Falkirk nursery just missed making it two childcare league table topping years in a row

Wellside Kindergarten, in Wellside Place, came first in the Sunday Times’ prestigious list of childcare providers in 2025 and finished second to Perth’s Fairview School Nursery in 2026.

To create the league table, The Sunday Times analysed more than 1000 rolling official reports from the Care Inspectorate for children under the age of five.

Wellside owner and manager Susan Hill was once again “over the moon” at the news the private nursery’s exalted position at the top – if not the very top this time – of the table.

In the past inspectors have praised Wellside’s “exceptional levels of nurturing care and support” and the staff’s “extremely high aspirations for all children and their families”.

The nursery’s approach to mealtimes was also described as “sector leading”, with children preparing and cooking food in a purpose-built firepit and pizza oven and eating outdoors, with families invited to join the “innovative lunchtime experience”.

A year ago, Wellside Kindergarten was described as “well designed, thoughtfully considered and comfortable” with an “exceptionally high standard” of furnishings and resources.

At the time the Care Inspectorate stated: “The converted Victorian villa was homely and cosy. The hygge approach, studied by staff, could be recognised in the calm and relaxed atmosphere which supported children’s overall wellbeing.”

The nursery, which has been open for well over 30 years, is now looking after the children of parents who themselves were once at Wellside when they were wee ones.

Susan said: “We’ve come full circle but it’s lovely to see what these little ones have progressed into as adults and now for them to want us to look after their own children.

"Many of the grandparents were first known to us as parents who children attended to it is lovely to catch up with everyone.”