Leo's Den Nursery

37 Law Street, off Great Dover Street, London SE1 4DZ
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9.9 67 Reviews
  • Leo's Den Nursery, London
Leo’s Den Nursery is in the heart of Southwark, and opened in 2009 in a converted public house very close to all major transport routes, with London Bridge and Borough high street stations close by.

Leo's Den Nursery prides itself on being a safe, caring and valued early education setting where children learn and thrive. They see parents returning to the nursery again and again, so that each of their children has the wonderful start in life that Leo’s Den nursery enables every child to have. The nursery also offers both two and three-year-old funded places and the 30 hours funded option for those parents that qualify.

With the areas of Bermondsey Borough, Peckham and Camberwell close by, Southwark is a very diverse area with children coming from many different backgrounds and cultures and many children having English as their second language. Leo's Den is a fully inclusive nursery and they celebrate and nurture each and every individual child, and have great relationships with the whole family. The staff team also reflect the diverse cultures of the area and bring many different cultures and languages to enhance the setting.

Key carers have professional rich bonds with their key children and their families, and they are very proud of all that their 'very strong' Parent Partnership brings to the setting.

Leo's Den offers a wonderful EYFS curriculum with many enhancement classes for the children to enjoy. These include weekly Ballet, Mindfulness and Yoga sessions, as well as Fun Phonics and Wild Fangs (the wonderful world of living things). With two lovely outdoor spaces/gardens, the children have many learning opportunities to try out their physical skills and enjoy lots of outdoor learning experiences whilst having fun.

From the start of the Covid pandemic, the nursery has remained open throughout and continued to serve the key workers of the local community, with many new families joining the nursery
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Owner

  • Tony Hailwood
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Rachel Hine (Nursery Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 32

Total Places for Children

  • 65

Age Range

  • from 0 years 4 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Leo’s Den Nursery Fees – April 2025


    Cubs & Cheetahs Room from 4 months – 2 years - £105 per day


    2 days   
    Weekly £181.66    
    Monthly £785.12


    3 days
    Weekly - £271.13   
    Monthly - £1171.96


    4 days
    Weekly -£358.70   
    Monthly - £1555.01


    5 days
    Weekly - £422.07   
    Months - £1760.20


    Cheetahs Room from 2 years – 3 years - £98 per day
    2 days-
    Weekly -£162.46   
    Monthly- £702.42


    3 days-
    Weekly -£253.44   
    Monthly -£1048.58


    4 days-
    Weekly -£333.71   
    Monthly - £1391.30


    5 days-
    Weekly -£365.89   
    Monthly - £1521.10


    Lions Room from 3 years – 5 years - £93.00 per day
    2 days-
    Weekly -£162.69   
    Monthly £674.92


    3 days -
    Weekly - £233.09   
    Monthly - £1007.53


    4 days -
    Weekly -£308.24   
    Monthly £1336.72


    5 days -
    Weekly -£348.60   
    Monthly - £1446.22


    Please note that your child will qualify for Funded hours of 15 or 30 hours depending on your circumstances. The funding only applies during term time only but we extend the funded hours to stretch the whole year. We also accept all childcare vouchers. Please ask Rachel Hine any questions with regards to fees/childcare vouchers and funding entitlement.

  • Our fees are very competitive with the local area.
    We are a private nursery, but look after our local and extended community by keeping our fees at a rate that is affordable for parents.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:45-18:30
    Tuesday 07:45-18:30
    Wednesday 07:45-18:30
    Thursday 07:45-18:30
    Friday 07:45-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays , Three staff training days per year. [ Inset Days]

Leo's Den Nursery Reviews (67)

