Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick

The Old Granary, Units 4 and 5 Church Farm, Astwick Nr Stotfold, Hitchin SG5 4BH
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Top 20 award
10 95 Reviews
  • Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick, Hitchin
Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick opened in September 2019, and is built in a newly refurbished barn which is located in beautiful countryside in the hamlet of Astwick, right next door to the historic church of St Guthlac. It is an area of both historic and natural beauty where regular outings are arranged so children can freely explore nature to aid their learning and awareness of their surroundings.

There are dedicated rooms for various age ranges and each room reflects the seven areas of learning, as prescribed in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is free-flow access all year round to a purpose-built garden where children can continue their learning but more importantly have fun, jumping in the sandpit or making mud pie in the mud kitchen!
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Natasha Moniz (Owner/Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 40

Total Places for Children

  • 105

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Age: 3 months - 5 years:
    Full day: £92.00
    Half day: £55.00

  • Please see our website for more information.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • There is free parking on site for nursery drop off & pick up.

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick Reviews (95)

10

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick has a Review Score of 10 (9.973) out of 10, based on 31 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick has 95 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Total of 95, showing 41-60
Review from S H (Mother of Child) published on 18 January 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery, highly recommended! The staff and management at Monkey Puzzle at Astwick went above and beyond to support my daughter who had an awful experience at a nearby nursery. She loves to attend nursery, looks forward to running in and has a fab relationship with the key workers in her room.

