Willows Farm Day Nursery

Willows Activity Farm, Coursers Road, London Colney, St Albans AL4 0PF
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9.9 114 Reviews
  • Willows Farm Day Nursery, St Albans
Willows Farm Day Nursery & Pre-School in London Colney, near St Albans, offers high-quality childcare and early years education for children aged 0 to 5.
Set within the beautiful surroundings of Willows Activity Farm, the nature-based nursery gives children the freedom to explore, learn, and grow through play.

Willows Farm Day Nursery follow the Forest School approach, encouraging confidence, independence, and curiosity through outdoor learning and hands-on experiences. From caring for animals to planting seeds in the gardens, every day is an opportunity for discovery.

Conveniently located just off the M25, Willows Farm Day Nursery welcome families from St Albans, London Colney, and across Hertfordshire.
The qualified team provides a nurturing environment with dedicated baby, toddler, and pre-school rooms, plus access to funded childcare places for eligible families.

Discover why parents call Willows Farm Day Nursery one of the best nurseries in St Albans for outdoor, farm-based learning - book a visit to Willows Farm Day Nursery & Pre-School today.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Lucy Nicholson (Senior Childcare Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 70

Total Places for Children

  • 188

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Full-day session: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm
    Morning session: 7:30 am - 1:00 pm
    Afternoon session: 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm

  • Each situation is different and bespoke to your childcare needs. To find out more about our fees, please do get in touch so we are able to build a profile and give you a breakdown of what we believe best suits your child’s needs.

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Willows Farm Day Nursery Reviews (114)

9.9

Willows Farm Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10, based on 49 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Willows Farm Day Nursery has 114 reviews.

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Review from C L (Mother of Child) published on 12 December 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our girls have a great time each day. Especially trips on Tristan the tractor! The staff are lovely and they have lots of fun playing all day. Our oldest in pre-school comes home with lots of stories and has made lots of nice friends.
Reply from Lucy Nicholson, Nursery Manager at Willows Farm Day NurseryThank you for your feedback. It's wonderful to hear your children are having a lovely time at Willows.
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Review from Laura M (Mother of Child) published on 4 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started at Willows Nursery in January, and our first months in the babies' room were less than ideal. As a first-time mother, I was anxious and needed reassurance, but communication felt generic and disorganized. Photo updates were rare, and I assumed this was the norm. My daughter seemed
content, but I wasn't satisfied. With changes to management and staff, I decided to wait and see. Everything changed when she moved to the pre-toddlers room. The team there is amazing-welcoming and communicative. Her key worker Lauren is incredibly attentive, sharing regular updates and showing genuine care for my daughter's development. I feel so much more at ease now, and the daily photos are a joy to share with family abroad. What started as a rocky experience has become one where I feel fully confident in the care she receives. The pre-toddler team and the nursery manager deserve all the praise for turning things around!
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Review from Shauna H (Mother of Child) published on 28 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We love Willows. It was our favourite nursery out of all those around Highfield Park. They have a lovely big open room with lots of toys and activities, an outdoor area with more activities, and the farm and soft play next door. Plus they're surrounded by fields and countryside! Our daughter has had
some great days at Willows. The team are all lovely, so caring and engaged, and they've really connected with our daughter. She's a little more introverted than the average baby, so we were worried at the start, but they listened to us and took their time with her, and by the end of the first week, she was happily sleeping there and loving all the food! The team are great at recording her sleep, food, etc on the app. And they matched our routine from day one, adapting it over time as she shifted to one nap. They've been so supportive and warm, and have been a big help to us first-time parents. Plus, our kid is just so happy going in in the morning, and grins when she sees them, she loves it.
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Review from P M (Father of Child) published on 25 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Willows Farm Nursery is an amazing place for children, my daughter started there in the baby room aged 14 months, on to Pre-Toddlers and then to Toddler room where she is now. All the rooms are brilliant and so to are the carers, I get feedback after each day and updates on their app. They work on achieving
key educational milestones and take the children on trips to Willows Farm and Soft Play. My daughter often won't let me do her hair in the morning saying she wants it done by two of her carers (cheeky but love that!), she genuinely gets excited in the car on nursery days. I would highly recommend Willows Farm Nursery to all.
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Review from R Z (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son had a great experience at Willows Farm Day Nursery. He started in 2021 joining pre-toddlers. The staff at both the nursery and preschool I highly recommend. So great for them to experience the outdoors and go to the farm. 10/10.
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Review from James G (Father of Child) published on 26 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great staff. Always been good with all three of our kids. The key worker for our youngest is excellent, mixing fun and learning really well. The facilities are excellent and the opportunity to enjoy the farm is unique.
Reply from Lucy Nicholson, Nursery Manager at Willows Farm Day NurseryThank you for your lovely review. We are so glad to hear how wonderful your journey has been with us at Willows Farm Day Nursery with your three children. We take great pride in our experiences with the farm and the children's learning.
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Review from S V (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 2.0 out of 5
My son has a great time at Willows Farm. He enjoys the outdoor time and is always excited to go. The organisation and communication between his key workers, his progress and photo updates have been really average. I would like more communication about changes to staff, updates on his learning and photos
of his day more often through email, at pick-up or in the app. I hope this is something that will be improved in future.
Reply from Lucy Nicholson, Nursery Manager at Willows Farm Day NurseryThank you for your review. We really appreciate your feedback and will look to make some changes to our communication processes when sharing feedback with parents.
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Review from L F (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Staff are all lovely, kind and caring. They have provided great support from my son since he started as a baby. I love that children get regular opportunities to explore the farm setting, including seeing lambs in spring. The opportunities for parents to come into setting for special events are brilliant
to bridge the gap between nursery and home.
Reply from Lucy Nicholson, Nursery Manager at Willows Farm Day NurseryThank you for your wonderful review. We are so glad to hear how lovely our staff have been supporting your son since starting with us at Willow Farm Day Nursery. We enjoy and take great honour in promoting our nursery events that include parents, this has helped create a lovely parent partnership with the team.
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Review from Sabrina L (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one has moved from the baby room to pre-toddlers room. He is thriving at Willows Farm Day Nursery and I can see how much the staff show love and care to the children as if they were their own.
He loves his daily farm visits and adventures at soft play each day! A great way to burn off energy.
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is great to see there are no screens and instead lots of play opportunities, exploring outdoors, promoting a love of reading and opportunities for language development.
The staff in the pre-toddler room are able to communicate with parents about their child's day and are all very knowledgeable in order to pass this information on to parents.
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Review from Demi L (Mother of Child) published on 17 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our twins attend this amazing nursery and we couldn’t be happier with our choice! They’re both so happy and well looked after in the pre toddlers room. They have only attended Willows since September, but their learning and development have come so far in a short space of time. The staff are all very
welcoming and friendly and stop to have a chat with you. There is such a nice atmosphere when you enter. The communication is great. They plan lovely events and activities for the children, I love seeing the photos on the app. The farm and soft play is a bonus. The setting looks beautiful and Christmassy at the moment. I cannot recommend Willows Farm enough thank you to you all, you’re amazing.
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Review from Victoria T (Mother of Child) published on 28 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Willows for a couple of years and absolutely loves it there! The staff are warm, and communicative and she has a wonderful bond with so many of them. Being able to go to the farm and soft play on site is fantastic.


