Little Garden The Bourne End Day Nursery & Pre-School

As recent arrivals to Bourne End from an emigration abroad in Nov 2021, where our 4-year-old daughter attended a highly rated nursery school from where we came, it was important that we find something similar for her. If she could be writing this review it would be summarised as the following “Dad, what are we doing today?” - if the reply is school she springs out of bed in delight - if it’s the weekend we need to count the ‘sleeps’ until she goes back to school. She is mornings only for the moment and always leaves begrudgingly because she wants to stay for the full day. Bourne End Day Nursery is fantastic. Things that struck me when I went for a visit was the ratio of minders/teachers to the children. A genuine level of caring for the children, cuddles, pick me ups after a fall and the freedom to be who they are but still guided in terms of social interaction and how to behave. Daily feedback is provided when I fetch her and their own chef which we need to try and match with meals at home.

Very pleased with our experience with The Bourne End Day nursery. Our daughter has really thrived whilst being there and has happily progressed up to the preschool room. The staff are kind and nurturing and communicate well with us, as parents. We will be sending our youngest there as well from April and look forward to her growing in confidence, as our eldest has.

We recently moved to the area from London and moved our daughter to Bourne End Day Nursery from another setting. The transition was brilliant and my daughter has felt comfortable, cared for and part of a happy learning community for the past few months. The handover at the end of the day is always informative and shows how much care and attention is paid to all of the children. My daughter's individual interests are taken into account and she is supported in developing these interests further. My son will be joining the nursery soon too and I would highly recommend it to other families in the area.

My daughter (regularly!) says “I love Poppies” - I couldn’t agree more. She came to Poppies mid-pandemic and was made so welcome; we all were. We feel so lucky to have been part of this warm, extended family. Our daughter has made great friends, adores the staff, the food, the garden (especially the slide, sandpit, see-saw, pirate ship and mud garden) and the play activities (she is proud of her new French and sings all the songs merrily). Poppies have encouraged her in every way, helping her to become a really happy, loving, confident small person and preparing her brilliantly for school. I can’t recommend Poppies highly enough.

Overall would highly recommend, we’re very pleased.

Our son loves attending Poppies Nursery. The caters are really kind and gentle, always putting children’s needs first. There is an array of activities and arts and crafts and an amazing chef preparing fresh food on a daily basis. We will be sad when we have to leave for big school.

Very caring and warm environment, our little son loves to go to Poppies Day Nursery Bourne End and play with his friends. All the staff are extremely kind and caring. Every day fresh healthy food, cooked on-site and lots of great activities.

Both our children (11 months and 3 years 2 months) are very happy at Poppies. Our eldest comes home so excited and happy every day. She has made good friends, adores the staff and is happy doing the activities and having busy sociable days. Our baby seems very happy too! The staff and management team are all wonderful. Only thing I think could be a bit better is the menus - bigger range of food, more vegetable, less beans-on-toast style teas. Other than that we are all very happy! Thank you!

Poppies are amazing to have in our lives. I know that my daughter is safe in a stimulating, nurturing and loving environment when she goes there. The staff always give detailed feedback and gom out of their way to answer any queries parents have. Best of all they are all absolutely lovely and a pleasure to deal with. My daughter loves going to nursery and she has special bonds with a number of the teachers. I can't recommend Poppies enough. Thank you Poppies.

My daughter has been at Poppies Day Nursery since she was 12 months old, starting in 'Baby Nest' and working her way through to 'Nursery Class'. Initially, part-time and now full time; Poppies has been such a significant part of our lives! I can't speak highly enough of the caring staff and the relaxed friendly feel of the place and still during lockdown the nursery remains cool, calm and safe. I feel very privileged to have found somewhere that I not only trust but that my daughter loves going to. Thank you Poppies!

My two children attended Poppies from babies through to nursery, and the level of care they received from day one was outstanding. This was instrumental in making them the happy, confident children they are today. I can't recommend Poppies Day Nursery Bourne End highly enough!

We have had 2 children at Poppies Day Nursery. Our oldest son went there from the baby nest all the way though to 4 years old and loved every day. Our daughter is currently attending. The carers are kind and just amazing with the children. They document lots of lovely moments with photos and comments. I would recommend poppies with 100% confidence.

My youngest joined Poppies at 9 months old in the baby nest and now finds himself aged 3 in the Nursery class. I looked at several nurseries when looking for childcare and Poppies was head and shoulders above the others. It was clean and welcoming, the management were friendly and approachable and I have found all the staff to be incredibly caring and interested in my child’s development. Because it is quite a small nursery, the children and staff grow to know each other very well and it feels like a little family! My son has great fun there and enjoys varied activities including music, sports and yoga! Poppies have made the difficult task of leaving my baby with others incredibly easy.

My daughter loves going to Poppies. She always talks with excitement about her key worker and clearly has lots of fun when she’s there. The staff are wonderful and have built great relationships with her. Somehow they always manage to get her to sleep despite her being a pain at home! Food is great. Communication is really easy, any emails are responded to extremely quickly and it’s lovely seeing photos/videos on the online journal. Would definitely recommend!

Our nearly 3-year-old has been at Poppies since she was 1, and we are delighted with the staff, the activities and the warm and welcoming atmosphere. All staff are friendly and really take the time to interact with our daughter, helping her learn new things all the time while also having lots of fun. When she started we were impressed with how they accommodated our preferred sleep routine and made the transition as smooth as possible. They also create many opportunities where the children learn to play together and share, which we feel is important.

We viewed 3 local nurseries and Poppies stood out by far, I liked the security on arrival and the friendliness of all the staff. All the children looked happy on our tour around the different rooms. The garden space is great with giant sandpit, mud kitchen and bug hut. The food provided is healthy and varied (they eat like kings!) Our son started in Jan 2020 and settled in well, he loves going to nursery and we are pleased with all the activities that stimulate his development. He is well cared for and we can trust he is in good hands while we are at work.

Both our sons attend Poppies. Both started at age one in the Baby Nest and our oldest is just about to leave for school. They both really enjoy their time there - adore the staff, have great fun, learn lots, eat well and have lovely friends. As parents, we appreciate the genuinely caring approach of the staff - they care about the boys as individuals and about us as a family. We’re very confident that they are safe, happy and feel included.

Such a wonderful, caring and lovely nursery. Both of my sons have flourished under their care. The staff are all brilliant and clearly care deeply for the children they look after. The activities are always so creative, and the boys still prefer nursery food, to my cooking! I will be very sad to say goodbye when my eldest goes to school in September.

My daughter has attended the nursery for 3.5 years, and we have had a very positive experience. The nursery staff are all lovely and display a very caring and nurturing attitude to the children, and prioritise creating a safe environment for the children to spend time. My daughter has thoroughly enjoyed her time at the nursery, and it’s been wonderful to see her grow between the transition of each of the nursery classes. She has always formed a strong bond with her key worker in each class and has also made solid friendships with her peers. Her learning and development have benefited from her time at the nursery, and we can’t fault how the nursery operates in any way. I would highly recommend it.

I particularly like the way they adapt activities to suit the children's characters. When my son was settling at Poppies, they often took him for walks which was a lovely distraction for him.