Little Rays Nursery Ballymena

83a Galgorm Road, Ballymena BT42 1AA
Review Us
Top 20 award
9.9 100 Reviews
  • Little Rays Nursery Ballymena, Ballymena
Show Little Rays Nursery Ballymena on the Map

Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Lesley Walker (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 37

Total Places for Children

  • 197

Age Range

  • from 0 years 2 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • All fees are revised in April each year.
    Email for an updated price list!

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
Are you the Owner/Manager of Little Rays Nursery Ballymena? View your Advertising Options

Little Rays Nursery Ballymena Reviews (100)

9.9

Little Rays Nursery Ballymena has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.916) out of 10, based on 49 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Little Rays Nursery Ballymena has 100 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 96
  • 3
  • 0
  • 1
  • 0
Date Published
  • 100
  • 0
  • 10
  • 49
  • 51
Reviewer Connection to Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
  • 81
  • 14
  • 3
  • 2
Total of 100, showing 81-100
Review from Stephanie H (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing! We as parents highly recommended this nursery. The staff are excellent, they are friendly, yet professional and approachable, they have a interest in your child and are very informative. I have no hesitation when I leave our daughter in the morning, she is happy to go and enjoys being there.
The girls have brought my daughter on leaps and bounds, I cannot thank them enough. Love the nursery app, you know exactly what she is eating and it's always lovely to see pictures of what activities they have done each day. Their menu option is fantastic, a variety of healthy meals and it accommodates allergies and dietary requirements. During the adaptation to Covid-19, everything ran super smoothly and Little Rays Nursery Ballymena are compliant. All ground work is kept up to day and not forgetting that everything office based runs smoothly. I highly recommend this nursery.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks so much for including everyone in this kind review. It truly is a team effort and all in Little Rays play their part tirelessly and constantly.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Eve K (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Rays Nursery Ballymena is a fabulous nursery. I have two children under the age of two at the nursery and they absolutely love it. The girls are absolutely fantastic, they can’t do enough to be helpful! They have been brilliant during these difficult times and are always willing to go the extra
mile for the kids. Well done Little Rays Nursery Ballymena.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thank you for this kind review, it means so much to us to get this positive feedback.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Alison G (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The care and attention given by staff is fantastic. Our daughter could not be happier and is always keen to get to nursery for all the fun and games. Activities and learning opportunities are excellent.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
There's always lots going on in Little Rays and the staff team do such an amazing job making sure all children are busy and occupied at all times.
We appreciate your time in writing this review.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl (19 months) absolutely loves going to Little Rays. She talks about the children and staff outside of the hours that she attends and always tells me she is excited to go! It is clear at drop off and pick up that the staff know her well and it makes the day easier knowing that my child
has developed such a bond with some of them as well as a bond with other children in the room. Throughout the settling in period, the staff were very mindful of my anxieties and handled me just right! (It wasn't just my girl they had to look after). The app on offer alongside the childcare is brilliant. Another example of how the nursery strives to keep the parents at ease as well as the children. As well as the superb team of childcarers, this daycare also offers a great range of activities and an excellent food menu throughout the day.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
It's so good to hear both you and your daughter are settled in Little Rays! The parent app we use allows parents to see exactly what their children are up to almost as soon as they have done it and…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Silvia P (Mother of Child) published on 9 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are lovely and very friendly. I can see that my boy enjoys being there although he is very young. It's reassuring being able to have some insight of his day through the app, see his smile on the photos and the variety of activities and food available. They are also very informative if he gets
hurt/sick during the day.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks for taking the time to write this review. The app we use is a really useful way of keeping parents fully up to date with their child's activities and the staff team always are as friendly as…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Natalie S (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one has attended here since September 2019 and she has settled in really well. She greets the staff in the morning with outstretched arms and will happily go to them. The staff are great and provide a caring environment. The activities organised are fun, so much so that sometimes she doesn’t
want to leave and it’s great seeing the pictures and updates throughout the day. Overall, I am very happy with Little Rays and would definitely recommend.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
We love hearing positive comments like this and thank you for taking the time to write them. The staff team really are so dedicated and love seeing the happy, smiling faces of the children. The use of…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Andrew M (Father of Child) published on 4 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves attending the nursery, a great bunch of girls and management couldn't be more helpful when we needed to increase days due to myself getting back to work. He always comes home with lots of stories of what he has been up to. Lots of great hearty meals and the place always looks clean and
tidy.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
We always aim to be as flexible as possible as we understand the pressures of working and juggling family life.
The staff team really are second to none and genuinely care for the children they look…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Ellen R (Mother of Child) published on 23 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great bunch of girls, my wee boy who is 3 loves going in, he protests about a lot of things but never going to the nursery. He's come a long way since joining Little Rays Nursery Ballymena, his speech has come on leaps and he's such an outgoing friendly child with the help of the girls and his little
friends.
100% would recommend to anyone.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
It's so lovely to hear that your child is happy and feels safe in the surroundings of Little Rays.
Happy children make working much less stressful for parents and the staff work so hard to make sure…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Ruth E (Mother of Child) published on 15 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful daycare, my little boy loves it and runs in through the doors. Staff are the right balance of professional, supportive, caring and of course fun. Encourages his development and peer socialisation.
I confidently drop him off knowing he is in good hands and that means the world to any parent.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
We're so happy to hear the team are doing a great job, they really are a dedicated bunch. It's also great to hear we can offer reassurance to busy parents and can take the stress out of leaving their…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Lyndsay A (Mother of Child) published on 4 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves attending the after school club, always lots of fun and messy activities for them to enjoy. All the staff are so friendly and, with all the covid regulations in place, I know my son is in a safe environment, hygiene is of highest standards and lots of info is placed on the app so I'm kept
up to date. The app is also great for seeing photos of the days activities and what he has eaten throughout the day.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
It's lovely to hear My Nursery Pal offers reassurance and helpful information to parents.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review, the team really appreciate it.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Shane M (Father of Child) published on 3 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent staff, the nursery is well kept and the children are extremely well looked after. There are loads of activities for the children and the online portal makes it very easy to keep track of our child’s day. We would highly recommend this nursery to other parents.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thank you for taking the time to review the nursery, it really means a lot.
My Nursery Pal is a great way of keeping the parents as up to date as possible about their child's day. The staff team work…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Rach M (Mother of Child) published on 3 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great experience with this nursery so far. Accommodating when work schedule changed and needed additional days etc. Lovely staff and my little girl has come on well with her development and socialisation during these strange days. Very compliant with covid regulations etc which puts your mind at ease.
Also great communication through updates during the day which is lovely to receive when in work.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks so much for this positive review. We are as flexible as we can be to assist working parents, especially in these difficult times.
We appreciate you taking the time to write this.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 3 February 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son loves Little Rays Ballymena and so do we. The staff are fantastic in his room and he enjoys the activities that they provide.
The staff are kind, caring and easy to talk to and get along with. My son always has a smile on his face on drop off and so do the staff. I was anxious putting my son
into daycare when I went back to work after maternity leave but I didn’t need to be as he has settled in great and thoroughly enjoys attending Little Rays.
They have a secure large garden for the children to play in that is walled and fenced and get the children out whenever they can. My son loves racing about the garden and playing on the ride-on toys.
We love that they use an app so that we can see the updates on what our son has been getting, what he has been eating and we live for the photo updates too they are the best and never fail to put a smile on our faces.
Reply from Michelle Rea, Company Director at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks so much for this review.
Outdoor play and physical activity is so important for young developing children and Little Rays promotes and encourages it all year round. Our large covered outdoor…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Adele (Mother of Child) published on 2 March 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl who is a year and a half loves coming to little rays. The four girls in her room are great and plan so many activities with her, every week on nursery pal she is doing something new baking, messy play etc. I love seeing the pictures of her on nursery pal and it gives me peace of mind
when I'm at work that she's okay!! The girls in my daughter's room are friendly, caring and welcoming when I come in in the morning and in the evening they give a quick update on how she has been. When my little girl was sick and going through an operation the girls and management were so supportive and helpful when my other child needed to have extra care. I would recommend little rays to others and appreciate all the hard work the girls put in to make my daughter have a good day.
Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thank you so much for this positive review. Little Rays will always try to accommodate families when they need additional support and the staff always aim to be friendly and helpful. They will be…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Maddie C (Mother of Child) published on 12 February 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter really enjoyed the time at Little Rays. She developed so well, and all I can say is thank you so much to all staff.
Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks for taking the time to write this review. It’s great to hear you’re happy with the service provided.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Jane k (Mother of Child) published on 12 February 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The team who care for my son are warm, friendly, caring and professional. The care they provide is excellent and I feel content knowing that my son is being well looked after.
Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks so much for this lovely review, the team are always trying to provide the best service they can.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Tracie F (Mother of Child) published on 29 April 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My two sons attend Little Rays Nursery and absolutely love it.


