Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes)

Byerly Place, Downs Barn, Milton Keynes MK14 7QE
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9.7 98 Reviews
  • Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes), Milton Keynes
A purpose built high-quality day nursery, friendly and well-established, Woodlands provides a happy, sociable environment where every child is treated as an individual.

The nursery has 4 main playrooms for each age group. Outside is a large, fully enclosed and well-equipped garden.

There is plenty of safe parking and easy access to ensure you have no problems delivering and collecting your child from the nursery. In addition to daily routines, Woodlands offers extra activities that include Tiny Mites Yoga every Monday from 2:15-3:15pm in the Bumblebee and Preschool rooms. They have a Childbase Specialised Woodland Play area which brings the classroom outside into the natural world with sessions led by a qualified Forest School Leader.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Alyson Hefferon (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 46

Total Places for Children

  • 83

Age Range

  • from 2 months
  • to 5 years

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & 2 Inset Days

Parking

  • Free parking is available onsite.

Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) Reviews (98)

9.7

Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.729) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) has 98 reviews.

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Review from Abhi M (Mother of Child) published on 21 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son started here during Covid at 15 months old and hands down best decision to send him here. We started with three days which soon went to five days. He has had the best key workers sharing detailed performance and achievements on the app. He has made friends I think will last a lifetime and just
has had the best start to set him up for school years ahead. Friendly staff, lovely environment and recently refurbished. Fun sessions for parents to get involved such as graduation, Mother's Day and Father's Day events. Great level of attention to detail, communication and standard of learning for early years of children's development.
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Review from L M (Mother of Child) published on 21 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Woodlands Day Nursery have been amazing. My daughter started there in 2019 and loved every minute. The nursery was so supportive during lockdown and did a fantastic job. I can highly recommend this nursery. The staff are always helpful and approachable. They love the children and their job. Thank you
for giving my daughter the best nursery experience.
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Review from Emma T (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Woodlands have been so amazing for us. Our daughter joined just before the age of 1 and has just graduated about to turn 5. They have been like an extended family to her and us. They nurture, care for and treat my daughter like their own. She’s been given a secure environment to play and grow and just
loved going there. Memories to last a lifetime.
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Review from Helen S (Mother of Child) published on 13 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has attended Woodlands for the last four years and just left. It has been a great success. The building and woodland are great but most importantly the team is great. They work hard to ensure that the children are happy and developing well in their care; they seem to be endlessly creative, patient
and energetic. Our son has thrived in his time there. Would not hesitate to recommend.
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Review from Hamel K (Father of Child) published on 6 March 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since joining my child has been growing exponentially well, she has made rapid progress and we can see her development by the day which is wonderful to see. The staff are absolutely amazing. Keep up the good work!
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Review from Jodie G (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are so happy with every aspect of Woodlands Day Nursery for our son.
The facilities and outdoor area are lovely, the food is great with a wide variety of healthy meal options but most of all the staff are amazing, both the in-room staff and the wider staff/management. The nursery has a small and
personal feel - I love that each staff member we pass in the mornings greets my son with warmth and a big smile to start the day. He is very happy and thriving here and I never have any concerns about dropping him off each morning.
The end-of-day updates and monthly learning/development updates on the app are really comprehensive. The office team are also very responsive to queries.
Overall I highly recommend!
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Review from Lyn W (Mother of Child) published on 20 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children attend the nursery and have done for some time. They thoroughly enjoy attending. The staff are fantastic with them and always give great feedback. The set-up each day in the rooms is always fun and educational. The children always get to do lots of arts and crafts.
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Review from Chris W (Father of Child) published on 19 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazingly, friendly staff and extremely attentive. Always there to provide feedback on our children's development and offer advice on how we can support them further. The facilities are great, and the food sounds amazing and is always wide-ranging.
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Review from J E (Father of Child) published on 13 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have used Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) for both of our children since they were 9 months old and are extremely pleased with the service and their development. The staff are all very friendly and our kids have enjoyed being there. Thank you.
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Review from Seema K (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Woodlands Day Nursery for over six weeks now and started nursery happily playing whilst sitting, to now full-on crawling!
The wonderful ladies in the caterpillar room have all done such a fantastic job working with our daughter to encourage her to get moving through tummy time
and we can see all of their hard work has paid off. We can't thank them enough!
As parents we have been worried the past few months wondering if she would ever get moving, we knew she would be a late bloomer and wasn't progressing with her gross motor skills prior to starting nursery. She then went from 0-100 in a matter of weeks and it's all thanks to the ladies in the caterpillar's room, we really appreciate all the time and effort you invested in her so far!
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Review from J N (Father of Child) published on 5 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Woodlands for one and a half years now. He has developed so well and the staff are always so attentive and caring. I feel so happy leaving my son there and I know he is in a safe and happy environment.
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Review from G C (Mother of Child) published on 20 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Woodlands Day Nursery is a warm and friendly nursery which is the reason why I made the decision for both my kids to attend this setting. My son is close to a number of staff which reassures me he’s comfortable and well looked after on the day he attends.
