Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool Raynes Park, Durham Road

My child moved to Dick Birds Durham Road in April 2023. He settled in quickly and is really happy there. The assistant manager is great - always available to answer questions. His time in the puffin's room has been fantastic. The staff in there are so caring and fun! He is currently settling into Pelicans, and one lady is an absolute credit.

The nursery was sold to a larger organization and no surprise the standards have slipped whilst simultaneously the fees and profit margins have gone up. Parents raised concerns a number of times with Management and got little engagement or improvement. The recent OFSTED poor reviews are the final straw for the nursery. Needless to say, we moved our children to a better, more outside-focussed nursery.

Daynurseries need to update their scoring system as we'd give 0 stars if we could.

The staff in the rooms are fantastic but they are let down spectacularly by their managers and employers.

The faculties are a bit worn though, and updates to the app are a bit patchy.

The nursery feels safe, is well-resourced, and children are cared for. The provision of phonics has changed, and I would say this is not for the better. There is less structured play than previously and less detailed observations, which all point to a lack of resourcing and support for nursery staff across the sector as they are expected to do the same with less money relative to the cost of living.

Great care for my child and always take an interest in my son's development. I would prefer more information about the menu and perhaps support in teeth brushing as other nurseries do this.

Lovely team in Pelicans is always bright and cheery. Our child has thrived at Dicky Birds. We feel well supported, and he is well cared for. Would highly recommend Durham Road - we have been there since 12 months.

I have full confidence in sending my son to Dicky Birds Day Nursery because of the hard work of the people that run and support his room (Pelicans). In particular, I am continually impressed by his room leader for her ingenuity with activities and commitment to every single child. Most recently we received thoughtful Mother’s Day gifts that would have taken a huge amount of work and planning.

We couldn’t be happier with our son’s nursery experience at Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool. His class team and the management team are so warm and friendly. The love and care our son gets is so clear to see - he adores his time there and settled in straight away. I especially love the effort and creativity that goes into the daily activities. I feel comforted that he is happy and very well cared for every time I drop him off. Would very much recommend Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool Durham Road!

Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool is a wonderful nursery. The love and care they show our son is genuine and constant. He was quite socially anxious when he started nursery, but the staff went to such great efforts to make him comfortable and happy, his confidence has grown immeasurably this past 18 months. Every day, my son comes home saying he’s “had fun”! The range of activities and the experiences offered is amazing, and my son has learnt so much through playing and exploring - trips to the local park to play football is a particular favourite of his. The food offered to the children is incredible, I feel very confident that my son eats tasty, balanced, varied meals and snacks, and portions are generous with second helpings given when wanted. The bond my son has with the staff at Dicky Birds has blown me away and exceeded my expectations. We don’t have family close by, but Dicky Birds have filled that gap and become extended family, a home-from-home for my son. I couldn’t recommend the nursery more highly.

Highly recommended to any parents.

We are so happy that our son is at Dicky Birds Day Nursery, Durham Road. The staff are extremely caring and attentive. He has great relationships in his room and also with others throughout the nursery. I feel confident that he will have a great day and is looked after well. Excellent nursery!

All the staff at Dicky Birds Durham Road have been so friendly and caring with my daughter. The nursery is run very professionally and efficiently. My daughter enjoyed her time at Dicky Birds very much and the staff were always available to support us whenever needed. I would not hesitate to recommend the nursery to others.

For some reason, the higher-ups within the ownership structure thought that it would be sensible to place the admin burden of managing the financial side of the childcare business on the managers of the individual nurseries. (I query whether childcare practitioners ought to also have the skill set to manage finances, set fees, and chase payments). The core competence of the children-facing team is to care for the children as best they can; not having to take fee payments over the phone.

The room staff are incredible though. So thoughtful, loving to the children. They make a special effort with each of them.

We’ve had such a lovely experience at Dicky Birds. My son settled so easily and absolutely adores all of the staff. I’m so impressed with their kindness and care and my son's sign language, social skills and politeness seem really developed for his age and I credit all the lovely staff!

Great nursery. Dicky Birds has created a nurturing and fun environment for both my sons and they have both loved their time there. In particular, I have been pleased with the variety of play experiences and the beginning of the educational curriculum.

We would highly recommend Dicky Birds to anyone looking for childcare!

Lovely friendly staff and warm environment. Thank you for all you do to take care of our daughter. She has moved rooms and grown with the nursery. We're very grateful for the safe supportive environment you give her.