Little Apples Day Nursery

14-20 Sandersted Road, South Croydon CR2 0PA
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9.9 65 Reviews
  • Little Apples Day Nursery, South Croydon
Founded in 2012 by two mums, Little Apples boasts a fantastic team of around 30 dedicated employees, many of whom have been with the nursery for over a decade, who are all committed to delivering outstanding childcare. The facility includes an on-site kitchen preparing fresh meals, four age-specific rooms, a magical sensory room, and a medium-sized garden with a free-flow area for seamless indoor-outdoor learning.

Its "workshop play" curriculum blends learning and play, with rooms transforming daily into exciting stations for small worlds, role-play, and messy sand and water activities. This setup encourages unique learners to explore diverse activities while absorbing knowledge. Little Apples understands that every child grows at their own pace, tailoring its approach to individual abilities. It sets personalised, achievable "Next Steps" target's every six weeks, guiding each child through its curriculum.

The main goal is for children to be happy and love learning through play. Its carefully crafted daily routines are packed with exciting learning opportunities and enjoyable activities, ensuring every child learns at their own happy pace, with praise for success and gentle guidance for challenging behaviour.
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Type of Service

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

Owner

  • Aimee Gaddes-Mitchell
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Alex Wickenden (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 30

Total Places for Children

  • 76

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • £95 per day
    Funded spaces available

  • Little Apples Day Nursery has so many promotions going on, speak to their team to find out what discounts you can receive.

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

  • Little Apples Day Nursery has 3 customer bays that you can use for free. They are located in Redsan Close just in front of the entrance gate.

Little Apples Day Nursery Reviews (65)

9.9

Little Apples Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.851) out of 10, based on 23 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Little Apples Day Nursery has 65 reviews.