9.9

Leo's Den Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.873) out of 10, based on 31 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Leo's Den Nursery has 67 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Leo's Den Nursery
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Total of 67, showing 41-60
Review from Beatriz B (Mother of Child) published on 13 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started recently at Leo’s Den and I’m over the moon with my choice.
The staff is caring and competent. The nursery is clean and safe. They have plenty of different activities every single day.
Reply from Jenny Gagg, Operations Manager at Leo's Den Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review. It's always lovely to have the point of view of new parents.
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Review from P C (Mother of Child) published on 13 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I’m very happy with the nursery and feel calm when my son is there as I know he is kept safe and looked after with lots of cuddles if he needs them. My boy has been there for 2 years and I love the feeling of family and the great communication and the sense that every day they try to create some new
idea to keep the babies amused. Thank you!
Reply from Jenny Gagg, Operations Manager at Leo's Den Nursery
Thank you.
I'ts a pleasure to be a part of your extended family, and watching your little one develop and grow.
We always aim for that family feel and it is good to have that feedback from parents.
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Review from Catherine K (Mother of Child) published on 22 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My baby has been going here since September. He loves it. This is a great nursery, the staff are excellent and care for my son very well. The food menus are good, and the activities they do with the children are great.
Reply from Tony Hailwood, Managing Director at Leo's Den Nursery
Dear Catherine,
Your kind review of Leo's Den is very much appreciated, and we will continue to do our very best for you.
With regards,
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Review from Abie E (Mother of Child) published on 8 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Leos Den Nursery is like a 2nd home to my Son, he loves it there. The staff are very efficient in their jobs and friendly too. Communication is excellent, especially via their Famly app. The fact that I can log into the nurserycam and see what's going on around the place is reassuring and shows transparency.
They have managed my Son's allergy needs very excellently as well. They have a large garden in the backyard where the kids do many outdoor plays and they still take them to the park when necessary. Every month they send me a development review in form of an observation of my Son pointing out areas of commendation or otherwise. It's worthy of mention as well that their fees are reasonable compared to what others around charge yet Leos Den Nursery offer even better services. My Son has learnt alot since starting there in June 2021 and I have no reservations at all about keeping him there till he starts school at age 4. Well done team and keep the flag flying!
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Review from P L (Mother of Child) published on 8 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I’ve had my two children in Leo's Den Nursery since they were 9 months old and we will be very sorry to leave (moving to a different area). Staff are energetic and kind and my kids love them. We have been very happy there and would recommend Leo's Den Nursery highly.
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Review from Patricia R (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It's a familiar environment. Staff ask before trying new food with the babies, they spend time outside in the garden, babies look happy and once they recognise faces they are likely to go and spend the day playing with their peers.
Parents can get in touch with the nursery thanks to an app where the
development and daily updates are kept up-to-date; we also have a live camera to check our little ones live.
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Review from Kaela S (Mother of Child) published on 6 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My ten month old has been attending Leo's Den for three months and has loved her time. Having her in daycare so young made me very nervous, but the staff have been incredible and their care for her is clear.


I love seeing her throughout the day on the camera and the daily activities the practitioners

provide look amazing. She is always excited to see the staff at drop-off and I completely understand why!
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Review from G H (Father of Child) published on 26 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our two daughters each attended Leo's Den for three years before moving onto big school. It is the best nursery in the area by far, and we looked closely at every one within a one-mile radius. The range of activities provided to the children both in the nursery and outside is phenomenal (including handling
snakes and spiders and singing in French). They were both very happy there and have both made friends they are still in touch with.


Our girls were there throughout the pandemic, and the Manager and her team kept the place running flawlessly.


But more than anything what we found special was the sense of love that every member of staff conveyed to every child.

Reply from Tony Hailwood, Managing Director at Leo's Den Nursery
We hope that all of the family are well, and the girls are doing well at school.
Thank you very much for the wonderful review and we hope to see you again one day at Leo's.
With regards,
Tony, and…read more
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Review from Louise G (Mother of Child) published on 24 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My one year old son has been attending the nursery for five months and is really enjoying it. He is in the Cubs year and is very social, he loves seeing and interacting with the other children and greatly enjoys the activities organised throughout the day. He is learning so many skills from his days
at nursery, is becoming fiercely independent, eating and drinking by himself, learning words, being very mobile and quickly learning to walk. Leo's Den also has the added benefit of having its own outdoor space. All daily activities are recorded so you can read what your child has done during the day and the staff send photographs of the children and reports of their development. The staff are all very friendly and helpful and commit a lot of time and energy to the children. I would recommend the nursery to anyone looking for high-quality daycare.
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Review from Fizza S (Mother of Child) published on 10 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Being able to log into the camera and see my daughter is amazing for me it helps massively with the anxiety and with missing her, just being able to see how her day is going means more to me than I can ever put in words, since starting at Leo den she's come along way I couldn’t have done it without
your all support and that’s a statement of fact I don’t think I could have brought her to this point alone. She “grown” so much under Leo den’s nurturing and caring hand. The bond she has with the nursery staff and the others, I’m so grateful for. She does not just know she’s safe but feels safe. We are both extremely blessed and lucky that Aaliyah attended Leo's Den so I wanted to take a min to from the bottom of my heart and soul to express my thanks, it’s more like a debt I could never payback. So thank you all! From us both.
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Review from Natasha R (Mother of Child) published on 4 February 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter attended Leo's Den between July 2017 and August 2020 and we had no hesitation in sending our son there too. He has been at Leo's Den since September 2021 (joined at one year old) and he has settled in so well and loves going to nursery.


Leo's Den provides a high quality of care and

a variety of activities for children to partake in. The staff are warm, welcoming, and more than happy to talk about my child and his development. The app is incredibly useful in setting out what my son has been up to; I really appreciate the photos sent out from the day's activities.


Based on our experience with my daughter we are confident that Leo's Den will continue to provide a great nurturing environment that will ensure that my son continues to thrive and develop.


I highly recommend Leo's Den!

