Thrive Cotton Lane

Gowy Bank Farm, Cotton Edmunds, Chester CH3 7PZ
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9.2 11 Reviews
  • Thrive Cotton Lane, Chester
Smarties Nature Kindergarten is situated just outside Chester, was founded in 1989 with the ambition to provide the highest standards of care and education. Smarties Nature Kindergarten has been awarded Outstanding in all areas in their last FOUR Ofsted inspections (Jan 2020, Dec 2015, Nov 2009, Nov 2005) and has achieved its aim to be regarded as one of the top nurseries in Cheshire.        

The nursery is beautifully designed and finished to an exceptionally high standard creating a warm and homely atmosphere. The nursery has spacious, bright areas dedicated to each stage of development from 0 weeks to 5 years of age. They provide childcare from 7.30am - 6pm, and are open all year round except for Christmas and New Year.

Smarties Nature Kindergarten provides stimulating and inspiring childcare. The team are passionate about quality Early Years Care and Education and recognise the importance of each child’s self-development. They believe that children learn through play, example, interaction and teaching. These four concepts form the core of their ethos and they strive to expand your child’s development through these methods.

They offer 3-5 year old funding and a sibling discount. In addition, they have settling in sessions & Parents evenings, quality Early Years Care and Education, quality resources and equipment, E-Learning Journals, Tablets & Digi Table, freshly made healthy meals and snacks, dance classes, drama sessions, Yoga, Tennis, Gym Sessions, Ballet and Golf, Horse-Riding Lessons and Makaton. At Smarties, they celebrate festivals throughout the year, have regular outings in the local area and a Graduation ceremony when little ones are ready to move on to primary school.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Amy Devine (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 50

Total Places for Children

  • 94

Age Range

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

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 & Christmas

Parking

  • Small car park for parents and visitors at the front of the site.

Thrive Cotton Lane Reviews (11)

9.2

Thrive Cotton Lane has a Review Score of 9.2 (9.173) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Thrive Cotton Lane has 11 reviews.

