Family Tree Day Nursery

The Old School at East Lodge, Ampthill Road, Shefford SG17 5BH
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9.7 68 Reviews
  • Family Tree Day Nursery, Shefford
Family Tree Day Nursery in Shefford aims to provide premium childcare at family prices which are inclusive of all meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and creams.

Located next to the beautiful Campton Woods, the children have frequent opportunities for woodland adventures. During these outings, babies can be carried in slings and toddlers and pre-schoolers all wear branded high visibility vests. The inside of the nursery also reflects the natural environment with natural, calming tones and lots of natural resources for children to investigate and stretch their wonder and curiosity.

Two large, fully enclosed gardens allow lots of opportunities for outdoor learning and new challenges.

All staff are qualified (or in the process of) to level three or above and have been certified in first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene. They also receive specialist training in enhancing children's speech and language development from a qualified speech and language therapist.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Owner

  • More Than Talking Ltd
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Sarah Kingsley (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 25

Total Places for Children

  • 56

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Our core hours are 8.00am – 6.00pm. We operate a minimum attendance policy of 2 days per week


    Session Times:
    8.00am – 6pm


    Our competitive fees are:
    Full day price = £92
    Early Start (7.30am – 8.00am) = £10

  • Please see our website for further fee information.

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

Family Tree Day Nursery Reviews (68)

9.7

Family Tree Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.742) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Family Tree Day Nursery has 68 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Reviewer Connection to Family Tree Day Nursery
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Total of 68, showing 1-20
Review from Daniella A (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter loves attending Family Tree Day nursery. The staff are all so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. She's learnt so much and particularly enjoys all the arts and crafts activities, and exploring the woods! They cater really well for her dietary requirements too!
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your review. We love having your little one with us.
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Review from Hannah V (Mother of Child) published on 18 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have two sons who both joined this nursery around 9 months old. They've loved every minute and transitioned across each room beautifully. The care and attention from the team is exceptional - every member of staff, from front of house to those working behind the scenes, knows our children and creates
a real sense of family spirit.


Both boys have thrived socially and developmentally in a safe, nurturing environment filled with engaging activities. The support we've received from the management team and key workers has been brilliant, especially with one of our sons who needed extra help with early years development milestones. Specific activities were organised to build his confidence and help regulate his emotions - something that might have been missed in a different setting.


Lastly, communication is excellent, and we always feel reassured and involved.

Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We love having your boys at the nursery.
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Review from A G (Mother of Child) published on 30 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our daughter has attended the nursery since I returned to work, and moved through all the different rooms. We have found the attention and environment of the nursery warm and caring throughout. There are plenty of activities and outdoor play, providing much more excitement (and mess!) than we would
at home. The children's individual personalities are noticed and cherished. The key worker system has been ideal and care was taken to give our daughter support as she transitioned from room to room. The reports on the children's development are detailed and helpful for first time parents like us. The only thing we would have liked more of is more of a community element to the nursery and the ability to socialise with other parents and children.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your review. It has been lovely to have your little one with us. We hope you enjoyed the stay and play sessions with other parents and our Christmas fayre.
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Review from Sarah W (Mother of Child) published on 30 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has enjoyed two wonderful years at this lovely nursery. The staff are all so fun, kind and caring. There really is a family feel to the team here, and they make my son's days at nursery a real joy. There are plenty of creative activities for children and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your kind words. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch your son grow and develop
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Review from Charlotte H (Mother of Child) published on 17 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of our children have been lucky enough to go to this nursery. The staff are amazing and they really treat each child as an individual and get to know the children very well. Both our children have loved and benefited from regular trips to the woods and the multiple activities they have to offer.
The food is very healthy, balanced and varied. We have gotten to know the staff very well over the 5 years we have used this nursery (the same staff members who look after my son also looked after my daughter (6), so we feel they know us well as a family and this proves that the staff stay. We were fully supported with both our children potty training, as well as other key milestones. We absolutely love this nursery and can't fault them, the service provided is above and beyond expectation (I have visited 4 other nurseries). As well as all of the above, we find the drop off and pick up very convenient as working parents, as you are able to drop off at the door directly.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for such lovely words. We have loved having both of your children here with us and seeing them grow and develop. We will miss you all lots.
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Review from E K (Mother of Child) published on 26 May 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have felt very lucky to have our Key Worker for our daughter these past 9 months. She really made our daughter feel at home. Our Key Worker is full of energy, laughter and care, and she quickly put our minds at ease knowing our daughter is having the best time during the day in her care. It's so
lovely to see the bond they have built together. We could not have asked for a better start to our childcare experience, and have her Key Worker to thank for that. She is a real gem!
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely words. We are very happy that your little one has had the best start with us to nursery life. We look forward to seeing her grow and develop across the nursery rooms.
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Review from Sophie B (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery have been consistently fantastic since my son started their in January 2024.