Our 3-year-old beams when running in every morning and his development has progressed so much that’s due to all the interaction and activities in Little Rays Nursery.


Both boys adore the staff and we are very happy that they are cared

for in a safe and caring environment.


All staff from management to the care staff and support staff are all friendly and interact in a lovely manner with our children.


Would definitely recommend Little Rays Nursery.

Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
It’s lovely to hear that you’re happy with the service provided and we appreciate you taking the time to write such a positive review for us.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Clare M (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Highly recommend. My little girl has been attending since she was seven months old. She has always been very well looked after. The staff are very friendly and attentive.
Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a positive review. The staff are always encouraged when they receive positive feedback.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Annaliesse R (Mother of Child) published on 11 April 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl has been going to Little Rays since she was 9 months old and is now almost 3. She absolutely loves the place. She has made lots of wee friends and often talks about the girls who look after her.


The kids have so much to do here; from learning to playing, the range of activities is

brilliant.


The food on offer is great too and have helped my girl try lots of new things.


I especially love that I can check up on how she's doing throughout the day via the web. It was really reassuring in the early days and I love seeing all the pictures the girls upload.


Can't recommend the place enough.

Reply from Michelle Rea at Little Rays Nursery Ballymena
It’s so lovely to hear that you’re happy with all aspects of the care your daughter receives. It truly is a team effort to provide top quality care and I know the team will appreciate your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Silvia N (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I'm taking my youngest son to Little Rays. He got used to the staff in a couple of days and they did everything they could to make him feel welcome. The management was very understanding when I needed to change a day due to employment. The app that I use to see if my boy slept, played or was changed
is great as well. I would definitely recommend Little Rays to my friends and/or family.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.916)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.916) out of 10 for Little Rays Nursery Ballymena 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 49 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 49 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 4.916 for Little Rays Nursery Ballymena is calculated as follows: ( (542 Excellents x 5) + (37 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 585 Ratings = 4.916
  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 Little Rays Nursery Ballymena is based on 49 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 197 number of registered child places is 39.4, which has been reached with 49 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.

Loading

Loading Loading

Loading

Loading

Awards / Recognitions (7)

Meet the Team (0)

There are no team members posted.

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