Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester

1 & 2 Oyster Court, St Helens Lane, Colchester CO1 1TY
Review Us
9.6 85 Reviews
  • Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester, Colchester
Banana Moon day nursery offers care for children aged from three months to five years in a purpose-built setting which ensures the needs of children can be fully met.
Staff always take the needs and views of its parents very seriously to ensure the best learning and playing environment is created for children to grow and develop in.
A safe and secure playground complements the indoor facilities of Banana Moon day nursery, and an in-house kitchen is used to create nutritious and healthy daily meals.
Security is of paramount concern at Banana Moon. With this in mind, they operate a ‘fingerprint’ biometric access system to protect children and nursery staff. This system allows nursery personnel to register parents' fingerprints in seconds.
Banana Moon operates CCTV throughout the nursery. This added security is there for the protection and peace of mind of children, staff and parents. The presence of the external cameras also acts as a powerful deterrent to any unwelcome visitors.
They have a dedicated sleep room with soft lighting and natural wood cots. This calm and quiet room provides a restful environment for babies, allowing them to enjoy a comfortable nap without being disturbed by any external noise. Each child has their own bed linen, which is regularly laundered in-house.
The nursery is equipped with a number of interactive screens, which provide an interactive learning experience for children of all ages. Adding this technology to the nursery environment encourages the little ones to explore the world of ICT in bite-sized chunks.
To help share your child’s development and to make communicating with parents informative and easy, the Parent App is available to download from the App Store or Google Play. This helps staff to share ‘golden’ moments like children painting or exploring their environment and learning through play.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Sophie O'Hanlon (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 19

Total Places for Children

  • 100

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Free funded places available (limited availability). Please get in touch for fees

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:00-19:00
    Tuesday 07:00-19:00
    Wednesday 07:00-19:00
    Thursday 07:00-19:00
    Friday 07:00-19:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Ample Parking available on site

Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester Reviews (85)

9.6

Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.592) out of 10, based on 13 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester has 85 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 72
  • 12
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
Date Published
  • 85
  • 2
  • 12
  • 13
  • 72
Reviewer Connection to Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester
  • 69
  • 14
  • 2
Total of 85, showing 81-85
Review from Mark (Father of Child) published on 1 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff and facilities at Banana Moon are excellent. So friendly. Our children love it there.


A room for improvement would be named clothes pegs to limit the hunt for coats and shoes.


In general, you could not wish for more from a nursery.


We have recommended other parents take their children

to Banana Moon.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from S W (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves going to Banana Moon, he is a lot more sociable and his speech developed really well after going to Banana Moon for just over a year for 1-2 days a week. All members of staff are always helpful. Also, there are good working hours, 7.30 am until l 6.30 pm, plus it's easy to access by car.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Carina R (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It's a fantastic nursery with amazing staff. I can leave my child knowing she is well cared for and given the opportunity to learn lots of new things as well as trying new things. I'm so pleased with my child's progress since starting at Banana Moon and can't thank the staff enough. They offer a great
variety of healthy food too. I highly recommend Banana Moon.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Rebecca S (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I have found Banana Moon nursery to be very good. All the staff and child carers are excellent. The food is good and healthy. The garden area is lovely. There is lots of creative activity and learning. My son is enjoying the nursey.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Jo L (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Banana Moon is a lovely nursery. The staff are fabulous and you know they really care about all the children in their care. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a caring, stimulating environment for their children.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 9.6 (9.592)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.6 (9.592) out of 10 for Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester 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 13 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.7 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 4.942 for Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester is calculated as follows: ( (146 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 155 Ratings = 4.942
  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 4.65 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester 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 100 number of registered child places is 20. 13 Positive Reviews ÷ 20 = 0.65
  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.

Loading

Loading

Awards / Recognitions (7)

Loading...

Meet the Team (16)

Natasha

Natasha Ritchie-Loan

Job Title: Senior Nursery Manager Joined: 2012

I have worked at Banana Moon since 2012, when the Billericay Nursery first opened. I hold a Diploma in Nursery Nursing, which I was awarded in 1999.


I am a proud mummy of two boys — they are my world! Both of my sons have attended Banana Moon, and my youngest still does.


Working with children is my true passion. I love nothing more than seeing them flourish, learn, develop, and grow over the years at Banana Moon. The children and families are at the heart of our nursery — we are not just a nursery, we are a part of your children’s extended family.


My role is to encourage children to follow their interests while supporting the staff to provide stimulating and engaging experiences that promote growth, curiosity, and joy every day.

