On another note, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to you and the whole Toybox team for everything you have done for Wyatt. He was such a quiet and shy boy when he started, and I worried that he wouldn't make friends, but although he is still quite shy at times, he has flourished so much, and I can hand on heart say that you are all part of the wonderful boy is has become and growing into. 

He is so lucky to have had you all, and I know he will never forget is Toybox days (I will make sure of that!).

I know you are, and will continue to do the same for Abel, and we feel very lucky to have you all. 

Thank you Sarah.

Hi Sarah,

 

Waren and I just wanted to take the time to say that we really are so glad we chose Toybox for Tate. It’s a difficult decision as first time parents and we just wanted to say that you and your team are truly AMAZING !

All of the wonderful activities you all put in place for the kiddies are fantastic and so thoughtful! Tate (and all his energy😂!!!) thrives in this environment and we can’t thank you all enough. He has made wonderful friends and your team always go the extra mile to make sure all the children are so well looked after and cared for.

We really appreciate Toybox and their commitment and hard work on behalf of our little man. The care you all provide is always outstanding.

Just a little thank you for everything you all do 😊

All the best,

Hi Sarah and team,

I don’t say it enough to you but - thank you so much for giving George such a wonderful experience being in Toybox.

Not only has the team collectively eased George during his potty training alongside checking in on progress etc, you also provide wonderful creative and engaging tasks everyday, I’ve especially loved seeing the little explore and finding animals in the garden with their little checklists, the harvest festival story telling and singalong, and not recently the Halloween week - your team go above and beyond to make everyday special and memorable. George comes home chatting all about his day.

He has become much more sociable, and has come out of his shell - this was something I worried about due to covid / lockdowns early on.

You did an incredible job with my daughter Amelie and now with her little brother George.

Thank you !

Kind regards,

Dear Toybox Nursery Staff,

 

I don't really know what to write this is such an emotional last day. Thank you for all the care and love you have shown my beautiful, precious Joseph! I have been with you since he started to crawl and now I can't keep up with him! You have all taught him so many things and set him up to be the very best he can be at school. I've spent the summer thinking that going to school was the major milestone but actually it's leaving you! We are so very fond of you all and it's important to tell you how fond of, and indebted to you, Margaret was too.

My heartfelt thanks and love to Lorraine and to Jade who have been Joseph's key workers, I honestly don't think Joseph would be the wonderful boy he is now without you. Actually that applies to every one of you. You have made a huge difference to hundreds of children and I know you will all do so to hundreds more. Keep on with your phenomenal and oh so valuable work! Sarah, what a team you are, thank you so so much!

With Love,

Hi Sarah,

 

I just wanted to drop an email before I forget, as its Sophia’s last day tomorrow I wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your wonderful team at Toybox. Both of my girls Grace and Sophia have flourished at Toybox and we cannot thank you all enough, I am so happy that my girls have had the pleasure to be around the loving family feel that has been created there and it truly is a fantastic place and I wouldn’t have sent my girls anywhere else. Both girls (and me) will cherish and have such wonderful, fond memories of you all that we will never forget.

 

Seeing Sophia develop and grow in confidence over the last year has been a joy to see and has been largely down to the excellent support and warmth she has received from the team there and I cannot thank them all enough – special thank you to Lorraine for all the support over the last year.

 

Hopefully when life returns to some normal again we will come back and visit.

 

I wish you all nothing but good health and happiness and again a huge thank you and hugs all round.

My wife and I have two children in Toybox nursery. They both started when they were around 10 months old and our eldest will be leaving to attend school in September. Toybox has played an essential part of the development of our girls. They have always enjoyed every session and come out speaking about activities they have done. The staff are excellent and they always have the children's best interests in mind. They are very welcoming and they take a interest in your child (even if they are not your child's key worker). We are always kept up to date with each stage of our childs development and regularly has informal discussions with the staff daily which is fantastic not having to wait months. 

Kind regards

Having sent two of our children to Toybox Jessica who has now left and in her third year at school and Emily who still attends regularly who is in the clever cats the experience over the past years has been both lovely for the children and us as parents.  

The support and guidance that is given by all members of staff has been great fully received. Both children settled so well into the environment, the staff are never short of great ideas and activities that the children can get involved with. From start to finish they have helped our children in any developments and milestones that they have been through ie separation anxiety, potty training, speech guidance and preparation for school. Information is regularly provided on their stages/daily activities and they are always happy to discuss any issues we may have.  

It continues to be a pleasure to be sending our children to Toybox.

Kind regards

It is with great pleasure that I highly recommend Toybox as an exceptional environment for children to grow, learn and develop – I am constantly impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of all the staff. They all bring such great charisma and passion to their work. They promote active learning through play and exploration and the kids adore the variety and challenge of new skills. Chris with his science experiments is amazing! Alison with her craft… they all have great assets and make a powerful team. 

