Day Nurseries Owned by 1st Place Children and Parents' Centre

Baby joined nursery around 11 months old. He is picky with food, doesn't nap well, and fights nappy changes. It was a very rough start for him and us at nursery but amazingly he did settle and is so happy at drop offs now. If he can settle in well, I believe 98% of babies can. The staff have been nothing but good to us.

The facilities are amazing, they do so many varied activities through the week (forest school, football lessons, all sorts of sensory play and mixed medium art!), and also give them time to simply play, and feel at home when they're away from home. The food is nutritious and varied. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the incredible staff of 1st Place who uphold these standards each and every day. We feel so lucky to be there.

We are privileged to have our two children attend this fantastic nursery. We' ve felt nothing but care from the staff for both of them, our kids especially love their key workers. Our son is preparing for reception in September and this transition is feeling more manageable with all the support he has received. Our daughter has also settled in well with our return to work after parental leave. We are always impressed by how well they know them, myself and my wife would highly recommend Chumleigh gardens to all parents, we drop off the kids everyday knowing they are in safe hands.

1st Place has been a great place for my son to attend. Staff have been supportive of my son and my family - particularly in difficult times over the last few years. The facilities are excellent, with a great amount of outdoor space - the facilities are within Burgess park also, which provides great access to additional outdoor space for activities and play. In each of the rooms / stages of my son's time at the nursery all the staff have been great both with the kids and parents. We have made good connections and made a community with parents also which has been great also

We couldn't be happier with the care our baby receives in the baby room at this nursery. From the very beginning, the staff have been incredibly warm, attentive, and nurturing, which made settling in so much easier for both our little one and us as parents.

The baby room is always clean, calm, and thoughtfully set up with age-appropriate toys and activities that support development. We love how the team plans sensory play, music time, and messy play activities that encourage curiosity and learning, even at such a young age.

What truly stands out is how caring and responsive the staff are. They take the time to understand each baby's individual routine, preferences, and needs. We receive regular updates about naps, feeds, and activities throughout the day, which gives us real peace of mind. we love the activities picture sent at the end of the day . she really enjoys going to nursery and play with her friends.

Our son joined this nursery about a year and a half ago without speaking any English. Thanks to the warm and caring teachers, by the time he graduated he was able to communicate with confidence and enjoy daily life at the nursery.

He learned important social skills and daily routines, and he made many friends along the way. We were very happy to see his growth in independence and his ability to connect with others.

The teachers always created a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment where our son could feel comfortable and happy. The balance of learning, play, and interaction helped him develop in a positive way.

Now, as he moves on to the next stage of education, he does so with confidence and a positive outlook. We are very grateful to all the staff for their dedication and kindness.

Both of our sons passed through First Place nurseries - formerly at Lorrimore Square, now at the Elephant - and we were incredibly happy with the care that they both received across the combined five year period. The staff were consistently brilliant - helpful and considerate whenever any issues arose, organising trips, and the forest school was excellent. Both of the boys miss their friends and carers at First Place and talk about their time there fondly.

My child was at 1st Place nursery from 8-months old till the start of school. She was consistently well cared for. There was a daily update of what she had done, if she had slept, what she had eaten (or not!), and sometimes a photo of the activity. The formal reports were also helpful. It was lovely to talk to staff who were as interested in my child's development as I was. As a first time mother, it was wonderful to feel supported through my concerns. My child thrived in this environment. The staff were communicative and helpful even through the big emotional upheaval of moving from one nursery location to another in a very stressful circumstance. We are very grateful to have chanced upon such a great nursery. Our lives were made a lot easier knowing that our child was well cared for while we worked.

Both my children have gone to first place and have been extremely happy. The nursery staff are caring, thoughtful and sensible. They really get to know the kids and understand their foibles. The setting is bright, clean and has great outdoor space. All the kids are active and physical throughout the day and they have opportunities to play sports. The kids all say that the chef makes the best jollof rice ever. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better provider for my children and I will miss them greatly.

All the staff are so wonderful and happy, and my son really gets on with them all. They've got great facilities, and have wonderful outdoor space where they spend a lot of time and they have forest school. The staff are dedicated to making it an amazing place for the kids, they were also very accommodating when my son had an operation and had certain needs. Highly recommend

And while it might seem like a small thing, we really value the nursery's use of reusable nappies. I don't know of any others that do, and it must have prevented thousands of disposables from going to landfill. That's no small thing.

I am very satisfied with the care and education my son receives at 1st place. The staff's friendliness and dedication have created a nurturing environment where my child feels welcomed and valued. Since joining, he has made remarkable progress in his learning and development, a testament to the team's commitment to individualised growth. Also, The regular and insightful feedback provided keeps me well-informed about his daily experiences and achievements.

We highly recommend it.

There is continuous and well-documented feedback about my daughter's progress as well as plenty of pictures of her playing with other children. I always feel very much involved in her progress and development. The management is always present and takes the time to say hello and if we have any concerns we feel comfortable enough to address them. It's a family-orientated nursery and you don't often get this feeling in other settings so we are very pleased. Thank you to everyone for everything.

I wholeheartedly recommend this nursery to any parent looking for a warm, nurturing, and supportive environment for their child. My son and I are grateful for the wonderful experiences and memories he is creating there.

Thank you to all the staff, you do an amazing job!

We've been really happy and have recommended the nursery to friends who've also moved their children there.

The majority of the nursery staff that have contact with your child are great. My son has a lovely time with the staff he plays with. Unfortunately, the management and the handling of complaints are incredibly concerning. On that basis, I would not recommend the nursery if you care about your child’s overall welfare and bodily autonomy and respect.

A deep thank you from us all.

Our son has been at 1st Place Chumleigh Gardens for 3 years. We will be sad to say goodbye when he leaves for school in a couple of weeks. We have valued the responsive and consistent staff who create genuine bonds with the children. We have also valued the community that is created around the nursery. The children had a beautiful graduation ceremony to mark their ending. We look forward to our second child joining next year.