Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford

Unit 3a, Derriford Business Park, Derriford, Plymouth PL6 5QZ
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9.9 202 Reviews
  • Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford, Plymouth
Happy Days at Derriford has both indoor and outdoor spaces for children to play and grow during their time at nursery.

Staff support children to embrace outdoor play and have as many new experiences as they can in a safe and secure environment.

The nursery provides equipment and furniture that supports children’s physical development over muscle control and co-ordination.

Two nursery chefs provide fresh meals for children every day, but children can also be involved in learning about food preparation and taught how to be independent at meal times.
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Funding & Fees

Full Day Care Fees
0–2 Years: £72.22 per day (08:00–18:00)
2–3 Years: £72.22 per day (08:00–18:00)
Over 3 Years: £72.22 per day (08:00–18:00)

Government funding is available and can be used to reduce daily fees. Further information is available on our website, or you can call and speak with our knowledgeable nursery team. We’re here to ensure you receive all the support and funding you’re entitled to.

Please note, fee information is correct as of Dec 2025.

For fee information, contact the Nursery directly.

Contact Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford to get a personalised quote.

Contact Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Zara Austin (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 50

Total Places for Children

  • 146

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:00-19:00
    Tuesday 07:00-19:00
    Wednesday 07:00-19:00
    Thursday 07:00-19:00
    Friday 07:00-19:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford Reviews (202)

9.9

Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.899) out of 10, based on 42 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford has 202 reviews.

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Reviewer Connection to Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford
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Review from Gemma S (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child recently started nursery at Happy Days Derriford and has so far seemed very happy to be dropped off and when picked up. The staff are incredibly passionate from what I have witnessed and also very reassuring to the needs of an anxious mum. I feel my child is in very safe hands here.
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Review from K G (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children have been at this nursery from age 1 through to starting school. Both have loved their time here and were/are very prepared for starting school. Both made great friends and great bonds with the staff. I have never had any concerns or worries about their time within this nursery.
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Review from Daniel M (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Happy Days Derriford is a truly wonderful nursery. Our son absolutely loves being there and he is looked after incredibly well. The staff are all very caring and treat him as if he was their own. I highly recommend this nursery. Thank you
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Review from Ryan H (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Outstanding childcare from every member of staff. Attentive to each and every child no matter their background. Can adapt to each parent's individuality to provide feedback that makes sense for them. Always a sense of family and happiness when interacting with staff.
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Review from Andy C (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has attended Happy Days Derriford since the age of 3 months and this summer she will leave, to start school. She has loved her time at Happy Days and we have enjoyed a strong working relationship with a team of staff who clearly really love our little girl. She is starting school as an
outgoing, confident and inquisitive child with a well developed sense of speech and language and an awareness of her surroundings that has been enhanced by the experiences she has shared at Happy Days. She has been in two rooms during her tenure, enjoying close relationships with her key workers in both and flourishing under their care. A change in the management team a couple of years ago really improved the nursery and it is clear that the manager, her management team and the staff really care about it. Happy Days absolutely deserves its Good Ofsted rating and I’d recommend it to any parent without hesitation. We will be very sad when our daughter’s time there draws to a close. Five stars.
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Review from Daisy L (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 2 sons have been attending Happy Days Derriford for 9 months after previously attending another nursery. We joined at a particularly busy time and everyone helped my sons settle in new surroundings very quickly. The communication between the nursery and parents is fantastic and my questions are always
answered quickly. My sons love the food and often have second helpings. They are both happy and enjoy attending nursery. I will be sad when my eldest leaves for school in September.
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Review from S C (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child absolutely loves this nursery she has learnt so much since being here which is great to see. All staff are really friendly and professional which is also great to see. She will be staying at this l nursery for a while as she loves being there.
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Review from Amber A (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Such friendly and relatable staff. They look after my son so well as they did with my older daughter when she was young. They speak so kindly and calmly without babying the kids and always aid their development as much as possible. They cater to each child as an individual and are very accommodating.
My son's speech and understanding has improved massively since attending the nursery. Would never use anywhere else. I fully trust them to care for and enrich my child.
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Review from Julia S (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is a fantastic nursery, with wonderful staff. Lovely outdoor space for the children to use. My daughter loves going to Happy Days and has really grown in confidence during her time there. I would recommend this nursery to anyone else.
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Review from R D (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Thorough tour given with lots of information before enrolling my daughter. Able to answer all of my questions.
Reassured me of my child’s allergies and went through their protocol, which put my mind at rest
The staff are very welcoming and friendly.
Detailed handover when picking up my child.
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Review from Katie C (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would highly recommend this nursery to anyone. My daughter has been attending this nursery since she was 18months old, and she will be graduating from preschool soon. All the staff really make your child feel like part of the family, they absolutely have their best interests at heart, and you feel
completely at ease leaving your child in their care.
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Review from Zoe B (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have my second child joining the nursery and he has been settling into the nursery it has gone so well. He is very happy and so am I, the staff have been so reassuring and informative to allow us both to be apart. The nursery staff have been great over the 3 1/2 years that my daughter has been there
also.
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Review from Sarah C (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending the nursery since she was 9 months old - she is now 4 years old and she will continue to do so until she starts school in September.