The staff and management have shown nothing but kindness and care for the children and have gone above and beyond to support my child. Including regular progress reviews, objective setting, and 121 support to

help address a speech delay. The children do lots of fun and engaging activities including trips to the woods, crafts, and


I cannot recommend the setting enough.

Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We love having your son at the nursery and will continue to support him.
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Review from L L (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending this nursery since September 2024 and she has bonded extremely well with all the staff, especially her key worker. Her key worker is absolutely fabulous and has helped to build her confidence hugely. My daughter gets involved in many very creative activities and has learnt
a lot from nursery. Would highly recommend!
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We love having your daughter here at the nursery.
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Review from L N (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Brilliant setting with committed staff members. Great variety of activities and love the freedom the children have to play and go between activities. My child has always been excited to go in which I think it's a reflection of the time the staff take to get on with the children and build a good rapport.
Brilliant
food, healthy balanced menu with lots of variety.
The management goes above and beyond to involve families in events at the nursery, such as stay and plays and the Christmas Fayre.
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We love seeing R's smiling face in the morning and he is a credit to you.
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Review from Olivia S (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my son started attending Monkey Puzzle in September, we've been absolutely delighted with the experience! He has truly thrived in the nurturing and stimulating environment the nursery provides. The staff are exceptional-so caring, attentive, and genuinely invested in the children's wellbeing and
development. It gives me great peace of mind knowing that my child is in such a safe and supportive setting every day.
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We all adore your child and my day wouldn't be the same without him.
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Review from Kathryn S (Mother of Child) published on 14 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has attended for over two years and he has really enjoyed his time at Monkey Puzzle. He has thrived with his speech and development since being in the pre school. He made friends and loved his key workers. He really enjoyed all the nature walks in the woods next to the nursery and we are happy
that he spent lots of time playing outdoors in the garden. He will miss Monkey Puzzle. Thank you for looking after our son and taking such good care of him.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
It has been a pleasure to have your child with us and watch him grow and develop. We wish him all the best for the future.
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Review from R H (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has loved her time in Owls. She adores the staff, and they clearly care about her. The access to the woods is priceless and she's always enjoyed the indoor activities too.
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review. It has been such a pleasure having her with her and we will all miss her chatter and cuddles.
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Review from Kate G (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has thrived since starting here 2 years ago. He has loved this experience. He has lovely friends and lovely key workers and we will be sad to leave. The team have been amazing and very supportive to us both after a very hard year. We will miss you all.
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We will always be here for both of you.
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Review from D M (Father of Child) published on 21 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended this nursery for over a year, and she has absolutely loved her time there. I can confidently say that all of the times my daughter was there, she was safe and happy. My experience with the teachers is that they were fantastic, particularly those who worked more closely with
my daughter due to her medical condition. Type 1 diabetes in nursery-aged infants is scary. But, if you are a parent of a child with T1D and you are reading this review, I'd urge you to add Monkey Puzzle to your shortlist of nurseries. The staff were fantastic with my daughter's additional needs and they completed the mandatory training as well as their own research on the condition to better enhance their ability to look after my daughter and make her nursery experience as normal as possible. I cannot thank them enough for keeping my daughter safe and happy. Only negative about this nursery is the lack of car parking, and heavily congested pickup/drop offs which is a minor issue all in all.
Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely comments which have been passed to the staff. We always tried to go above and beyond for every child in our care. We are aware of the issues in the carpark and do our best…read more
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Review from E R (Father of Child) published on 15 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The parking area does present an issue. Space is clearly at a premium but more management or a system in place to control it would be useful. An unfortunate negative in an otherwise fantastic nursery.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you for your review. We loved having your child with us. We are aware of the problems with parking and do our best with the app and trying to get children out as quickly as possible.
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Review from R C (Father of Child) published on 10 November 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both children seem happy and enjoy going to Monkey Puzzle. They like to play in the garden and enjoy games and activities indoors. The staff are friendly and have a good relationship with the children.
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Review from Lisa J (Mother of Child) published on 2 June 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery with lots of activities that help with development at various ages. The staff are very attentive and always interact with kids. The food menu is varied and nutritious.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you Lisa. We are really pleased you appreciate the hard work all our staff put in.
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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 26 May 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery and the staff are absolutely amazing with the children.
The facilities for the children and extensive.
Child-led and homely feel to the nursery.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you, we are so glad you love the nursery, as we love having your little boy here with us.
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Review from B K (Father of Child) published on 25 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter goes to this nursery and is always so happy to be there the staff are amazing with her too. My older daughter also went to the nursery and is doing so well in school because of the effort that went into the years she was at Monkey Puzzle.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you Bradley we have loved having both of your girls at the nursery.
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Review from V G (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Thank you so much for all you have done for my daughter. She has really grown in confidence and gets upset when it is not a 'school' day. We love all the activities you offer and I can't believe what you have got her to eat. All the staff have been so lovely I can't say enough about them. I would so
highly recommend you to anyone. Thank you to the nursery director and the nursery manager for how well they run the nursery. It has such a family feel.
Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery
Thank you. It has been an absolute pleasure to have your daughter and we will miss you all. We miss you all the best for your move.
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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.742)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.742) out of 10 for Family Tree Day Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.7 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 4.742 for Family Tree Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (137 Excellents x 5) + (36 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 178 Ratings = 4.742
  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 Family Tree Day Nursery 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 56 number of registered child places is 11.2, 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 (1)

