A PARK North primary school has opened what they say is Swindon’s first Roman Catholic nursery.

Attached to Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Bush Babies is staffed by qualified teachers, which managers say sets it apart from many other nurseries in the town.

Eva Gilbert, a senior early years teacher at the Marlowe Avenue school, said yesterday: “It’s the first catholic nursery to open in Swindon, we take them from the age of two up to four.

“We provide wraparound care from 7.30am to 5.30pm for our three-year-olds and we’ve got qualified teachers in the nursery, which make us different. Some schools won’t have qualified teachers, but our head insisted we had them in there.”

The nursery was opened this term after Holy Family got the Bishop of Clifton’s rubber stamp: “We have an admission criteria, but you don’t necessarily have to be a Catholic to send your children here. You have to agree to follow the Catholic ethos: we will say prayers, we go to church and we follow a Catholic religious education curriculum.”

Mrs Gilbert said there was considerable interest in the nursery from parents of two-year-olds. For some, funding is now available for up to 15 hours' free care a week. Three-year-olds are eligible for up to 30 hours' free care if their parents meet qualifying criteria.

Bush Babies will hold an open day at the nursery on Wednesday, November 21, from 1pm.

For more,call Holy Family Primary School on 01793 521933.