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Review from P T (Mother of Child) published on 20 January 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Truly outstanding! I believe I made one of the best decisions of my life since becoming a parent by sending my daughter to Leo's. She started in October 2020. The journey has been great from my very first call to the nursery. It was extremely easy to talk to staff. They were responsive explained all
the ins and out of nursery life. I had an introductory video call and was shown inside the nursery rooms. I was an emotional wreck but they really helped me focus. You get daily photo updates from day one. The CCTV live feed of seeing your child interacting with others and eating all their lunch (only at nursery) is such a pleasure to watch. CCTV was a lifeline for a first-time mum like me who was finding it difficult to leave their child with strangers. The interactive Famly app is easy to use and the nursery definitely makes use of the notification function to parents. The garden space is huge, bright, and filled with playthings. The girls (Practitioners) in the rooms are top class!
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Review from Kat M (Mother of Child) published on 8 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Leo's Den is really fantastic, my daughter loves it here and waves us happily goodbye when ever we drop her off for the day. The team are very professional and friendly and constantly doing engaging, fun and educational activities with the children. Regular update is given and there is also a great
web cam where you can watch your children having fun through out the day. I highly recommend Leos Den Nursery.
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Review from Alex C (Father of Child) published on 30 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Simply brilliant. Cubs, Cheetahs and Lions - all have great facilities and activities in and out of the nursery including the visiting animals and trips to the park. Fabulous caring staff; excellent communication and updates through the app which shows all their exciting escapades through the day with
photos, food summaries etc. Great support and progress monitoring on all aspects of development. Value is unparalleled in the area, love it.
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Review from Shadia G (Mother of Child) published on 12 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My baby started at Leo’s Den at just 4 months old. She has been there for over four months. I love the nursery and I like the staff in the baby room and management are great.


More importantly, my baby loves it there, she always wants to jump out my arms to go to her keyworker or any of the staff

that opens the door in the mornings. She is always giggling and laughing. Crawling and trying to follow them around. Their sensory play is amazing and every day they have different activities. I’m always curious what they do in the day but we get detailed info on a daily basis and photos posted of their day. Staff are very at hand with her. I feel she has grown so quickly and made huge progress. I believe it’s the team at the nursery that are encouraging her to explore and learn, she loves books from story time. The environment is fantastic.
The food and everything that they have is healthy and tasty. They are clean and have lots of indoor and outdoor space.
I love it, baby loves it. She is happy and safe.
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Review from Cristina C (Mother of Child) published on 12 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We could not be more lucky to be part of Leo's Den family.
Every day we see our child thrive under the loving and professional care of the practitioners and the staff.
In a time of uncertainty such as the last year with the pandemic, Leo's Den offered children a safe and loving place where to play
and learn.
I highly recommend Leo's Den
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Review from Sheila F (Mother of Child) published on 12 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All staff are lovely and very helpful and understanding. They have great communication with me and keep me up to date with my child's progress. Also being able to see my child throughout the day with the nursery cam they provide really help to put my mind at rest and know I can check on my child.
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Review from Amy W (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Leo's Den is a warm, welcoming nursery with excellent staff and facilities. Both of my boys love their time at nursery and I think that is a reflection of the support of the practitioners and the wide variety of activities on offer. We couldn't recommend it more highly.
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Review from Ursula H (Mother of Child) published on 16 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The past 18 months have been hugely difficult for everybody but, in the face of a global pandemic, Leo’s Den has provided our son with a safe and caring environment where he has absolutely thrived. He is excited to leave the house in the mornings and joyfully agrees to say hello to all of the practitioners
and his friends on our behalf. He is visibly happy when we drop him off, as well as when we pick him up. When he gets home we talk to him about his day and we can honestly say he has never shown signs of being anything other than an incredibly happy and stimulated little boy. When we take him to the playground at weekends he is a confident social butterfly. When we introduce him to new healthy foods he is welcoming of them. When we play games with him he picks up new skills without thinking. When we read to him he is fully engaged and enjoys learning new words. We don’t underestimate how much Leo’s Den, and our son's happiness there, has contributed to all of this! Thank you!
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Review from Rebecca R (Mother of Child) published on 13 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I can’t thank the staff of Leo’s Den enough for everything they have done for my daughter. She has been happy and excited to attend every morning, ever since her first day when she was 14 months old and we have been over the moon to send her to such a safe, secure and creative environment, full and
love and happiness. The nursery has all its priorities in the right order and nothing is for show. I have complete trust in the team, not least because she eats and naps so much better for them than she does for me. Thank you Leo’s.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.873)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.873) out of 10 for Leo's Den Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 31 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 31 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.873 for Leo's Den Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (327 Excellents x 5) + (39 Goods x 4) + (4 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 370 Ratings = 4.873
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Leo's Den Nursery is based on 31 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 65 number of registered child places is 13, which has been reached with 31 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (2)

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Rachel Hine

Job Title: Nursery Director Joined: 2009

Rachel is responsible for the overall direction of the nursery, dealing with parent's applications, the management of the nursery systems and dealing with parental accounts/fees.

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Kemi Akinniranye

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2015

Kemi is responsible for the day to day running of the nursery, including parent contacts, organisation of the staff and the planning of activities.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Leo's Den Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Leo's Den Nursery has an Enhanced Service - more info.