The Nest believe in hiring for attitude. A values-based approach to recruitment, focussing primarily on soft skills and personal attributes. Each of the team have innate child centred qualities which in turn fosters a positive, safe and fun learning environment.
Not all nests are built the same. Ours come with muddy boots, cosy corners, big ‘invitations’, home-from-home warmth and a healthy dislike of ‘we’ve always done it this way’. Whether at The Family Nest or The Pheasant Nest, we’re here for educators who want more magic, more freedom and more meaning in their day, and who honestly put every child’s needs at the forefront of EVERYTHING they do.
At The Nest, you’re not just joining a team — you’re becoming part of a family. We know our people, look out for one another and create a workplace where everyone feels valued, trusted and genuinely cared for
Every day, you help shape childhoods. From tiny moments of reassurance to big leaps in confidence, your work has a lasting impact — not just on the children, but on their families too.
Home from home is felt in the warmth and familiarity of our spaces. Children share meals, stories, quiet moments and everyday routines in an environment that feels calm, personal and deeply connected. This sense of comfort helps children settle, trust and flourish, knowing The Nest is a place where they belong. Children in our Nests join in and help with everyday activities as if they were at home and the time we spend helping the child and their family feel secure and familiar with our settings and our team, is second to none. We adopt an intergenerational approach to things in our Nests; our team span from Students to parents to grandparents, this cross section of ages adds to the familiarity and home from home feel to our settings.
The Nest is full of people who share knowledge, swap ideas and learn from one another. Whether you’re experienced, training or just starting out, you’ll be surrounded by colleagues who want you to flourish.
We can only care well for children if we also care well for our team. That means listening, supporting, encouraging and making sure you feel safe, appreciated and able to thrive. Whether it be regular ‘Chirps’ with the Boss Birds, enjoying monthly treats from the ‘Bird Table’ scheme or being able to have flexibility in your working hours to have a positive work-life balance, we have your back!
We’re building something different — a setting that challenges the standard model and puts childhood, wellbeing, freedom and relationships first. If you want to help shape what childcare can become, there’s space for you here, with us!
Thanks so much for your interest in joining The Nest. We’d love to hear a little about you, what makes you flap your wings, and why you think you’d be a wonderful addition to our flock. Tell James and Claire what excites you about working differently, making a difference, and becoming part of our Nest Family.
We are based in Winchester, Hampshire. We have two fabulous settings, one in Winchester itself and the other located just 12 minutes outside of the City.
Absolutely! It is so important to us to get the children outside every day. The Family Nest in Winchester has a superb, secure and safe back garden, with an own oversized sand pit, terrace and plenty of lawn space. The Pheasant Nest is on a farm and has an outdoor bias. Here the children have over an acre of thoughtfully designed land, enough said… it’s truly wonderful!
Flexibility has been one of our founding principles, we’ve built care that adapts to your changing needs. Across both Nests we are open 7am–7pm Monday to Thursday (and until 6pm on Fridays). You choose the exact hours you need, with our 7 hour minimum, creating a fully tailored booking pattern where you pay for the care you require. For eligible families, we also accept Tax-Free Childcare and Government EYE Funding, making high quality care more affordable.
Yes, both of our Nests have been inspected on the new framework and both received some of the highest grading in Hampshire, with The Pheasant Nest even receiving an ‘Exceptional’ in inclusion, deeming it ‘worthy of National dissemination’. Our lovely Ofsted inspector even left our setting with a tear in their eye, in awe of what we had created for the children! Very proud! Our full reports can be found online:
Our ideal settling period for babies and children starts around two months before they are due to join The Nest, with the invitation to join our weekly ‘Little Nestlings’ sessions. These ‘introduction and integration’ sessions are for you (or any of your child’s care giver) to stay and play with your ‘Little Nestling’.
There is no typical day, everyday is different at The Nest. Our approach is child-led, reactive and flexible; promoting curiosity, independence, and emotional wellbeing.
We do have what we call ‘rhythms’ of the day, which are usually centred around eating; breakfast is served at 7:30am, the children prepare snack for mid-morning, lunch is at midday and supper around 4:15pm.
Food plays a critical role in our provision. All of our food is home-cooked; a conscious decision to ensure conscious consumption – it is because we cook ‘in-house’ that we know what’s in our food, ensuring it is nutritionally balanced, varied and appropriate for every age group. Mealtimes are treated as an event at The Nest rather than a simply a functional process; children serve themselves and each other, promoting independence; team members sit with the children modelling positive behaviours and above all ensuring a safe environment is maintained.
We don’t age segregate children at ‘The Nest’, we use ‘family grouping’ with all ages of babies and children sharing the same spaces, just like a real family home environment and it works beautifully! While our daily rhythm brings everyone together for meals and group play, our teams are knowledgeable to read the needs of all children in our care and they dynamically shape resources to ensure all ages receive the mix of peaceful, sensory stimulation as well as the big physical adventures as and when they require them.