Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley

2 South Way, Shirley, Croydon CR0 8RP
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9.8 49 Reviews
  • Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley, Croydon
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Alistair Mulindwa (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 25

Total Places for Children

  • 63

Age Range

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

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 and early closure (2pm) on Christmas Eve

Parking

  • Parking available outside the nursery

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Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley Reviews (49)

9.8

Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.797) out of 10, based on 13 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley has 49 reviews.

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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley
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Total of 49, showing 1-20
Review from K F (Grandmother of Child) published on 1 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
As a grandmother who gets to pick up my granddaughter occasionally i want to share that she always shows as being happy and engaged in doing something when i arrive. I also love seeing the emails showing photos of her and her little friends doing things and getting mucky in sand and cooking and such
like. Thank you for sharing these. They make my day when i see them all playing
Reply from Megan Elliston, Head of Marketing Growth at Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley
Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We truly appreciate your thoughtful feedback and are delighted to know that you had a positive experience with us.
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Review from L M (Mother of Child) published on 31 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would love to say a big thank you to the amazing staff and management at my son's nursery. They are a absolutely incredible bunch of people who i am beyond grateful for. My son has been there from the baby room and i must say ALL rooms have a marvellous team who take great care of the children and
show them so much love. The creative ideas they put into the different activities such as cooking, yoga, messy play and so are spectacular. Thank you little elms shirley, we appreciate you
Reply from Megan Elliston, Head of Marketing Growth at Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley
Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We truly appreciate your thoughtful feedback and are delighted to know that you had a positive experience with us.
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Review from J O (Mother of Child) published on 31 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Elms Shirley has become such a lovely setting for our son. Since being under new management we can honestly say we are happy to send our son here. He is thriving, happier and comes home in a great mood. The staff are lovely, always giving feedback & guidance. They provide updated through the
app & also the menu has changed for the better! We are pleased to see our son progressing well! Thanks guys
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Review from Z M (Mother of Child) published on 30 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl has been with the nursery since she was 9 months old, starting in the baby room, into toddlers and soon to join pre-school. In every room she's been in, the team have been fantastic, they are super attentive and personal, knowing all of the small details about my little girls needs and
constantly supporting and encouraging her to learn and grow. Every time she comes home she tells us about the abundance of things she did in the day, and we love seeing the photos of their creative activities on the app. She is able to spend a lot of time outside which I love, and they do lots of role play activities and recently they have been able to cook and create their own food. It was a no-brainer to send my little boy here too, and his settling in sessions so far have been wonderful and he is already full of smiles for the team in the baby room.
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Review from T F (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery has really progressed over the last year and has developed more fun activities and outdoor play for the children. The staff are all very friendly and kind. My daughter loves coming here, she has been attending for around 3 years now and she will soon be starting public school nursery in
September. We will surely miss this nursery and the staff.
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Review from Will T (Father of Child) published on 4 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has shown amazing growth and development since moving to Little Elms. The staff, in particular the room leader in Doves, are incredibly welcoming, caring and considerate.
We love how our daughter has become a lot more confident and independent due to the widespread activities on offer
and we always enjoy the observations/updates we receive via the app or in person at pickup.
The management team are really engaged and have introduced a lot of positive improvement over the past few months.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Little Elms to any prospective families.
Reply from Parent enquiry team, Parent enquiry at Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley
Thank you so much for your kind words. We're so pleased to hear about your daughter's progress and how her confidence and independence have grown since joining us. It's lovely to know that the Doves…read more
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Review from J M (Mother of Child) published on 4 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son is currently in the Doves and started in March 2025 . We were very welcome by all staff including the room manager. Management has arranged steeling session and during those staff showed interest and made notes regarding my son's routine. Is not easy for a parent to leave a baby of 8 months
however I felt reassured that the team would look after him and would ensure his routine would be followed.
I can see so much improvement on his development, it is rewarding to see my son mimicking to songs that I believe they sign at Nursery. The team always provide me a feedback from the day and post pictures on the app to activities my son does during the day.
I would like to thank all the Doves team as they are doing an amazing Job.
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Review from L A (Mother of Child) published on 23 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Elms in Shirley has been the most wonderful place for our 2 little ones to grow, play, and thrive - we honestly couldn't be happier! From day one, we felt completely at ease knowing our children were in such caring and capable hands.
A special thank you to the lady in the Doves room, who has
been such a calming, nurturing presence. Her kindness and patience have meant so much to us and have helped our little one settle in beautifully.
And a huge shout-out to the two ladies in the Owls room - you two are simply amazing! The creativity, energy, and warmth you bring every day truly shine through. Our child comes home talking about their day with such joy - whether it's painting, dancing, outdoor fun, or just story time, it's clear they're having the best time (and learning so much along the way!)
We're so grateful for the whole Little Elms team for creating such a happy, supportive space. Thank you for all the love, laughter, and learning - you're making a real difference
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Review from Saadia A (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started Little Elms when he was 1.8 years old. He was born during Covid times and was very isolated from children of his age. Since joining nursery I have seen him developing useful social and personal skills. The staff have been amazing since the start. They always give feedback at the end of