Meet the Team (2)

Caroline

Caroline Musgrove

Job Title: Director Joined: 2015

Caroline has worked as a paediatric Speech and Language for over 20 years and has a passion for early years and early intervention. She has worked in many nurseries and pre-school settings and has a strong understanding of the EYFS. Caroline has high standards for the nursery and works hard to achieve them. Her ethos is to provide the high standards of care and teaching in a natural friendly environment where children can explore their curiosity and use their imagination to learn in a way that is led by the child.

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Sarah Kingsley

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2018

Sarah has a foundation degree in Early years and has over 10 years of experience working in day nurseries. She has a young daughter who attends the setting and shares Caroline's ethos of delivering high standards in a natural environment.
Sarah is our designated safeguarding officer and supports the nursery SENCo.
As a parent herself Sarah knows the importance of working closely with parents and has implemented lots of opportunities for parents to come in and share in their children's learning if they wish.

Frequently Asked Questions about Family Tree Day Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that Family Tree Day Nursery accepts?

Family Tree Day Nursery accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Family Tree Day Nursery Open?

Family Tree Day Nursery 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 Family Tree Day Nursery have capacity for?

Family Tree Day Nursery has capacity for a total of 56 Children.

How far is Family Tree Day Nursery to the centre of Shefford?

0.7 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 Family Tree Day Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Family Tree Day Nursery has an Enhanced Service - more info.