Children's House Nursery

The Old Mill House, Station Road, Southwell NG25 0ET
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9.9 71 Reviews
  • Children's House Nursery, Southwell
Children’s House is the only independent family run nursery in Southwell.

The nursery is the only childcare setting in Southwell offering forest school sessions with Level 3 Accredited Forest School Leaders

If you are looking for friendly, flexible, caring and affordable childcare, then Children's House might just be the right setting.

The nursery makes learning as fun as possible, whilst also making sure to nurture, challenge and encourage children to reach their full potential.

Children’s House loves outdoor learning and child led activities- using natural resources where possible.

The amazing team includes an Early Years' teacher who oversees the planning and delivery of the foundation stage.

The nursery offers an 'under 3s' Unit and a separate 'foundation unit', both catering for the child's individual requirements, the brilliant cook provides nutritious home cooked food and can cater for special diets as requested.

Why not book a visit and see how Children's House aims to become part of the extended family, a home from home, a place where memories are made and magic happens daily.
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Type of Service

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

Owner

  • Karen O'Connell
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Nicola Carter (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 15

Total Places for Children

  • 55

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Full day £72.50


    Full time £326.25 week


    Morning/Afternoon £42.75

  • Flexible funding options are available for children accessing funding from the term after they reach 9 months of age- please contact nursery to discuss.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Children's House Nursery Reviews (71)

9.9

Children's House Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.935) out of 10, based on 18 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Children's House Nursery has 71 reviews.