My two youngest have attended (Dexter 2015 – 2017) and Alicia currently. My eldest, Katie, attended a different East Grinstead pre-school which provided a completely different experience – Had I known of Toybox at the time I would have jumped at the chance to send her here.

Toybox has been an incredible support to me and my children as I discovered Katie had a genetic disorder in 2015 and was later diagnosed Autistic. During the last 18 months I have also been going through divorce which has undoubtedly impacted all of us. The staff have been so amazing and nurturing – even to Katie who was never one of their pupils. They all know us by name and will make the time to ask us how we are and involve the kids in conversation. Katie has developed a real bond with Stanley which broke her fear of dogs… truly amazing!  

When Dexter started at Toybox he had special dietary requirements as he was being seen by a Gastroenterologist (amongst other specialists) at the Royal Alexander in Brighton. He was also allergic to eggs and all nuts requiring an EPI PEN. Sarah and her team did an amazing job at reassuring me of all their policies, procedures, training their staff on epi pens and making sure specialty foods were ordered for him. Sarah was so thorough, I never had to worry about leaving Dexter at Toybox – I knew they had it all under control. 

When Dexter began Toybox in 2015, Alicia was 6 months old and Katie was at her most challenging. It was a really difficult time. Dexter’s key worker, Lorraine was amazing at doing extra work with Dexter on ‘emotions’ and trying to get him to understand why his sister was feeling/acting the way she was. I have no doubt the partnership between Sarah and Lorraine devising strategies to help Dexter helped to make him into the tolerate and calm brother he is.  

When Alicia started at Toybox she went through a period of separation anxiety which was most likely learnt behaviour she’d picked up from Katie. The staff all worked proactively to combat this and reinforce positive behaviours at drop off. 

In general my main observation about Toybox is there is a real partnership between Sarah and her staff and then the connection they have with all the children and their parents is so highly valued. The nursey has such an amazing reputation in the town and it is no wonder! Well done Sarah! I admire the fact that your years of experience never makes you complacent – you are highly professional with every child’s best interests at heart. Any child lucky enough to start out at Toybox is guaranteed a solid transition to school – as I have clearly experienced.  

I have had two boys go through Toybox from the age of two. My first, Olly started in 2014 and soon after he started, his Keyworker Gemma noticed he was behind on his speech and swiftly got him the help he needed, she was so amazing in how she dealt with this, he was my first child but she was not alarming she just addressed the situation calmly and worked with us and the speech therapist and within a year he was up to speed with development and we haven’t looked back! He is now a very good reader and does not stop talking. He adored Gemma and Sophie and Chris all 3 of his Keyworkers and still comes in now he’s 6 dishing out cuddles to his Toybox family! My second son Sammy has also loved his time here and Alison and Wendy have both been incredible on bringing Sammy out of his shyness and making him stronger at approaching and making friends. As a result of this Sammy has made a few really strong friendships and is so much better prepared for starting school this year. I really am so grateful that this nursery was recommended to me, I like how everything progresses as a team, the staff working so closely with the parents and being able to give the feedback they do is so comforting and reassuring I have always felt I can fully trust them and my boys adore every single member of staff. I also love that the office door is always open and parents are welcome to chat whenever they need too. The areas are always clean and fresh and the children have access to so much. Both of my boys particularly enjoyed the outside space and the freedom that has always been given to them to create artwork. All the staff from every department know my sons names and did from the start and this makes us all feel very welcome and a valued part of the Toybox family. This is the only environment i have ever walked into where every member of staff always makes the effort to look at you and say hello and this was one of the best things for me here, and this welcoming behaviour reflects on the children and just makes this place a very happy and safe environment. It also gives the children the strength and confidence to look others in the eye and say hello, all the children demonstrate this valuable skill when we turn up in the morning, it’s a lovely atmosphere to walk into and I’m so glad my sons were lucky enough to be here. My mother who shares pick ups and who has worked in the childcare industry herself has also said on numerous occasions that she finds this the best environment for children she has come across.

My daughter chloe has been attending Toybox since she was 11 months old. She turns 4 in August. Although she took a few weeks to settle she was soon jumping from my arms in the morning which gave the reassurances needed that she was being lovingly cared for and enjoying her time at nursery. 

The move to hundred acre was seamless and although a little unsure at first Chloe soon built strong bonds with the Krafty Kittens team and Sharon and Katherine were soon a key feature in Chloe's role play at home. Chloe is always excited when she hears it's a nursery day and often asks if she can do a full day when I say it is a half day that day. 