So happy with our choice to send her here.

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Review from L C (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When booking my 20-month-old son into Willows I was really nervous about how he would cope. However, from the get-go the staff were amazing! From the pre-visit contact and the settling-in session, I had strong feelings my son would love it. He has now been there for a few months and loves being there
more than home! He talks about all his teachers and has already developed in so many ways! The room itself is so inviting and always greeted with a friendly face on arrival. The setting meets his dietary requirements which was something I was also nervous about but again they put me at ease from the first conversation. The staff know my son so well and this is very reassuring. His key worker always communicates very positively with me about his day and all staff make a great effort to make sure all children in their care are happy, content and developing. I'm very excited to see what Willows offer him for the next few years. Would definitely recommend it to friends and family. Can't speak highly enough.
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Review from Michelle M (Mother of Child) published on 18 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter generally loves attending Willows Farm and enjoys spending time with staff and peers. Attending afternoons only means she often misses out on farm trips, forest school and other events/outings. Communication can be sporadic and can feel very disorganised at times. The staff work very hard.
Good resources. Lovely garden. Friendly staff. Overall good experience.
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Review from Laura V (Mother of Child) published on 2 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are extremely pleased and happy with Willows Farm Day Nursery. My son is currently in the pre toddlers room and loves coming to all his nursery sessions.
In both the pre toddler and baby barn, each day there are different creative, playful and educational activities on offer, alongside trips to
the farm and soft play.
Both rooms are well led, and all staff show genuine care and passion. Each morning we are greeted by friendly and caring staff who consistently work in the room. At each pick up the handovers are personalised and detailed, showing how well the staff have observed and know the children.
Overall we are very satisfied with the nursery and recommend it to others.
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Review from Tony N (Father of Child) published on 1 May 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5
There are significant areas for improvement at this facility.
The high turnover of staff and lack of consistency is concerning, as it can have a negative impact on the development of the children in their care. Children need stability and consistency in their caregivers to feel safe and secure, and
constant turnover can be disruptive to their routines and progress.
The poor development of children is a red flag for any nursery. If a child is showing signs of autism, it's crucial for their caregivers to have the knowledge and resources necessary to support their development. It's concerning that this nursery is not equipped to handle such cases and may be unable to provide adequate support for children with autism.
The lack of honesty from management is alarming, as it can erode trust between parents and the nursery. Transparency and open communication are crucial for building trust.
This nursery has several areas for improvement it may be wise to look for alternative options.
Reply from Kelly Garrett, Senior Childcare Manager at Willows Farm Day NurseryWe're sorry to read your review and hear about your experience whilst at the nursery. Recruitment as an industry is particularly challenging and we work hard to retain our staff team to keep consistency for all our children.

