The Mulberry Bush

107 North Road, Belfast BT5 5NF
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9.8 72 Reviews
  • The Mulberry Bush, Belfast
The Mulberry Bush is a family-run private day nursery and has been open for 33 years, catering for children up to the age of five years. Children are cared for in four separate rooms which offer resources and learning and play opportunities most appropriate to their age and stage of development.

The nursery provides a warm, friendly and secure environment to promote children’s emotional, social, physical and intellectual development and help them reach their full potential. Children take part in a range of group activities including messy play, sensory experiences, arts and crafts, baking and role play. The nursery has three outdoor play areas where children can enjoy time outside in good weather.

Children are provided with healthy and nutritious meals and fresh fruit every day. They are encouraged to develop independent eating habits and good table manners at mealtimes. Menus are approved by a dietitian and contain no artificial colouring, preservatives or flavourings.

Snacks are given in the afternoon, yoghurts, fruit, pancakes etc.

Children with allergies can be catered for.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Owner

  • Judith McKee & John Herron
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Fiona Dickson (Nursery Manager)

Admission Information

  • none

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 23

Total Places for Children

  • 45

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Parents can apply through Early Years for 15% off Nursery fees


    We are registered for the NICSS Childcare scheme, tax free childcare and accept childcare vouchers


    Nursery Brochure available on request

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 & 1 week at Christmas

Parking

  • Parking at the nursery

The Mulberry Bush Reviews (72)

9.8

The Mulberry Bush has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.821) out of 10, based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Mulberry Bush has 72 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
  • 72
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Reviewer Connection to The Mulberry Bush
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Total of 72, showing 61-72
Review from S R (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff were very attentive and understanding when leaving my child with them for the first time. They were reassuring and helped settle me as well as my child. My child settled in really quickly and has become so sociable and confident, and it is clear to see the close bond with members of staff.
I have recommended the Mulberry Bush to friends and family and as parents, we know that our child is happy, learning so much every day and developing so much.
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Review from LL (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have been extremely happy with and grateful for the care and attention our daughter has received at the Mulberry Bush. It is a nurturing environment with a real family feeling, striking the right balance between calm and stimulating. All the staff, whether her direct carers or not, seem to know our
daughter and deal with her with affection - and some staff members have really been outstanding. Our daughter's development and needs feel well understood. Above all, I believe she has a happy time there - when I go to pick her up, she and her roommates all have smiles on their faces.
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Review from K C (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending The Mulberry Bush for the last 6 months and we are very happy with our choice of child care. The management and staff are very friendly and approachable and are very proactive in meeting each child's specific needs and seeking parents' opinions on how they can improve the service
they provide. The staff keep us well informed of our son's day-to-day routine in nursery and he is making real leaps in his development, particularly speech, as a result of the activities he is engaged in while at nursery. I would highly recommend this nursery.
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Review from Lynzi C (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been attending The Mulberry Bush for nearly 2 years and without doubt I think it is the best nursery in Belfast with such a homely feel. Not only do I have peace of mind knowing my child is well cared for by the best staff, but I also know the facilities and day to day activities make my
daughters life fulfilled and happy. I can't speak highly enough of the staff and management, and am completely satisfied with all aspects of the nursery.
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Review from Kate G (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been attending the Mulberry Bush since she was 6 months old (now 16 months) and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. We had trouble initially getting her to take bottles for the staff but they were all extremely patient and accommodating of her individual needs and routine. She has
settled in really well and is happy to be left at the nursery. They have one room for each age group so babies of the same age move between rooms together which I think is nice for them to stay with familiar faces. (I have heard of other local nurseries separating friends when they move rooms if more than one per age group which caused disruption to the kids). The meals provided are healthy choices and all we have to provide is a snack, so minimal preparation required for busy parents! Good variety of activities on offer and the kids get outside as much as possible when weather allows. Really happy with the Mulberry Bush and will be sad when our daughter has to move on to go to school!
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Review from Jill M (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started nursery at the beginning of January in the red room and we both have been made to feel very welcome. All staff there are friendly, helpful and reassuring to worried parents! During my daughter's time there so far she has participated in a wide range of activities including outdoor
play, walks, baking, art & crafts. I would definitely recommend The Mulberry Bush to other parents, with only a small number of children/staff in each room you quickly get to know everyone and it feels homely!
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Review from Geri (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been here for 2.5 years, my daughter for a little over 1 year. They love it and run in to the staff. I viewed a lot of nurseries before I choose The Mulberry Bush as it had the most homely feel. The staff are genuinely caring towards the children. I've recommended it to other parents and
wouldn't hesitate to do so again. 10/10.
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Review from Richard McC (Father of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our Daughter has been attending Mulberry Bush for the last year and a half. During that time she has thrived, made many friends, and most importantly - she is VERY happy there. We would have no hesitation in recommending this nursery.
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Review from Zara E (Mother of Child) published on 3 March 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would highly recommend this nursery to family and friends. All staff are welcoming friendly and polite they go out of their way to understand the needs of each and every child and also keep us parents up to date with what our child is doing on a daily basis by providing us with a book giving a breakdown
of the activities they have taken part in, their eating habits etc. I can't sing their praises enough. I am due my second child in May and will definitely be using Mulberry bush for both my children.
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Review from Emma M (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Son started The Mulberry Bush at 10 months old and I was extremely impressed by the attentiveness of the staff. They asked questions in detail about my son's routine and his comforts from home, they really made the nursery feel like a home from home for not only him but myself and his father too.
We love how even the owner and management team get so involved with the kids. Staff and the facilities have really made an impression on his development. The meals are homely and healthy and he loved the food, he has recently become a fussy eater and the advice from the staff has been invaluable, they are working alongside us to see what works best for him at mealtimes. Overall, excellent family run day nursery with top staff and facilities.
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Review from Lauren M (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Daughter loves coming to nursery. I cannot recommend the staff highly enough.


The staff at Mulberry Bush treat the Children who attend like they are their own, giving love an affection at all times. They ensure my Daughter is well fed, entertained and looked after everyday, I couldn't be happier

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Review from Shelley (Mother of Child) published on 18 December 2015 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery. From the day I left my 2 year old twins in I knew they would be well looked after at mulberry bush.
In the time they were there they were taught numbers/colours/seasons etc , and their language skills came on brilliantly.
The staff are all very caring and take an interest in each
child.
I would highly recommend this nursery.
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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.821)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.821) out of 10 for The Mulberry Bush is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 19 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 19 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 4.821 for The Mulberry Bush is calculated as follows: ( (193 Excellents x 5) + (22 Goods x 4) + (9 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 224 Ratings = 4.821
  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 The Mulberry Bush is based on 19 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 45 number of registered child places is 9, which has been reached with 19 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 (9)

Meet the Team (1)

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Fiona Dickson

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 1995

I have worked in the Mulberry Bush Day Nursery for 30 years.
My sister owns it and retired a few years ago.
Some of the staff have been with me for over 20 years and have gone on to do their Level 5 in Childcare.
We are a Family run Nursery and we put the children first.


Let our Family look after your Family

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