Sophie

Sophie O'Hanlon

Job Title: Manager Joined: 2021

Hi, I am Sophie, and I have a level 3 qualification in childcare. I started with Banana Moon 3 years ago as an Early Years Educator and have progressed to the position of Manager. I'm enjoying getting involved with all of the children and their families and working with the team to make sure everyone enjoys their time in the nursery.


During my spare time, I love spending time with my family.

Kiera

Kiera Savory

Job Title: Room Leader/Deputy Manager Joined: 2023

I have worked in Early Years since I was 17 years old, during this time I have studied to become a Level 3 Early Years Educator.


For me helping children grow and reach their goals so they are ready to go off to school is one of the most rewarding feelings.


I am very excited to have joined Banana Moon as the Room Leader for Full Moons.

Billie

Billie Russell

Job Title: Third In Charge / SENCo Joined: 2023

I have worked in childcare for many years, starting my career as an unqualified practitioner and working my way up to become a Level 3 Early Years Educator.


I have been with Banana Moon for several months and currently serve as Third in Charge and SENCo. Supporting children with additional needs is something I am truly passionate about, and I love helping every child feel confident, happy, and included.


Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my younger siblings and relaxing with friends. I also love bringing creativity and fun into my work, whether it’s through play, activities, or learning experiences that make each day exciting for the children.

Robert

Robert Taylor

Job Title: Chef Joined: 2023

I was raised in a family where cooking was a big part of daily life, and their passion inspired me to study catering at college.


I love seeing children try new foods and discover that healthy meals can be delicious. In this way, I feel I’m helping them get the best possible start in life.


Outside of work, I enjoy playing football and spending quality time with my family.

Lilla

Lilla Jangaon - Markaly

Job Title: Level 3 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2024

Hello, I am Lilla. I am originally from Hungary but now live in Colchester with my little family.

Sophie

Sophie Oldroyd

Job Title: Apprentice Joined: 2024

Hi, I am Sophie. I am a Level 2 nursery practitioner and currently doing my Level 3 apprenticeship. I am based in Full Moons.

Suzanne

Suzanne De Boer

Job Title: Level 2 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2024

Hello, I am Suzanne. I originally lived in The Netherlands and then moved to Australia.
I now live in Colchester with my little family.

Nicola

Nicola Pearson

Job Title: Holiday Club Manager Joined: 2024

I have worked in childcare for over 7 years and am passionate about supporting children’s growth and development. I am a Moon Crew Manager, where I enjoy creating a nurturing and fun environment for the little ones.


Outside of work, I love travelling and spending quality time with my family. I am really enjoying making a positive impact here at Banana Moon and seeing the children thrive each day.

Megan

Megan Stevenson

Job Title: Level 2 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2022

My name is Megan and I am a level two early years practitioner in the baby and teenie room. I have 3 years of experience within a nursery setting and I am first aid trained. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and spending time with my family.

Tyheisha

Tyheisha Simpson

Job Title: Level 3 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2024

Hi. I am Tyheisha. I enjoy spending time with my family and my daughter. I used to work and live in London but have recently moved to Colchester with my husband.

Andrea

Andrea Salamanova

Job Title: Level 2 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2022

Hi, I’m Andrea. I’m originally from Slovakia, and I now live in Colchester with my husband and our two boys.


At Banana Moon, I am based in the Baby and Teenie Moons room, where I love supporting and caring for the youngest children as they grow and develop. I really enjoy creating a calm and nurturing environment, and it’s such a joy to see the babies and toddlers reach new milestones each day.


Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking, and getting outdoors with my boys. Being a mum myself has given me a real understanding of how important it is for children to feel safe, happy, and cared for — something I always aim to bring into my work.

Melissa

Melissa Knight

Job Title: Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2022

My name is Melissa and I am a Nursery Practitioner in the Full moon room at Banana Moon, in Colchester.


I am a qualified teacher and have over three years of experience working in nursery settings.


I also have a performing arts degree and have been carrying out dance and drama activities within the setting. I also have level 3 in phonics.


In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my three-year-old son.

Katherine

Katherine Cooper

Job Title: Level 3 Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2018

Hello. I am Katherine. I live in Colchester with my little boy and husband. I have worked at Banana Moon for almost 7 years now!

Vanessa

Vanessa Curto

Job Title: Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2021

I joined Banana Moon after moving to Colchester from Palmero in Italy. I have several years of experience working as a Nursery Practitioner. While living in Italy I studied childcare to a degree level.
I am currently working in Full Moons and Mini Moons

No image found

Esther Sweetman

Job Title: Playworker Joined: 2025

Hi, I am Esther.

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