As a family, we have had a fantastic experience with the nursery and our daughter has developed and blossomed whilst under their care.

Every day new activities are delivered which stimulate and teach the children whilst remaining fun and engaging and as a result, my daughter's social, economical, and emotional development has been amazing.


The staff within her room have earned her love and affection and she genuinely looks forward to seeing them among others and the management and admin team have always been brilliant with us, sorting any problems and generally making the whole experience smooth for us as a family. I highly recommend Happy Days Derriford and would not hesitate to place another child there. Thank you!

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Review from J U (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful nursery, lovely people and they look after my child so well. I’ve been so pleased with them over the last 3 years, my son has enjoyed his time there and feels prepared for school. Highly recommend!
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Review from Bill S (Father of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent throughout. The whole team involved in looking after our daughter are caring and professional and always keep us fully up to date. Our daughter is thriving here and she certainly has had a very positive experience.
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Review from Amy M (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My experience with Happy Days Derriford is a very positive one. The staff are friendly and kind and always willing to help. My daughter adores the nursery because of the exceptional experience she gets from the staff. They greet my daughter every day with a smile and a positive caring attitude. I have
never felt so content leaving my daughter and always know she is receiving the best care from staff. Not only are they amazing but they are supportive in all aspects too. I will genuinely miss them all once my daughter goes to school.
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Review from T Z (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son enjoys going to this daycare. And the staff are very friendly. My son has speech delays which help him so much, now his speech is improving day by day. They helped me with the healthy referrals for my son to get the help he needs. I really recommend this daycare to anyone as they are very good
at their job.
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Review from G M (Father of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Brilliant team, all super friendly and caring. Any questions are swiftly resolved, a very trustworthy bunch.


Great reporting when picking up my kid, also they don't mind altering their routines if my child needs a bit of extra attention.

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Review from A W (Grandmother of Child) published on 20 April 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I find the team that are involved in looking after my granddaughter are genuine and thoughtful. Her well-being and development is at the centre of everything they do. The updates on the day’s activities at pick up time often generate lots of entertaining chat on the trip home.
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Review from Jenni B (Mother of Child) published on 14 April 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing staff and management team, such peace of mind dropping my little boy off each day. Loving the new refurb, it's definitely brought the nursery into the twenty-first century and is now so modern. The nursery is going from strength to strength. It has remained open during the whole pandemic providing
the best care for keyworker children. Happy Days - Derriford really is the best for childcare in Plymouth I highly recommend!
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.899)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.899) out of 10 for Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford 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 42 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 42 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 4.899 for Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford is calculated as follows: ( (459 Excellents x 5) + (39 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 504 Ratings = 4.899
  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 Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Derriford is based on 42 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 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 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 146 number of registered child places is 29.2, which has been reached with 42 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 (7)

Meet the Team (1)

Zara

Zara Austin

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Zara has worked in childcare for 17 years, 7 of those at Happy Days where she started as a Peripatetic Deputy Manager. Accompanied by her wealth of experience, Zara has also received a Level 3 Diploma, a Level 4 Team leading qualification, and a Level 5 award in Management. Zara is loving her new role and enjoys building relationships with her colleagues and the families in her care.

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