We do have a SEN team within our setting who work closely with our children with additional needs, parents, and outside organisations. Specific training around Autism for our staff is also provided to support their knowledge in this area for our children with additional needs.

We are sorry you felt there was a lack of communication from our management team, parent partnership is very important to us, and we work hard to build a trusting relationship with all our parents and welcome any feedback which could improve relationships.

Should you wish to discuss your feedback further, please get in touch and a Senior member of our team will be more than happy to discuss this with you. We are sorry we couldn’t have resolved this whilst your child was with us.
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Review from Vignas G (Father of Child) published on 13 February 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter is currently in the baby barn and I couldn't be happier.
She has a great time and has developed leaps and bounds in the time she has been there.
All of the staff know her by name and are very caring.
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Review from Danielle A (Mother of Child) published on 25 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Having sent two children to Willows I would highly recommend this setting for children who want a fun-packed experience, balanced with caring staff and a great learning foundation for school.
I recently went to two primary school open days and both mentioned how well prepared the children from Willows
Farm arrive into school, being able to write their name and clearly demonstrate an aptitude for learning.
They also tailor their care for each individual child. When we suffered a family bereavement, the team were incredibly supportive of our daughter, buying books for her and the other children to introduce the topic of grief and even attending the funeral to show their support.
Obviously, a review about Willows wouldn't be complete without mentioning the amazing bonus of the children visiting the farm so regularly. Tristan the tractor is a household name for us!
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Review from Beenal P (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter is extremely close to me. She is 18 months old and began nursery school in July 2022. Willows Farm Day Nursery staff was (and still is) incredible in their support. They kept me informed every day and were extremely helpful in guiding my daughter and me through this transition. They always
make time to talk to you and never make you feel as if you are bothering them with too many questions. Really lovely, caring and trustworthy staff. My daughter returns home glowing and full of stories about her day. It's the best feeling in the world to know your child is content. I was looking for a forest nursery but couldn't seem to find one. I came across Willows Farm Day Nursery, which were the next best option for me. They take the children out twice a day. If your child enjoys being outside, I highly recommend Willows Farm Day Nursery.
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Review from Laura D (Mother of Child) published on 30 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn't be more grateful for my son's nursery experience at Willow Farm. My son was two and a half years old when he started nursery in the middle of the pandemic. On top of that, he didn't speak any English yet. Despite these challenging circumstances, the staff did a brilliant job making him feel
welcome from the very first day. He really enjoyed himself, especially during the outings to the farm. The staff treated him as if he was their own, something you cannot fake! They always gave us clear updates on what he had done and eaten that day. We have now moved back to Belgium but will always cherish this experience and can't recommend Willow Farm enough to other parents! Thank you so much!
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Review from V K (Mother of Child) published on 21 October 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Most amazing nursery and staff. My son attended from 2 years old until 4 and I was delighted with the level of care he received and variety of activities he engaged in. I could not have chosen a better nursery for my son.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.865)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10 for Willows Farm 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 49 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 48 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 4.865 for Willows Farm Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (519 Excellents x 5) + (58 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) + (3 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 586 Ratings = 4.865
  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 Willows Farm Day Nursery is based on 48 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 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 188 number of registered child places is 37.6, which has been reached with 48 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

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (1)

Lucy

Lucy Nicholson

Job Title: Senior Childcare Manager

Hi, I’m Lucy Nicholson, Senior Childcare Manager of Willows Farm Day Nursery & Pre-School! Our Day Nursery offers childcare full of discovery and rich learning experiences, with the daily opportunity to meet the farm animals and enjoy forest school sessions in the great outdoors. We are located in the heart of the countryside of St. Albans, where we provide our children with the best in early year’s education and learn through the ‘Planning in the moment’ child-led teaching approach.

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