The staff are extremely approachable and over
the years since my oldest first attended I have built a really good relationship with them which has continued since my youngest started. Great facilities especially the outside and forest area which is my son’s favourite place, if he could he would spend all day outside! Overall amazing nursery and I highly recommend!
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Review from Vickie T (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children attend Woodlands and shine because of it. They make learning fun, provide a safe and happy environment and help us feel included throughout. I would highly recommend Woodlands to anybody!
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Review from L R (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter started at Woodlands in February 2022. I was put at ease straight away following the settling sessions that were arranged for my child.
She is in Caterpillar's room and absolutely loves her days at nursery. She is more than happy to go to any of the staff members in her room when I drop
her off in the morning and they all seem to genuinely care about her which is just lovely. They always take the time to thoroughly hand over in the morning as well as on collection.
The room is well resourced with lots of activities and we get lots of updates of what she has been doing on the app, as well as regularly receiving reports on how she has been getting on that month.
The nursery itself has fantastic facilities, great communication, healthy meals and very friendly staff.
We are so happy we managed to secure a place for our daughter at Woodlands and it has made returning to work so much easier as we know she is very well cared for!
Thank you, Woodlands!
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Review from Jenny H (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending Woodlands for just over a year and a half. He is extremely happy there and absolutely adores all the staff (as do I as they are all just lovely!). His days are always varied, from playing outside with a variety of fun equipment or in the forest to playing inside with various
different activities set up for the day ahead. He is always happy to be dropped off at nursery in the mornings and at pickup, he is full of beans and excited to tell me about his day. Their menus are well thought out and the children are given a great range of foods. I would highly recommend Woodlands Day Nursery to anyone.
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Review from Elizabeth W (Grandmother of Child) published on 6 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
As a grandparent, I cannot speak too highly of the kindness, care and commitment of the nursery staff and management. They have coped amazingly throughout the pandemic to give the children, and their parents, much needed confidence. I have loved seeing my grandchildren gain in confidence and ability,
well prepared and ready for school. Well done.
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Review from T M (Grandmother of Child) published on 1 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The care and compassion of the staff are second to none, I cannot praise the nursery enough for taking such good care of my grandson.
He thrives and loves attending he also very much enjoys the award-winning food that is served and cooked on the site by the fantastic kitchen team.
Excellent in every
aspect, run by a caring manager with a wealth of knowledge.
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Review from A V (Mother of Child) published on 23 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
What can I say other than thank you so very much, from the moment I drop my son I know he is safe, happy, thriving and content. That's why thank you just never seems enough. The staff here want the very best for my son and go above all the time to ensure he receives the best care and achieves the best
he can. From potty training to learning shapes and colours. Manager clearly leads the nursery in an excellent manner and her passion is visible in her and the staff. We love Woodlands Day Nursery.
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Review from Edward C (Father of Child) published on 11 October 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our second child is currently attending Woodlands after our first graduated a couple of years ago. It is a great nursery who really care for the children. The staff are friendly and build a strong bond with the kids. The forest school is great and the recent improvements to the play area look awesome.
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Review from Edward G (Father of Child) published on 13 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son was due to go to nursery in summer 2020 but due to Covid we lost our place with our planned nursery. Woodlands Day Nursery were brilliant and found him a place only two months later than planned. Due to restrictions, we could only view the nursery online but from day one they eased any concerns
and answered all of our questions. He found the first month really tough being away from home, but the staff did everything to make him feel loved and get him settled. A year on he absolutely loves going here. The staff are friendly and welcoming, facilities are brilliant and the outdoor area he absolutely loves. We are so glad he ended up here.
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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.729)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.729) out of 10 for Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 15 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.8 out of 5 from 15 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 4.950 for Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) is calculated as follows: ( (171 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 180 Ratings = 4.95
  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 4.779 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) is based on 15 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.875
    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 83 number of registered child places is 16.6. 15 Positive Reviews ÷ 16.6 = 0.904
  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

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Awards / Recognitions (21)

Meet the Team (1)

Alyson

Alyson Hefferon

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2007

Alyson is the Manager of Woodlands Day Nursery in Milton Keynes and has a wealth of experience, having worked in the early years sector for 23 years. Alyson has numerous qualifications, including a BA (Hons) in Professional Studies in Childcare, HND Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Professional Status. Alyson has worked for Childbase Partnership for 13 years.


What is your favourite feature of Woodlands?
My team, the setting and our Woodland area.


What are you most proud of about your nursery/team?
The long-standing team and our continued commitment to the families that attend here.


Every child and colleague is valued for their individual skills and personality. I love how every member of the team knows every child and will greet the families, and be part of their nursery experience. Great relationships with the families last long after the children have left for school.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Woodlands Day Nursery (Milton Keynes) has an Enhanced Service - more info.