CAN shopping trips improve the intelligence of your kids? The answer is possibly yes.

Tic Toc Childcare has become the first drop-in supermarket nursery and teaching facility in the country by offering a structured education for children under five at the Sainsbury's store in Castlepoint.

The nursery, which has a capacity for 30 children aged three months to five years old, was the brainchild of Ashley Cornwell from Verwood, who approached the supermarket last September to ask if she could lease part of the store.

Mrs Cornwell, said: "I ran a nursery school in Twickenham for 15 years and when I moved to Verwood I wanted to set one up but was refused planning permission."

She added: "We produce a development checklist and also cater for children with special needs. It will be very beneficial to parents and children. The amount of learning the kids will do is large because of all the equipment we have.

"We also have photos on the computer of all parents so they needn't worry about security. While parents are away shopping, they can leave their children with qualified staff, and be paged if there are any problems."

The nursery will incorporate teaching methods set by industry watchdog Ofsted and parents will be eligible for up to five free government-funded sessions per week.

The nursery employs seven qualified staff and is open seven days a week from 9.15am to 5.30pm and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Parents pay £5 for a 90 minute session and £9 for two-and-a-half hour sessions.

Frances Vinycomb from Christchurch was among the parents impressed with the facilities.

"It's an amazing idea and I wouldn't worry about leaving my kids here because the staff are all registered," she said.

"The equipment is very good as well. They have large projection screens which keep changing along with the music."

Grandmother Joy Hickson, said: "I brought my two grandchildren here and I'll be telling the parent and toddler group about this place. It will be really useful for parents who want to shop but whose children would get bored because shopping can be boring for youngsters."

Stuart King, Sainsbury's Castlepoint store manager, said: "Many parents have told us that this is something they would welcome. It helps towards making shopping a hassle-free experience for parents with young children."

If the nursery proves successful, Sainsbury's could extend it to larger stores across the country.

First published: May 16