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Total of 65, showing 21-40
Review from Frankie O (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Leaving your child at nursery is very daunting as a parent but the staff at Little Apples have been amazing! My child is not only cared for, educated and fed well but he's also loved by the staff who take excellent care of him and keep us informed and involved in our child's care. The fact that Little
Apples is 5 miles from our home is a testament to how excellent their care is.
Reply from Alex Wickenden, Manager at Little Apples Day Nursery
Thank you for your fab review! We are glad you chose us and endure the commute to us too.
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Review from Hazel P (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Supportive and helpful staff. They are capable to look after your child in your absence and your child will grow fond of each and every one of them. Thank you for the difference you make in my child’s life you are stars!
Reply from Alex Wickenden, Manager at Little Apples Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review, we are glad you picked us to be part of your little one's life.
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Review from Narelle W (Mother of Child) published on 26 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Highly recommend for children who have difficulty in separating from career. Attentive staff, who take the time to focus on your child/children’s individual needs along with great activities, planned and spontaneous.
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Review from N M (Mother of Child) published on 31 May 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We first sent our daughter to Little Apples when she was one and a half. From the first settling in session, we felt welcome and comfortable sending her there. We now have our second daughter there and again couldn’t ask for more. The care, setting and all the staff are wonderful. I would recommend
Little Apples to anyone.
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Review from Clare A (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has been attending Little Apples since June 2020 during lockdown when he was eight and a half months old. He has has the most amazing time there and has bonded with the fantastic staff. He often talks about the staff on the way to nursery, excited to see them. All the staff make the effort to
know him, even if they are not directly in his room. I have no doubt he has learnt so much in the last year and a half and is absolutely thriving and a lot is credit to the experience he’s had at little apples. The management themselves, have been brilliant with helping with short notice changes or extra days due to emergencies. As shift workers, we have found the flexibility to be a lifeline and we are so grateful
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Review from Chantell M (Mother of Child) published on 1 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I visited several nurseries in the area before choosing Little Apples. The staff were so engaged and I liked the class sizes/age ranges for each class. My daughter started going at 18 months. I was still quite anxious about leaving her (in any nursery), but the staff were so nurturing and caring, that
not only did she settle quickly they also made me feel at peace about leaving her there. She is now 3.5 and has learned so much there. She absolutely loves going to nursery and always talks about the staff and how much she loves them. I have, on occasion, asked who her fav is. She always proceeds to reel off all the staff names 1 by 1, even those from previous years, as she cannot pick just one. Little Apples has helped me out loads too. When I was training and needed to rejig my hours, they were so helpful, accommodating, and flexible. Recommend 100%.
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Review from H S (Mother of Child) published on 26 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Apples is a wonderful nursery with a fantastic team. My daughter started at ten months and is now eighteen months and she has really blossomed in the nursery environment.
The team are all enthusiastic, caring, and have a genuine passion for the children.
The settling in sessions were brilliant
and took into the factor of my daughter being a covid baby and therefore not as socialised as others. It went down really well.
My daughter is always happy to be dropped off at nursery and is comfortable with all team members including those from the older groups/classes.
The office team are also brilliant and prompt and efficient with requests etc. All staff have been friendly and lovely from the start.
The building and setting is great with really lovely facilities, clean and a comfortable friendly environment.
I've recommended Little Apples to several people since my daughter started.
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Review from A H (Mother of Child) published on 26 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I’ve been lucky enough to send both my children to this nursery right from baby room all the way up to preschool. And I have only great things to say about them. And the proof is in the child I notice such a difference in the new things the children have learnt from one week to the next. The staff are
all wonderful, friendly, professional and would do anything to accommodate us. They have an app so you can see what your child has done that day. And my two absolutely love the days that they go in to nursery. Highly recommend.
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Review from D A (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My two year old started at Little Apples following us moving to the area in July. She had previously attended nursery so we were a bit anxious about her starting all over again. The team were fantastic at Little Apples in settling her in. She was very hesitant of all the new faces and the new environment,
but after a few weeks the nursery was pretty much second nature to her. The staff are amazing here and they communicate so well to us parents. Through their app we can see a breakdown of what’s happened through the day. I love their focused approach to learning and I can tell what my daughter has been up to because she comes home telling us new exciting things which we know we haven’t taught her. She’s matured so much in four months and I know the nursery has something to do with it. The nursery itself is very clean and the staff are presentable. They also give a great handover at the end of the day!
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Review from A D (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Well what can I say except Little Apples is fantastic. From the very first phone call to enquire for my son to a year on, we are so happy with everything. All the staff are always happy and so positive. We love the fact that there is a mixture of male and female staff. My son was an extremely clingy
baby and I just needed a break, I was very nervous leaving him even though he was my 3rd child. They were absolutely great very reassuring from the word go and he has just thrived in confidence. He has Spanish classes and really enjoys the food. Even on a weekend he asks to go to nursery. They except nursery vouchers so inclusive for all. He has made lots of friends and I really feel they have set him up for starting school next September. The staff are always there to answer questions either on the phone or face to face. I wish I had found this nursery when I had my first child.
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Review from Amie D (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Apples is such a great nursery. My little boy started in August after we felt he needed to develop more and be around his peers. I was so nervous putting him in nursery and for the first few weeks he cried every time and after that well he hasn’t looked back. The nursery has been great for him
and we have noticed such a change. The communication is fab and they offer advice and my little boy can’t wait to go every week!
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Review from Jenny W (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
So pleased with this amazing Nursery for my three children. The staff are all so caring and genuine. I feel they take a genuine interest in my children and always take the time to tell me how their day was and give me an insight to what they have been doing. They have their best interests at heart always!
The nursery staff feel likes one big family which makes me feel so reassured and happy leaving my little ones there. My eldest son has now left and the pre school prepared him so much for school, he had the best start to his journey on to reception as they taught him the basics such as how to hold a pencil correctly, taught him how to write his name, basic maths and even phonics. My children are very happy there and love going in. They have made lovely friends and most importantly I know they are in the best hands.
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Review from Lucy (Mother of Child) published on 18 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I love this nursery for my 14 month old daughter. She seems to have developed a great bond with the staff and has a great time at nursery. I really like and trust the staff and feel they take a genuine interest in my little one. The premise is nice, clean and lots of fun activities. I also feel like
it’s well run, I get plenty of communication. The only down side for me is the garden is quite small - not an issue for my baby daughter but perhaps less great for pre schoolers who need to run around. Also I really hope we don’t have to keep queuing outside for pick up as can end up waiting quite a long time!
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Review from Sam C (Father of Child) published on 18 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter joined Little Apples in September and we are amazed at the difference it has made already! She is now more confident and sociable and this has been most noticeable in her interactions with family and friends (previously stifled by lockdown restrictions). Little Apples staff are polite and
reliable, and have been extremely understanding with our daughter’s slow and nervous start to nursery.
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Review from Sian M (Mother of Child) published on 18 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Little Apples for almost 2 years now and she absolutely loves it! She has learnt so much during her time there and has gained so much confidence. She goes in so excited and comes out smiling every day she is there. The staff are amazing, so caring and helpful. I highly recommend
Little Apples!
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Review from Whitney B (Mother of Child) published on 9 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing staff, super friendly. Really love the thorough care that it provided for my son. His speech has improved immensely and he loves going into nursery. I always get a warm welcome from the staff members which always brightens up my day.
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Review from Karolina D (Mother of Child) published on 18 December 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great Nursery, my son loves going and am always kept up to date with his day, his activities and what he eats through the app. After coming home I can see he has had a lot of stimulation and will always come out with new words.
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Review from Simone S (Mother of Child) published on 11 November 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery is in a great location, good pricing, absolutely wonderful, friendly and kind staff, professional atmosphere, highly trained staff and management, superb communication, great daily updates (including images) via a specialised phone app. Great educational plans and games for children, suitable
“class” numbers, varied activities. It is a fabulous nursery, and I would recommend it to everyone - we have had a wonderful experience in the last 10-months.
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Review from Helen Z (Mother of Child) published on 6 November 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Little Apples from the baby room, over a year later we're still very happy there. The staff are all very friendly and he comes home telling me all about the friends he has played with each day. He seems to get on really well with his key worker and has learnt so much in his time there,
they're always looking to help him progress. I really like the new app that is updated throughout the day to see how your child is doing. We have also really enjoyed some of the extra events they usually put on throughout the year - eg. Halloween and Christmas parties, plus the dress-up weeks and present donations for charity. It has been tough throughout lockdown but the nursery put on Zoom calls and classes throughout, it was a great help to me and helped my son remember his friends when he couldn't see them in person.
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Review from Angie G (Mother of Child) published on 4 November 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children attended Little Apples Day Nursery from the age of 1 year old.
The staff there helped from the very beginning with me finding it hard to leave them and them leaving me. They made this transition as easy as possible for all of us, and I felt comfortable leaving them every time knowing
they would be very well looked after and safe.
As the years went on and grow relationships with each member of staff and never had any issues.
The Little Apples team are brilliant and I would definitely recommend their services. My children went into school with great communication skills, table manners and a great advantage to education. I can not thank them enough for helping me raise my two children.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.851)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.851) out of 10 for Little Apples Day 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 23 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 23 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 4.851 for Little Apples Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (240 Excellents x 5) + (29 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 275 Ratings = 4.851
  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 Apples Day Nursery is based on 23 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 76 number of registered child places is 15.2, which has been reached with 23 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 (4)