Since being in the Clever Cats I have seen Chloe's confidence grow and grow. It is evident that the Toybox team work hard to create a varied and stimulating environment for the children and provide plenty of opportunities to be creative and have new experiences. Chloe talks very positively about the staff there. It is clear that the nursery never stand still and we have enjoyed seeing the ongoing development of the outdoor space. 

Parents are always encouraged to get involved. We have attended 3 open mornings and enjoyed being able to share chloe's learning journal with her key worker and to take it home. It is also great recieving the newsletters and progress charts updating us on what chloe has been doing and how she is progressing and having an opportunity to share what we are doing at home. The closed facebook page is also a great way for us to see the activities in action. 

We do not have a network of family close by and so we rely on the nursery as an extended family for Chloe. Sarah has been extremely flexible when we have needed to change days, sometimes at short notice due to changes at work. My health has not been at it's best in recent years and knowing that Chloe is being so excellently cared for has made things easier for us as a family. Without this and the flexibility we would have struggled at times. 

I highly recommend the nursery to other parents. We are very thankful to the team for everything they do. They are always there with a smile and do a fantastic job. I know that chloe is going to miss everyone so much when she leaves for school. 

Regards

The care that my son receives at Toybox is outstanding; everyone is so kind, cheerful and attentive. There is no question about how much he enjoys himself and I am confident that his progression is more developed because of his experience there. Thank you to everyone for ensuring my son is happy and safe and nurtured. 

Toybox is the BEST nursery. Both my children attend Toybox, my daughter has been there since 2015 and my son since April 2018. My Daughter would go to nursery everyday if she could as she loves it there and has made lots of friends. My son has extra needs and Toybox has been nothing but accommodating to him and other professionals that have visited him in the setting. All the staff are very welcoming and go the extra mile to ensure my children have fun and their educational and developmental needs are met and encouraged. I don’t know who will cry more when we have to leave, my children or me!

My daughter Alice started at Toybox in late August 2018 having moved from another nursery in East Grinstead that wasn’t conveniently located for us. She was happy and doing well at her previous nursery and we were in two minds about moving her. We need not have worried because from the outset we have been delighted with the care she has received and she has loved Toybox. 

In advance of her start date Sarah and I agreed a phased start over a week where she gradually increased her hours from a couple of hours to a full day. This worked brilliantly and the move to Toybox was seamless. 

One of the things that strikes me most about the nursery is the calm, homely and caring atmosphere. There are always plenty of staff on hand to greet the children in the morning and Alice is always excited and enthused when arriving. She adores all the staff, especially her key workers Sharon and Jackie. She participates in interesting and exciting activities such as painting, cooking and growing plants in the garden. She tells us about what she has done and sings to us the songs she has learned.  

The nursery is the most well organised I have come across and we received a comprehensive induction pack on Alice’s first day with all key policies, information etc. We are kept well informed about Alice’s progress through parent consultations and from discussions at drop off and pick up. 

I have been particularly struck by the way the nursery encourages the children to be independent in their activities. For example at tea time the sandwiches, fruit etc are laid out buffet style and the children serve themselves in a calm and orderly manner. They sit down to eat at tables supervised by an adult and chat away happily amongst themselves. 

A recent initiative which Alice is really benefiting from is the partnership between the nursery and Mill View, a nearby care home. Alice has visited several times and is enjoying making friends and playing with the residents. 

Alice attends Toybox 5 days a week so nursery is a huge influence in her life. We are really happy she attends Toybox with all the wonderful staff and Stanley the dog. Knowing she is happy and thriving makes it much easier for us to leave her. 

Best wishes

All three of my children have gone to Toy Box - since 2009 and our youngest is still there. They have all been so happy there and the friends my older two made at Toy Box are still their ‘best’ friends at school.  

The staff are brilliant! They combine being caring and fun (I love the crazy dressing up days – can’t ever forget Jade as Humpty Dumpty!) with being completely professional, approachable and passionate about what they do. They tell me what my children have done each day, (the range of activities they do is fantastic), what they’ve particularly enjoyed and raise any concerns with me early. Similarly, if I have any concerns the team are more than happy to keep an eye out and give me their opinion and observations at the end of the day. 

 

I’ll be so sad when Lewis goes to school not to be doing the daily Toy Box drop-off after 7 years! A fantastic team.

Hi Sarah,

I just wanted to send an email to say a massive thank you to you for all your support and help over the last 3 years. It is with such a heavy heart that Joshy and I say goodbye to you all today.

You and your team have helped mould Joshy into the person he is today and for that I am incredibly grateful. You have a fantastic team at Toybox and the children are lucky to have you all.

Joshy WILL miss you all there I know he will and I have already cried this morning at drop off so god knows what I will be like come 5.30pm.

Again, thank you so so much for everything Sarah. I will absolutely recommend Toybox to anyone and I wish you all the best of luck and happiness to you and your team for the future.

With love

Fiona and Joshua xxxxx