Forest Barn Nursery School

The Barn, Great Warley Street, Brentwood CM13 3JP
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9.9 39 Reviews
  • Forest Barn Nursery School, Brentwood
Forest Barn Nursery School is located inside a beautifully converted barn on the outskirts of Brentwood, Essex. The nursery provides high-quality care and education for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years.

At Forest Barn, their team of experienced educators teach children using the Early Years Foundation Stage framework alongside their own Storal approach to curriculum. They know that every child is different with their own story to tell, so they make sure that your child learns in a way and at a pace that’s right for them.

Children also enjoy learning in the extensive outdoor spaces such as a Nissen Hut, large garden, sandpit, mud kitchen and sensory garden.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Hannah Dean (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 20

Total Places for Children

  • 70

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Full day (8 am – 5 pm) from £75.50

  • We want to make life simple, so our fees include milk, freshly prepared snacks, and meals, as well as nappies, wipes, and sun cream. Parents are, of course, also welcome to bring in their own.

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

Forest Barn Nursery School Reviews (39)

9.9

Forest Barn Nursery School has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.889) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Forest Barn Nursery School has 39 reviews.

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Review from Ashleigh C (Mother of Child) published on 12 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending Forest Barn since May, she is absolutely thriving. The staff are so lovely and the communication throughout the day is fantastic. The range of activities the children take part in keep her busy, she is safe, taken care of and gives me the peace of mind, knowing she's in
excellent hands! Thank you all
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Review from H D (Mother of Child) published on 30 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl has been coming here since 9 months old and absolutely loves it. The staff are so accommodating and approachable. Communication is really good too as is the app that is used to show you what your child has been up to during the day.
Reply from Jessica Griffin, Marketing Executive at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased to hear how much your little one enjoys coming to nursery and that you feel well supported by our team. It's great to know you find the app and…read more
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Review from Jennie A (Mother of Child) published on 27 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has loved Forest Barn and attended since she was 8 months old. Since it has been taken over, it's got better and better. The staff are incredible and are a credit to the nursery. I would recommend 100%
Reply from Jessica Griffin, Marketing Executive at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you so much for your kind words and ongoing support. It's wonderful to hear how much your daughter has enjoyed her time with us and that you've seen positive changes, too. We're so proud of our…read more
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Review from E P (Mother of Child) published on 27 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have had my daughter , and now my son at Forest Barn, he's been attending since he was 1 year old. The staff is amazing and commendable for the level of care, passion and knowledge. Any issue is addressed swiftly and constructively. They have also created a parents forum, where parents are encouraged
to provide regular feedback for improvements. I would definitely recommend and class this as one of the best nurseries in the area.
Reply from Jessica Griffin, Marketing Executive at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you so much for your kind words and continued trust in us with both your children. It's wonderful to hear such positive feedback about our team's care, passion, and support. We're especially…read more
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Review from Jessica L (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started at Forest Barn in August 2024, when she was 11 months old. She's now moving from the baby room to the toddlers and we couldn't be happier with the experience of Forest Barn so far I viewed 12 nurseries before I found Forest Barn and knew it was the one as soon as I walked in. My
daughter is so happy here, she gets excited to go in the mornings and will get her nursery bag and wait by the front door to leave! As soon as she sees the staff she puts her hands out to go to them and has the biggest smile on her face


The staff are amazing and all so lovely, they update you regularly on the app and upload lovely photos, which gives you peace of mind knowing your child is so well cared for. My brother and 2 of my friends have even signed their children up for Forest Barn after viewing it and I didn't hesitate in signing my soon to be new arrival up as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Thank you everyone at Forest Barn!

Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for your heartfelt review! It's wonderful to hear how much your daughter loves Forest Barn and how confident you feel in our care. Seeing her excitement each morning is the best compliment…read more
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Review from A P (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A lovely setting and fantastic staff. Very transparent with their communication and we have no doubt that our children are being cared for and happy whilst they are with the team. Great indoor and outdoor space - a truly lovely nursery!
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for your kind words! We're so pleased to hear that you appreciate our setting, fantastic staff, and open communication. Knowing your children are happy and well cared for means the world to…read more
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Review from I C (Father of Child) published on 6 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery for our 3 years old, helping us grow and develop all the skills needed. The staff and management are very helpful and caring, posting updates and observations for the daily routine and activities. Our little one seems to enjoy it in there and that's says it all.
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to know that your little one is enjoying their time with us and developing new skills each day. Our team is dedicated to providing a caring and…read more
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Review from L G (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 2 sons have attended Forest Barn since they were 1 and 2 years old, I am extremely happy with their development and the way they both settled so well.
The setting and space at Forest Barn is fantastic, every day the children are involved in a new activity. My sons have made some special bonds with
staff and I will be sad to see my youngest leave next summer.
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you so much for your heartfelt review! We're delighted to hear that both of your sons have thrived here and have formed such special connections with our team. It's a joy to be a part of their…read more
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Review from Myles T (Father of Child) published on 5 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 2 year old daughter attends this nursery 3 days a week and absolutely loves it, from dropping off to picking up she is grinning ear to ear. The staff are lovely and caring and make you feel at ease when first dropping your little one off. The activities my child gets up to throughout the week are
varied and really challenge her learning and social skills. 100% would recommend this nursery to any new families looking for a recommendation.
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
We're so grateful for your kind words! It's wonderful to hear that your daughter enjoys her days with us and that you feel at ease leaving her in our care. Thank you for recommending us to other…read more
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Review from Helen C (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Forest Barn since May when she turned 1, and she's absolutely thriving there. The care and attention she receives is wonderful and we couldn't be happier for Forest Barn to provide our childcare.
She has such wonderful days at nursery, doing a variety of activities and is
happily shattered when she gets home.
It's such peace of mind knowing that she's happy and being well looked after when we're at work.
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for such a heartwarming review! We're delighted to hear that your daughter is thriving and enjoying her time at Forest Barn. It's our pleasure to provide a nurturing and engaging…read more
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Review from James S (Father of Child) published on 5 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Brilliant all round, our firstborn started here in September and we cannot fault the school's help and willingness. All the staff are friendly and kind, both to our boy and us as first-time parents! Highly recommended
Reply from Forest Barn, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you and your son have felt welcomed and supported as part of our school community. We're grateful for your recommendation and…read more
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Review from B P (Father of Child) published on 17 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My two children (18 months and 3 years) love this nursery and have developed strong bonds with the staff and team. The staff understands my children and their characters.
There is minimal turnover in staff which I feel helps greatly with this.
The staff care about the children, they are always thinking
of fun activities and themed days/weeks to keep the children engaged.
The only negative is the parking situation, which can lead to quite a stressful & rushed drop-off/pickup. Hopefully, something can be done about this.
Overall, my kids are really happy and never complain about going to nursery- and come out happy every day. What more can you ask for?
Reply from Storal, Central support at Forest Barn Nursery School
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and provide feedback. Thank you recognising our dedication to creating carefully created spaces where children can learn and grow in. We are taking your…read more
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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 15-month-old is with Forest Barn Nursery School and they have been amazing. Everyone is so friendly and accommodating. They keep you up to date throughout the day with what the children get up to. My daughter (as expected) would cry at drop-off every morning but now gets very excited and practically
dives out of my arms!
I am very happy that these lovely ladies are looking after my little girl, couldn’t recommend it enough!
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Review from J L (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of our children currently attend Forest Barn Nursery School and we cannot fault the support, nurturing and fun environment that they provide. The staff members are fantastic and provide detailed handovers in addition to updating the app. Both our children love the outdoors and the facilities on
site are a real positive for us, allowing them to still access the Nissen hut in wet weather.
We cannot thank the staff enough for the continuous hard work they put in to make Forest Barn such a wonderful place for children to develop and learn.
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Review from L F (Father of Child) published on 28 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended this setting since she was 10 months old and has always been so happy whilst she is there. She has been through 3 rooms of the nursery and has always settled well into each room.
My daughter loves being outdoors and this nursery has great outdoor facilities that the children
can use and explore.
Since going onto the app it is nice to get daily photos of what she is doing at nursery during the day.
The team are great, she has always made great bonds with different members of staff within each room and always comes home talking about the staff at the nursery.
Overall a great setting.
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Review from Charlotte H (Mother of Child) published on 3 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy is excited to attend nursery everyday, he has great connections with the staff and is always smiling when we collect him. He is always involved in fun messy play activities, the outside space has lots of toys, and the menu is varied and tasty. Couldn’t fault Forest Barn Nursery.
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Review from E L (Mother of Child) published on 15 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children have attended Forest Barn, and one is currently still there (previously under a different name). I cannot thank the management and staff enough for the care they provide and all the different activities my children participate in. They have monthly themes and are always learning something
new. The outdoor facilities are outstanding and one of the reasons I choose this nursery, it’s lovely for the children to be outside in all weathers. Cannot recommend it here enough.
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Review from S W (Mother of Child) published on 9 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son is so happy here. He is always learning new things and is developing really well - I know the staff have put a lot of effort into him.
Teachers/management are very good at communicating with us and the overall standard in terms of cleanliness, keeping track of clothes and keeping up to date
with what we’re learning at home is really high. There always seems to be fun and activities on and our son comes home happy every day.
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Review from T A (Father of Child) published on 10 March 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Incredible nursery with incredible staff to match, couldn’t feel more content dropping my child there each day knowing how happy they are to be there and what a safe and engaging environment it is for them.
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Review from N R (Mother of Child) published on 7 March 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son joined Forest Barn Nursery School in January - I've seen him thrive every week since. The staff take so much care with him and I can tell with all the small things like he has his clothes changed when they get grubby and they make sure he's had his naps on time. He waves at the girls when he
goes home and blows a little kiss too so it's clear he has formed attachments with them and this means everything to a parent leaving their child at nursery. We feel so happy that we found such a fantastic nursery for our little boy.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.889)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.889) out of 10 for Forest Barn Nursery School 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 15 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 15 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 4.889 for Forest Barn Nursery School is calculated as follows: ( (162 Excellents x 5) + (16 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 180 Ratings = 4.889
  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 Forest Barn Nursery School is based on 15 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 70 number of registered child places is 14, which has been reached with 15 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 (4)

