Friends Forest Nursery - Ash

My daughter has been at Friends for over a year, I felt a bit anxious at first (more for me being by myself!) but since being there I’ve watched her confidence grow and she’s always so happy to go, this feels me with joy knowing she’s always having such fun through learning. The nursery is always so well equipped and clean, the staff are great at keeping her attention with lovely new ideas and adventures for her both inside and outside with the added benefits of being a forest school. The food is always of a very high standard with a great variety, I feel as though my daughter is getting lots of lovely nutritious meals and snacks and she can be a fussy eater, they always accommodate to make her happy. The team at Friends really are exceptional, they always have a smile on their faces and their attention to detail is impeccable. I highly recommend Friends to anyone thinking of sending their child to nursery, it really is outstanding.

I feel that the nursery has had a big part in the development of my child. Loved going to the nursery and all the activities that were aimed at learning, experiencing and having fun. The confidence and knowledge gained has equipped my child to be ready for school!

I highly recommend this nursery - so much so, my daughter has now just started. Great small nursery with a warm and friendly feel, where you know your child is safe, well looked after and loved, and most importantly, gets to experience so many new things at such an important age.

I didn't think it would be possible for our daughter (almost 3, attending for 10 weeks twice a week) to run towards her Key Person at drop-off and give them a big hug (without even looking back at her parents!) but now she does that every time. Knowing that she's happy and wants to be with the team and her friends is such a relief for us as first-time parents. The staff are receptive to our priorities (e.g. she is starting to eat more independently) and they genuinely care (e.g. called us/waited when we were running late so she didn't miss out on a day trip). Our daughter does like things to be a certain way so it's equally reassuring when she's happy, invigorated and chatty at home time. She loves the outdoors and Friends Forest Nursery seems to be a perfect fit for her. A big thank you to the team for helping our daughter to make this important transition.

Our son has been attending Friends Forest Nursery - Ash for the past four months and we couldn't be happier with how he has settled in. During his time at the nursery, we have noticed huge progress in his development, particularly with his speech and engagement with others. At the end of the day, he is always super chatty and happy to tell us what he has been doing. Our son is very active and loves the outdoor activities offered. The staff have been very attentive and our little one seems very at ease in their company. The nursery have also been very accommodating of our son's dietary requirements and continue to work closely with us to ensure his needs are met. The communication from the nursery has also been excellent, we receive a weekly newsletter providing an overview of what the children have been doing each week with suggestions of home activities to continue the fun and learning. The nursery group also facilitate workshops for the parents to attend virtually. Highly recommended.

Couldn’t recommend it more highly!

An excellent nursery - would highly recommend! My daughter has been attending since she was a baby and loves going there. She particularly enjoys all the outdoor activities. The staff are excellent, and the food is also very good.

My son has attended since January 2020 and absolutely loves coming to nursery. He has such great relationships with the staff and has made his own little friends too. My husband and I love how much he gets to explore the outside and feel very lucky that he gets to go to Forest School.

Our little lady has just started at Friends Forest Nursery as we have moved to the local area. The settling in process has been seamless and it already feels like she has been going there for ages! During the registration process, I felt I could ask whatever questions I needed to and get them answered quickly by the team. All the ladies who work there that we have met so far have made us feel so welcome and given us confidence in moving our little lady to their setting. Can't wait for her to make new friends and memories. Thank you!

I can not recommend this nursery enough! All of the incredible staff members that work here put all of their heart and soul into the care of the children. My child has progressed so much with the years of being here and that’s all thanks to the wonderful staff who put all of their effort in creating beautiful activities to support my child’s learning. They do an excellent job of making the setting a home from home environment where my child feels safe and secure. Staff support children's emotional development exceptionally well. All staff know their children in their care very well, and always take their own time to go above and beyond for my child. The staff work together as a very efficient team to support children's learning to the highest levels. The manager is exceptionally enthusiastic and inspirational.

Absolutely blown away! Wonderful setting with fabulous provisions the staff are on hand, supportive, understanding and keen to ensure my child is made to feel welcome and safe at all times. Would highly recommend this setting to other parents. Very friendly atmosphere with all key areas of learning achieved on a daily basis. Amazing.

The personalised support offered by the staff at Friends Forest is outstanding. Every effort is made to ensure that the children love their experience. The activities are varied, and a great proportion of time is spent outdoors. Our daughter enjoys every meal, and we appreciate the care taken to ensure the nutritional content is suitable for her age.

My nephew currently attends Friends Forest Nursery and absolutely loves it. I would highly recommend the nursery. They go out in all weather and he enjoys going to forest school exploring new environments, especially to see the diggers. The food there is excellent, all fresh and homemade. I know that my nephew feels comfortable and enjoys being there. The staff are very friendly.

My son has come on so much in his development since joining Friends Forest in January 2020 after he turned one. He settled in so quickly and loves nursery days. I love hearing about all of the activities he gets up to at the nursery and forest school. The staff couldn't be any friendlier, they feel like a second family to us all now.

The staff at Friends Forest Nursery have been extremely kind, patient and helpful with us. They have been very accommodating with all our requests. Our little girl has settled in really well and can’t wait to go in every time. Her vocabulary has expanded since she started nursery, and we appreciate how the staff makes every day learning fun for the little ones.

Nothing is too much trouble, the staff are very helpful, we are pleased to have found such a great nursery.

Friends Forest Nursery in Ash is a beautiful place and their teaching and learning approach is amazing to get the children ready for the next chapter of their lives. The staff members are all friendly and approachable, it is like a lovely family unit run by their manager who is always on hand to help out with anything. The food is amazing cooked by a wonderful chef on-site and children help her make it as well. They have a lovely Forest a School garden where they have learnt basic life skills like whittling and den making. But the best thing is making fires where they make s’mores! I would highly recommend Friends Forest Nursery in Ash to anyone looking to send their children into nursery.

Really friendly nursery, my daughter has settled in nicely and seems content. The manager showed us around and is very welcoming. Our daughter comes home full of excitement and stories from her day. I would recommend it to others.

A lovely small intimate nursery. I moved my two-year-old from his previous nursery as he just wasn't settling and there were too many days I picked him up and they hadn't been outside. He has taken a while to settle and still gets very upset at drop off but the staff have done a lot to try to put my mind at ease and update me on how he's been. The staff are all really friendly and I trust them. I know he will love the forest school part once he moves up to preschool and there just wasn't this type of activity available with any other nurseries I looked at.

My son is new to the nursery during COVID so it is an unsettling time, however, staff are working with him to make him feel settled and happy at the nursery. We get updates from the nursery on his progress and the staff are always friendly and welcoming.