First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke

The Scout Hut, Hanmore Road, Chineham, Basingstoke RG24 8PJ
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9.5 67 Reviews
  • First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke, Basingstoke
This highly-rated and much-loved nursery school in Chineham, Basingstoke, provides premium childcare and early education for children aged 12 months to five years. Open during term time from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday, the nursery proudly offers government-funded childcare places.

Conveniently located near local schools, the nursery is ideal for families with older siblings, making the morning and afternoon school runs easier. For those travelling by car, a spacious on-site car park ensures smooth and stress-free drop-offs and pick-ups.

The nursery’s approach combines structured learning with opportunities for free play, supporting each child's development through both guided activities and independent exploration. This balanced method encourages confidence, curiosity, and readiness for school.

The dedicated team brings years of experience in early childhood education, providing a warm, welcoming, and engaging environment where children can truly thrive.

Families can choose from a variety of flexible booking options, including:

Breakfast Club: 8:30 am – 9:00 am

Morning Session: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon (snack provided)

Afternoon Session: 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm (lunch provided)

Full Day: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (lunch and snack provided). Minimum book pattern per week is either one full day or two half-day sessions.
This nursery school offers a nurturing start to a lifelong love of learning.
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Type of Service

  • Nursery School
  • Open term time
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Faye Griffiths (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 10

Total Places for Children

  • 40

Age Range

  • from 1 years 0 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Prices start from £24.35 per half-day session to £50.20 for a full-day session (9 am-3 pm)


    These prices include our hot, delicious food (cooked fresh every day by our in-house chef) and our very popular Premium Package, which includes: Movement & Mindfulness sessions, Earth Explorers sessions, Home learning, Makaton, and our everyday essentials, which include: Summer hats, Sun cream, Toothbrush, Nappies & wipes, and T-Shirts for enhanced curriculum sessions.

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:30-15:00
    Tuesday 08:30-15:00
    Wednesday 08:30-15:00
    Thursday 08:30-15:00
    Friday 08:30-15:00

When Closed

  • School Holidays

Parking

  • They have ample parking on the grounds of the nursery.

First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke Reviews (67)

9.5

First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke has a Review Score of 9.5 (9.529) out of 10, based on 16 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke has 67 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
  • 67
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Reviewer Connection to First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke
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Total of 67, showing 61-67
Review from Lucy B (Mother of Child) published on 20 June 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful nursery, excellent staff. A huge variety of activities and lovely surroundings. Would recommend them to anyone looking for a nursery.
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Review from Vicki M (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both of my daughters have attended Abacus and my youngest still attends until she starts school in September. I have found Abacus to be a warm, welcoming facility with caring staff and a wide range of activities to keep children of all interests engaged. Opportunities are available for additional
learning with French and Polish language and Stretch and Grow weekly which I know are enjoyed. The staff are fantastic and always open to chat through any queries or issues offering support and guidance if required with regular reviews with the children's key workers.
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Review from C B (Nanny Carer of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
A very small, friendly group. They care for the children, giving them opportunities to develop new skills, grow in confidence and prepare for school.


They do keep you waiting outside at times but they do like all children to arrive and leave at the same time if possible.

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Review from Caroline F (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are very happy with the Abacus Nursery in Chineham and our son enjoys going there. It has a family feel, a home from home, a traditional playgroup vibe. The staff are caring and friendly and seem to genuinely enjoy being with the children. There are lots of opportunities to take part in various activities
and events for the children, but also for parents and families too. It feels very inclusive and nurturing and our son has grown in independence and curiosity since starting there. He certainly looks forward to his nursery days.
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Review from Vicki F (Mother of Child) published on 6 September 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending the nursery for nearly a year now, he is really happy at Abacus Nursery School. The staff are lovely and very child focused, it's do lovely to see what he has been up to on his online journal.
My son enjoys the wide variety of activities on offer to him both in and outdoors.
He is becoming a sociable, confident individual and that's thanks to Abacus Nursery School.
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Review from Alexa B (Mother of Child) published on 20 July 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Abacus is a very friendly, professional nursery school that offers the highest level of care for the children that attend. My children have and still enjoy every moment that they have attended Abacus and will miss it greatly. I have always found the staff to be friendly and approachable and always have
every child's best interest at heart. Thank you Abacus for the care you have given my oldest girl.
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Review from Mary C (Mother of Child) published on 30 May 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son absolutely loves attending Abacus: he's excited to get there in the morning and can't wait to tell me (and in fact most people he meets!) what he has been up to when I collect him. Most mornings he wakes up asking, "Am I going to nursery today?". I've really seen him grow in confidence and I
know this is a lot to do with the caring and nurturing staff who encourage and support him: he is being well prepared for school and will have a great grounding to build upon.


The environment (including the play area outside) itself is great, with a super selection of toys and resources that encourage imaginative play and informal learning, with different activities laid out each morning.


I can keep up to date with his development through tapestry which allows his keyworker to update me with what activities he has been doing, together with photos of him - both he and I love looking at/reading these.


I'm so glad we chose Abacus and would highly recommend it to others!

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Current Review Score: 9.5 (9.529)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.5 (9.529) out of 10 for First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke 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 16 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 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 4.654 for First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke is calculated as follows: ( (138 Excellents x 5) + (36 Goods x 4) + (13 Satisfactorys x 3) + (1 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 188 Ratings = 4.654
  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 4.875 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for First Friends Nursery School - Basingstoke 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.875
    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 40 number of registered child places is 8, 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 (0)

Meet the Team (1)

Faye

Faye Griffiths

Job Title: Nursery Manager

With a background in childcare spanning over two decades, I'm proud to lead our beloved nursery in Eastleigh. I've been an integral part of the First Friends family, starting my journey as a nursery manager at our Basingstoke branch.


My commitment to excellence led me to temporarily manage our nursery in Barford St Martin for a fulfilling six-month stint. Qualified with an NNEB in 1994, I'm passionate about nurturing movement skills in children.


I believe these skills not only enhance cognitive abilities but also boost self-esteem and resilience.

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