Meet the Team (2)

Hannah

Hannah Dean

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2019

Welcome to Forest Barn Nursery School in Great Warley, Brentwood.
Every day at Forest Barn, we encourage children to be inquisitive and imaginative in our exceptional learning environment. In doing so, they soon develop confidence, a real love of learning and a curious mind. Outdoors, our nursery has so much to offer too, from our Nissen hut and sensory garden to our fruit patch and walks in the local woodland.


Our experienced team come with a wealth of early years learning insight. We know that every child is different with their own story to tell, so we make sure that your child learns in a way and at a pace that’s right for them.


Come and say hello – we’d love to meet you and your family.

Leigh

Leigh

Job Title: Nursery Manager (Maternity Cover) Joined: 2022

Hello, my name is Leigh Farmer and I joined Storal in 2022. When the nursery was taken over by Storal, I was working as Deputy Manager. I’m now stepping into the role of Nursery Manager to cover maternity leave, which I’m really looking forward to.


I hold a Level 6 qualification and I’m also the setting’s SENCO, something I’m very proud of.


I love supporting both the children and the staff team, and building strong, positive relationships with our families.


I’m especially passionate about creating a supportive, inclusive environment for children and their families, making sure everyone feels welcome, valued, and cared for within our setting.

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Barn Nursery School

What is the Age Range of Children that Forest Barn Nursery School accepts?

Forest Barn Nursery School accepts Children aged from 0 years 2 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Forest Barn Nursery School Open?

Forest Barn Nursery School 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 Forest Barn Nursery School have capacity for?

Forest Barn Nursery School has capacity for a total of 70 Children.

How far is Forest Barn Nursery School to the centre of Brentwood?

2.3 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 Forest Barn Nursery School to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Forest Barn Nursery School has an Enhanced Service - more info.