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Review from Elaine M (Mother of Child) published on 17 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff at Thrive Cotton Lane are truly wonderful. My son has been attending this setting since he was 11 months old and the love and care he's received, the variety of activities the staff plan and run and the the menu have been outstanding. The management have been listening to suggestions from
the Parents' Forum and making further improvements including investing in equipment and facilities. Staff listen and respect parents' preferences for naps and nutrition and everyone has a lot of fun.
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Review from L C (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Smarties is such a special place filled with incredible staff who genuinely care and nurture your children. I feel confident leaving my little boy knowing that he will have a happy and varied day full of fantastic opportunities. The environment itself is absolutely beautiful, filled with fantastic resources
for the children to use and explore. The staff take their time to get to know your little one and by having this bond my little boy goes into nursery happy and excited to see his keyworker and the rest of the staff. Choosing a nursery for your child is one of the hardest decisions to make but we struck gold when we selected Smarties and we are absolutely thrilled that our little boy has had the opportunity to attend here for the last 18 months. Well done team Smarties, you are absolutely smashing it.
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and thoughtful words. We are truly touched by your feedback and absolutely delighted to hear how happy and settled your little boy is at nursery. Our team is…read more
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Review from N C (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been in smarties for just over a year and is now in the preschool room, he loves his time there. The environment for the children is excellent with plenty of outdoor space. The staff are very caring and know every child well, staff go above and beyond to make a nurturing environment.
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're so pleased to hear that your son is enjoying his time at Smarties and thriving in the preschool room. Its our goal to create a safe, nurturing, and…read more
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Review from Dave L (Father of Child) published on 22 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son (age 4) has been at Smarties for eight months and we couldn't be happier with it. The staff are passionate, communicative and very knowledgeable and our son had no issues at all settling in. He's made some lovely friends at the nursery and we've found it easy to get to know other parents through
the regular social events the Nursery put on for the children and parents. A really lovely place.
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're so happy to hear how well your son has settled in and how much hes enjoying his time at Smarties. It's wonderful to know he's built friendships and that…read more
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Review from Laura J (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
As parents we feel so privileged to be able to send our son to this nursery. He has been attending since he turned one and has developed such a confident personality. He is happy, he is supported and he is given so much opportunity to learn in the most fun ways. The activities that are provided keep
his interest and are always well thought out. The setting is well kept, the staff are outstanding and there is nothing we cant approach them about. I love the little trips down the road to see the animals, and the individuals invited in to add something different to the norm. Each session he runs in with a smile and the days there are pictures to document what hes been up to light up my day. There is nowhere else we would consider sending our son, and he will continue to attend until primary school.
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for such a touching and thoughtful review. It truly means the world to us to hear how happy and confident your son has become during his time with us. Watching him grow and thrive is…read more
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Review from N G (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Smarties has provided a fantastic learning environment for our little girl, who started age one, and is now three. The staff are absolutely amazing and she is always happy to go in and see them every morning!
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! Its been an absolute pleasure watching your little girl grow over the past two years. We're so happy to hear she enjoys coming in each daythose morning…read more
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Review from C H (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Smarties since he was 1 year old. He is now in the Preschool room and absolutely loves it. The staff at Smarties are amazing and you can really see the bond they have with all the children. 100% would recommend :)
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! It's been such a joy to watch your son grow and thrive with us since he was just one. We're so glad hes loving the Preschool room! Our team truly cherishes…read more
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Review from E W (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been with Smarties five days a week for over a year since she was six months old. She is so happy there. She is always full of smiles for the carers when I drop her off. Smarties and the baby room team have been great with her.
Reply from Jenni McDougall, Operations Project Manager at Thrive Cotton Lane
Thank you so much for your heartfelt review! It means the world to us to know that your daughter is so happy at Smarties. Seeing her smiles each morning brings us so much joy, and it's been a true…read more
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Review from Keziah V (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We now have our second child at Smarties after a four year gap and it continues to be fantastic! He absolutely loves it and is thriving. The staff are all wonderful and he comes out so excited about everything he's done each day. Everything about Smarties is great, from the facilities and outdoor space,
to the care and attention from the staff and the wide variety of engaging activities.
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Review from Victoria R (Mother of Child) published on 13 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Smarties is a fantastic nursery. My son has attended since a baby; he is now pre-school age. The facilities are amazing, with forest school, countryside walks, and on-site farm animals. But the best and most important thing is that the staff are incredible. They are so kind, caring and empathetic, with
seemingly endless energy. All the way through the different age rooms, my son has built relationships and bonded with the ladies in the rooms - he absolutely loves them. He has developed great confidence and independence, but he is still nurtured. Smarties is a little slice of heaven.
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Review from Keziah V (Mother of Child) published on 5 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery is absolutely outstanding! Our daughter has attended here since she was 5 months old and we can't think of a better place for her to be. The staff and facilities are superb and it is clear that she loves every minute of her time there. She has formed close bonds with all of the staff and
they, in turn, have done so much to promote her development. We could not be happier with Smarties.
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Current Review Score: 9.2 (9.173)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.2 (9.173) out of 10 for Thrive Cotton Lane 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 8 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.2 out of 5 from 8 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 4.947 for Thrive Cotton Lane is calculated as follows: ( (89 Excellents x 5) + (5 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 94 Ratings = 4.947
  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 4.226 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Thrive Cotton Lane is based on 8 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 = 3.8
    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 94 number of registered child places is 18.8. 8 Positive Reviews ÷ 18.8 = 0.426
  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 (4)

Meet the Team (3)

Amy

Amy Devine

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2012

Amy has a wealth of experience in the early years sector having managed nurseries for decades, Amy is a passionate nature kindergarten manager and sees the value in outdoor learning for children.

Steph

Steph Ankers

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2025

My name is Steph, and I completed my level 3 in childcare after having my second child. I enjoy working with nursery-age children and have a passion for outdoor learning.

Beth

Beth Birch

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2023

Beth supports Amy in the smooth running of the nursery.

Frequently Asked Questions about Thrive Cotton Lane

What is the Age Range of Children that Thrive Cotton Lane accepts?

Thrive Cotton Lane accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Thrive Cotton Lane Open?

Thrive Cotton Lane 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 Thrive Cotton Lane have capacity for?

Thrive Cotton Lane has capacity for a total of 94 Children.

How far is Thrive Cotton Lane to the centre of Chester?

3.6 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 Thrive Cotton Lane to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Thrive Cotton Lane has an Enhanced Service - more info.