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Total of 71, showing 1-20
Review from Ella S (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter was at Children's House since she was 2 until she went to school and has thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt very at ease knowing she was in their care, with regular updates and lots of fun activities. The staff were all lovely and my daughter grew in confidence in their care.
Thank you x
Reply from karen o'connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you, we have loved caring for your daughter and wish her all the very best at school.
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Review from K B (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter absolutely loves her days at the Children's House. The team were great at settling her in when she joined at 9 month's old and I have no doubt that they have played a part in her social and physical development in the subsequent 8 months. We love the updates of her day in the app and the
chat when we pick her up after a busy day. Thank you all for all that you do, we couldn't be happier!
Reply from karen oconnell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you, great to hear the unlimited settling sessions were useful and the App and handovers add to the overall experience.
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Review from A B (Father of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very organised nursery who keep parents regularly up to date with their child's daily activities.
We have been very happy with the treatment and development of our child since sending them to the nursery.
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Review from J L (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been attending Children's House nursery since September 2024 and he absolutely loves it! The nursery staff have been so welcoming since initial contact from arranging for us to come in and complete a tour and ask questions to being flexible with our needs. The staff truly make Childrens
house, we're always greeted with a smile each morning, as well as full updates on collection to how well they've slept and all the fun activities organised. As a first time mum I felt completely overwhelmed with nursery searching and the anxiety of having to drop off your baby, I would say it's been a seamless transition! The updates provided throughout the day offer so much reassurance and the care given is second to none. I wouldn't look elsewhere for child care- Children's House is a family away from family and I'd encourage anyone to attend!
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Review from Niki C (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter loves the nursery and the staff and always seems very happy at the end of the day.Staff members are always kind and helpful and seem genuinely interested in creating a great environment for children.The menu sounds great and nutritious and our daughter says she enjoys her meals.We also
appreciate the regular updates and photos.All in all we've had a great experience.
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Review from E P (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The experience of the nursery we have received has been amazing. Our son loves to visit nursery when he goes and is always happy and smiling when there which is displayed through photos on the app. We are updated throughout the day of when our sob is at nursery which puts us at ease. If we are faced
with any enquiry's then we just phone or email and they will be dealt with and no question we have ever had is ever left. We have had a brilliant experience
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Review from Kayleigh C (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The best nursery ever!! My little boy has loved it from the minute he joined he's settled so well!
They think of all the small details that mean so much as a parent from the starter pack to the little extras they come home with at the end of the day!!
The little updates through the day are so reassuring
to know they're having the best day :)
I can't recommend Children's House enough
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Review from C G (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We love love LOVE children's house. All staff are so wonderful and the staff turnover is much lower than our children's previous nursery which suggests that they are happy there too!
They know each child so well and it really feels like a home from home family environment.
My daughter loves going
to nursery, learns so much and has so many new experiences there. There is a focus on language, communication and signing each month which has always worked so well with my girls from tiny babies and they also have lots of lovely topics ans themes to explore and a huge variety of activities around each topic. They have an allotment garden and forest school sessions each week and I always think that a child sent home smiling, covered in mud and with paint on her clothes is a sign of a day well spent!
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Review from J T (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
An amazing experience as first time parents - top things for me have been:
Starting off with multiple stay and plays to build up relationships, regular updates throughout the day on an easy to use app, flexibility in terms of care hours and extra days, knowing that the needs of the children are prioritised
above everything else as it comes across so clearly in all their actions and communications, and above all knowing that our daughter absolutely loves it there and waves us off happily every morning she visits.
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Review from Liz B (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son goes to children's House and loves it! I feel he is safe and happy when he is there, like a home from home.
The activities he takes part in are lovely and are helping his development. The staff are brilliant always helpful, caring and happy to support with any questions I may have. The nursery
goes above and beyond for parents and the children.
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Review from Victoria W (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending this nursery for 3 years and it's fantastic. They provide such a nurturing environment with so many brilliant activities. My daughter has the best time there and loves the food they provide too!
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Review from T M (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl has been at Children's House for 8 months, she has absolutely loved it from day 1. They do a huge range of fun activities to keep her busy, and she is always so happy to go and see her friends at drop off. Her development has come on hugely since starting too.
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Review from Paul A (Father of Child) published on 17 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent provision, my children have attended here and have been very happy and been well prepared for their transition to infants. Great team and a great setting, highly recommended to any parent considering nursery provisions.
Reply from karen oconnell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you, we have loved caring for your children and thank you for choosing our amazing setting
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Review from D B (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Children's House since she was 9 months old and she is now 3. She has always been so happy and confident to go to nursery and we haven't experienced a single day when she hasn't wanted to go. This is down to the staff and the environment at Children's House. It really is a home
away from home and we feel incredibly lucky that she goes there. They do lots of amazing things like forest school, French, baking and themed days! Children's House is a fantastic and nurturing nursery that we highly recommend!
Reply from karen oconnell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you for your amazing review of our nursery, the staff go above and beyond and its so good to hear that it makes a difference.
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Review from Zoe M (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been attending Children's House for over a year and a half and it was the best decision we made for our family. Our son is due to start there later this year. We've never had any issues, all of the staff take the best care of our daughter and are always able to give you the best advice
with any difficulties you may be facing e.g. sleep regressions. Our daughter is excited to attend nursery every day, she even gets sad on the days she doesn't go (we try not to take it too personally!). Thank you to all of the staff, we couldn't recommend this nursery enough.
Reply from karen OConnell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you, so lovely to hear, we really appreciate your wonderful comments on Children's House.
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Review from C C (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little boy has been at Children's House for 18 months and has flourished, he has just gone into pre-school and I am so impressed with the deputy manager and the team and can see such a big difference in his manners and behaviour. Thank you!
Reply from Karen O'Connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you, it's so good to hear that your son is flourishing, we love seeing the children grow in confidence.
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Review from D J (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my son was nine months old, Children's House has been somewhere that I've entrusted with his care and development. He's come on so much, met friends who he'll shortly be going to school with and the staff have been fantastic. From Forest School to French, he's loved every minute of it and it's
given me peace of mind that he's grown so much, learned such a lot, and become his own little person. The little details from the "starting nursery" pack for mum (including the tissues), the arts and crafts, the regular updates, events, and the inclusive nature of the place, go far beyond what we expected to get from a nursery placement. Children's House is a home from home, that gives you many "sparkles". I can't thank you enough for his journey with you over the last four years. We'll be sad to leave the nursery life, but will be back as a schooler for breakfast and after-school club - again a brilliant facility. Thank you!
Reply from Karen O'Connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words, the staff work so hard to provide a safe, secure, loving environment. We wish your family all the very best moving forward as your little boy continues to…read more
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Review from H G (Mother of Child) published on 2 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has absolutely loved her time at the children's house nursery over the last 2 years. Her speech and language skills have come on fantastically and her confidence has grown both in and outside of pre-school. All her teachers have made us feel so comfortable and confident in the care they
provide and we couldn't have asked for more during her time spent at the Children's House. Thank you.
Reply from karen o'connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you for your kind words, we wish your daughter all the very best for school and are pleased we were a part of her early years education. Wishing your family all the very best for the future and…read more
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Review from Danika S (Mother of Child) published on 3 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely amazing nursery, what a lovely, caring team you have. It has a home-from-home atmosphere and the staff really do care about the children. My son falls asleep every night on the way home and shows what a fun-filled day he has had! Cannot recommend this nursery enough. The staff and management
don’t just support your child but support the whole family. Well done!
Reply from Karen O'connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
We have loved having your son here at Children's House and we always say we are one big family of staff, children and parents, so it's great to hear that we get that part right.
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Review from Emma S (Grandmother of Child) published on 3 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My granddaughter attends and she has been made so happy, we can not recommend highly enough.
From our induction day to now being three days a week, 9 am until 3 pm, Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, we could not want anymore, the communication is excellent and we are very happy.
Reply from Karen O'connell, Director at Children's House Nursery
Thank you - we are so happy that your grandaughter has settled into nursery life so well.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.935)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.935) out of 10 for Children's House 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 18 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 18 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 4.935 for Children's House Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (201 Excellents x 5) + (14 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 215 Ratings = 4.935
  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 Children's House Nursery is based on 18 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 55 number of registered child places is 11, which has been reached with 18 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 (3)

Nicola

Nicola Carter

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 1991

Nicola has over 30 years of experience in childcare and managing nurseries.

Karen

Karen Cunningham

Job Title: Director Joined: 1990

Karen has over 30 years of experience in running private nurseries, and a desire to provide home from home environments and a magical environment for children to thrive.

Anna

Anna Morris

Job Title: Deputy Manager/Forest School Level 3 Leader Joined: 1991

Anna is an experienced childcare practitioner who has the 'Mary Poppins' magic within her, Anna also delivers Forest School sessions, a true gem in our setting.

Frequently Asked Questions about Children's House Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that Children's House Nursery accepts?

Children's House Nursery accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Children's House Nursery Open?

Children's House Nursery is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Children's House Nursery have capacity for?

Children's House Nursery has capacity for a total of 55 Children.

How far is Children's House Nursery to the centre of Southwell?

0.5 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

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