the day. Recently the nursery launched an app to keep all the activities of the day together which is great. Four staff members in particular have been amazing in supporting my son. My son will be moving to reception in September and Little Elms will be missed.
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Review from Kerrie C (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely nursery with lovely staff! My son comes home really happy. Every day he’s doing a new activity that I probably wouldn’t have thought to do at home. The staff always report back on his development and things to try at home. Very pleased we sent our little boy here!
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Review from G S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Such a lovely nursery, with lovely friendly staff. My children have settled really well and come on a long way since attending Little Elms, my youngest would get upset coming in but the staff would settle her and keep us updated throughout the day and now she’s so excited to go in the mornings.
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Review from E S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended her nursery since the age of 10 months old and so happy with the choice of nursery. She is now 4 years old and will move onto primary school. The support of staff has been amazing and feels like a friendly family environment. They go above and beyond to meet the needs of the
children and are constantly bringing up new ideas. They have a library which is also multilingual to support with language barriers, they are always there to hear views and take on board any views that are brought to them. My daughter loves attending and will truly miss it and the friends she's made in nursery along the way when she moves on into primary school. I wouldn't have kept her there for so long if it didn't meet her needs and help her to excel. Will miss you all when she moves on and thank you for helping my daughter to excel and support with her journey.
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Review from T F (Mother of Child) published on 15 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Lovely staff who are caring and kind. My child loves to come here.
The only thing I would improve is the size of the toddler room is not big enough.
This nursery could do with an expansion and more space. However, overall it’s a nice nursery for kids to attend and learn and play.
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Review from Paul L (Father of Child) published on 11 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A brilliant nursery. Amazing staff who are very attentive. Our son loves spending time there and is fond of all the staff. Our son has learnt so much from the team. Food is plentiful and balanced. The team at Little Elms Shirley always go out of their way to organise fun activities and mark special
events. Everything is logged through an app where you can also privately email the team which is a useful tool. Highly recommend.
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Review from Amy D (Mother of Child) published on 9 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Such a lovely nursery and the staff are also really nice. They communicate very well with parents and you can see the passion they have for their job. I would recommend this nursery to all family and friends.
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Review from Jenny S (Mother of Child) published on 8 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has been attending since September and loves his days at Little Elms Daycare Nursery. He goes in with a smile and leaves with a smile, and that’s a testament to the great staff. Each day is filled with so many activities. We love to receive the photo/video updates and the app has been a great
addition. Being able to login from work and check in on him is really reassuring.
Our son has a number of allergies and the support we have received from all the staff has been great. Thank you Little Elms!
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Review from Hannah O (Mother of Child) published on 7 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been there for 2 years and they are fantastic. They are attentive and creative with the children. They take on feedback well and ensure parents are involved and aware of everything happening within the nursery. From class pets, getting In football coaches my son has really enjoyed his time
there and has grown and learnt so much. Would highly recommend
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Review from Emma G (Mother of Child) published on 1 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been going there for a year now and he absolutely loves it and he always comes out with the biggest smile, the staff are so welcoming and friendly and my child has got a great relationship with them
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Review from Mario C (Father of Child) published on 13 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing nursery. Staff are attentive, always keeping the parents in the loop, test the children on all aspects of cognitive, mental and education elements and provide an in-depth reporting system, continously for all parents. Kids love it here!
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Review from Camilla C (Grandmother of Child) published on 11 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My granddaughter was very clingy and we were sure the transition would take forever. We were correct, but only in regard to the clinginess. After her settling-in sessions, she was still very clingy but not tearful. She just transferred her clinginess to her keyworker! Who was with her during the transition
and gets on with her very well. But the tears and upset didn't last half as long as we thought.
The staff are very good with her and I am astounded at her progress and how confident she is. When she speaks, I know she is soaking up lots at nursery. Spontaneously singing songs and having conversations about her friends. She loves telling what they did.


It is a really nice place, the staff are friendly, and the security is good. Outside play space is OK. Reporting what she has done during the day is good. Not just "oh a good day". The family app is a great addition when you are in a rush. She seems to like the food. Tells me she eats stuff she won't try at home. She is happy.

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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.797)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.797) out of 10 for Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley 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 13 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 13 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 4.797 for Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley is calculated as follows: ( (131 Excellents x 5) + (15 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) + (2 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 153 Ratings = 4.797
  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 Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley is based on 13 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 63 number of registered child places is 12.6, which has been reached with 13 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley

What is the Age Range of Children that Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley accepts?

Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley Open?

Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley 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 Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley have capacity for?

Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley has capacity for a total of 63 Children.

How far is Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley to the centre of Croydon?

2.6 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 Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Little Elms Daycare Nursery Shirley has an Basic Service - more info.