Sarah

Sarah

Job Title: Team Leader Baby Room -Level 6 - Education Delivery Manager Joined: 2013

Baby room team leader. Sarah is degree qualified and has worked with our under two's for over a decade. She comes with bags of experience and is our senior lead for all things relating to the delivery of our education services.


Specialist Roles: Designated Safeguarding Lead. Child Behaviour Manager. Staff Learning & Development Lead.


Fun Fact: I have 3 beautiful children.


Why Childcare? Knowing that I can have a positive impact on their life is why I work with children. I enjoy getting messy and being silly with them!


What do our parents say? As a parent, I feel completely at ease knowing my baby is in such good hands. Sarah is also approachable, easy-going, and a wonderful support to families - July 2025


Started working in childcare: 2003


Started at Little Apples: 2013

Nadine

Nadine

Job Title: Baby Room - Level 3 - Early Years Educator Joined: 2024

Nadine has been a great addition to our baby room team. She has an abundance of knowledge and always has new ideas on how we can improve. The babies love her warm and bubbly way, and she is always ready for a cuddle.


Fun Fact: I own a business


Why childcare? Because I enjoy supporting children and their families.


What do our parents say? My daughter lights up around her, and it’s clear how naturally they connect. Not only does she communicate effectively, but her thoughtful observations have really supported my daughter’s development - July 2025


Year you started in childcare: 2019.


Started at Little Apples: 2024

Millie

Millie

Job Title: Baby Room - Level 2 - Early Years Educator Joined: 2024

Millie is currently level 2, studying to upgrade to Level 3. She loves to sing, and you can often find her captivating the babies with a rhyme or two!


Fun Fact: I have a caravan in Great Yarmouth.


Why childcare? My dream job has always been to work in childcare. I love watching the children grow and achieve their goals.


What do our parents say? She's so welcoming and always has a smile. She knows all about my daughter's day and really takes an interest in her, whether it's her milestones or ailments, she always has updates. You can tell she has a warm personality that the babies love - July 2025


Year you started in childcare? 2021.


Started at Little Apples: 2024

Isabelita

Isabelita

Job Title: Baby Room -Apprentice - Level 2 - Early Years Educator Joined: 2023

Currently studying her Level 2, Isabelita brings bags of creativity to the baby room. She loves finding new ways to explore and get messy through her activities.


Fun Fact: I have 20+ Avocado plants from stones I have grown myself.


Why childcare? Everybody says this, but it's so true - I love seeing the kids' personalities develop over time. I also love how excited they are to show you things, whether that's a painting they have made, or a leaf they found on the way to nursery!


What do our parents say? No matter how small the news, Izzy always makes it a big deal for my son. She celebrates everything he does and makes him feel like it’s the most incredible thing in the world! - July 2025


Started working in childcare: 2023


Started at Little Apples: 2023

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