle, which is not only the most popular attraction, but also the oldest building in the city.
Throughout the city there are also many parks and gardens, which on a clear day is a must to see all of the colours and artistry that they own. Edinburgh also plays host to various different museums, so if art and culture is an interest, a visit to the museums is a must.
When it comes to eating and dining, the possibilities of where to go is endless. Being such a lively city, there is always a place to dine whichever direction you look.
Things to do, things not to do
It is vital to follow the policies that the nursery has and to read them thoroughly in order to fully understand.
As it is such a long day and you will be on your feet a lot, ensure to wear flat comfortable shoes.
Do a test run of the journey you will take to the setting before actually starting, so that you know where to go and how long it will take.
Make a note of what you have done at the end of every day, as the days are so long, it may be possible that you forgot what you carried out on your placement.
Manager: Toby Hartley
Deputy Manager/ Preschool Teacher: Karima Perez
You can contact the nursery by contacting Toby on 01312266184
Ensure to plan your journey and visit beforehand, to ensure you can get to the nursery on time.
Check with the setting what time you have to start and also what clothes to wear (smart clothing and sensible shoes).
Remember to think about what you want to achieve from the placement, so that the nursery can aid you in any way they can.
Take a packed lunch and a drink with you as if you leave the setting on your lunch, you may not be back on time.
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