All the staff are honestly amazing and I have full faith that my daughter is looked after in every sense. Leaving me with one less stress as a family of three kids. Often she comes home with paintings, handmade food and other lovely pieces of work she has created at nursery.
The children go on daily outings and have sign language classes and it's lovely to see the daily posts on the nursery app as to what themes are going on each week. Thank you!
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
Thank you for taking the time to give us a lively review. So pleased to hear your nursery experience has been positive with us and you are happy with all we do with your little one!
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Review from K B (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick has provided great care and attention both individually to my daughter as well as to us as a family. The staff are so welcoming and you feel part of a family. The farm environment is fantastic and my daughter loves the outdoor adventures that the nursery location allows.
I would highly recommend Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick. Thank you to all the staff.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
Thank you for taking the time to review us and provide us with feedback. Part of our ethos is to have a family and homely feel for our families and so pleased you feel this too.
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Review from Beatrice U (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is the nicest nursery in our local area. It is situated in the countryside which gives our son the opportunity to see farm animals and go for walks with his friends. All staff are always lovely and know a lot about our son. I love hearing stories of what he got up to during the day and seeing photos
of his playtime.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
We really appreciate you taking the time to review us and for your feedback. It is great to know where we are getting it right and so lovely to know we are the nicest nursery!
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Review from Emma M (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We couldn’t be happier with the nursery. As parents of a baby born in lockdown, leaving our daughter in someone else’s care felt particularly strange but the nursery staff made us feel immediately at ease from the beginning knowing that our daughter was getting the very best care and attention. She
settled quickly and now gets excited for her days at nursery and loves all of the staff there. The setting really is idyllically located on a working farm surrounded by countryside, and a huge benefit for us is the gorgeous outdoor space and the way the nursery promotes outdoor play and walks. Highly recommend!
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Review from Lauren A (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going since she just turned 1 and the nursery had recently opened. The staff are all brilliant, communication is great and my daughter enjoys going. The location was one of the key decision makers of choosing to go here, the beautiful farm setting is peaceful and offers fantastic
walks and open space. We’re looking forward to moving up to the preschool class, for more educational challenges.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
Thank you for taking the time to review us and so positively. We do read each review to learn what we are doing well and what we can do to improve so do value our parents views.
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Review from Charlie P (Father of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff at Monkey Puzzle Astwick are simply amazing, their dedication and care have never left me in any doubt that our son is in the best hands and receives the best care possible. He has developed so well since he has been coming to this nursery and the location in the heart of a rural village farm
is truly special.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
A big thank you for such a lovely review - the team love reading the feedback from our families and it helps us continue to grow and develop. I am so pleased your little one is developing well with us…read more
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Review from Kelly B (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started here last summer having been in no childcare setting before. I was anxious about his transition but he has really thrived since starting Monkey Puzzle.
I love that he is outdoors so much, that he comes home messy and happy! The staff all go above and beyond and are creative in the activities
that they set up each day. It is a very nurturing environment and one that is different from other settings.
The food offered is excellent and the communication between parents and staff is also very responsive.
I'm so pleased that he has a place here and loves his nursery so much.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
Thanks for reviewing us and letting us know where we can improve. It is lovely to hear so much positive feedback and that your son is thriving with us. It really is the best to know we are creating a…read more
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Review from Claire F (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so glad she did! After the first viewing, I wanted to sign my daughter up straight away. It is set in a great environment on a farm where the children are taken outside as much as possible. The rooms inside are spacious and clean. The children have
the opportunity to take part in all sorts of messy play as well as craft activities. The staff are all extremely friendly and have a great relationship with my daughter. She is always happy to go through the door and is always smiling when she’s picked up so we know she’s had a great time. The care she receives there is second to none and I’m never worried about her while she’s there. She loves the food as well and quite often will have seconds!
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
Thank you for your review of us - it is lovely to hear that you trust us with her care and that she is always happy to come in and play. It means so much to myself and the staff team to know what we…read more
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Review from Elysia S (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy has been going to the nursery for over a year now and he loves it. The nursery has wonderful outside spaces and facilities which is important to us, the staff are friendly, caring, and helpful. He always eats healthy meals that are varied and thoroughly enjoys them! I can’t recommend
Monkey Puzzle at Astwick enough!
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Review from Katie S (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Monkey Puzzle since the summer of 2020 and she has flourished. She loves the vast array of activities on offer and the children she goes to nursery with are lovely and she has made wonderful friends. The staff are superb. They keep you informed, are approachable and have a lovely
manner with the children. There is also a great deal of rigour when following the EYFS framework and this is linked to all activities and observations. Our daughter has now joined the pre-school and she is thoroughly enjoying the forest school! We would highly recommend Monkey Puzzle.
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Review from Bethan A (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our two-year-old daughter has been attending since the age of 10-months, and we couldn’t have hoped for a more caring setting. All of the staff build lovely relationships with the children and create so many activities. My daughter especially loves going on walks and seeing the sheep. She is thriving
in their care, and they know her so well and how to support her. We are so happy to have found a nursery where she walks in and out every day with a smile.
Reply from Natasha Moniz, Nursery Owner at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick
A huge thank you for reviewing us. It’s so nice to hear she’s happy and loves coming to nursery to see us, with a big smile. We love having her and all our little ones and whilst working with children…read more
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Review from Lucy H (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very welcoming. My daughter loves going and loves going out exploring in the fields and joining in the outdoor activities no matter the weather. Communication is excellent with daily updates of what has been done and I can always get hold of the nursery to check up on my child.
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Review from Fia K (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has now been at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick for nearly two years and has moved from Daisies to Lillie's to Bluebells, which is preschool. My daughter is incredibly happy in her new class, and the transition has been seamless. The nursery is always working on new ideas such as French
and singing lessons, as well as looking at ways to provide support. They are also gaining feedback from parents to continually improve. Health and safety are always at the forefront, and I had no hesitation in signing my little one up to their Forest School! The whole team are engaging and listens, and it is immediately apparent how child-focused everyone is, which is exactly the assurance a parent needs when leaving their child in somebody else’s care. We moved away from the area and didn’t even consider looking for a more local nursery. We will be sad to leave when my daughter eventually goes to school.
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Review from Emily S (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started nursery here when she was 9 months old (she’s now almost 2 years old). The nursery go above and beyond to ensure that the children have a wide range of activities to strengthen their development. My daughter has learnt so much from nursery and is ahead with her communication and
language because of this.


We did have one issue with the nursery’s wipes as our daughter is very sensitive. Having noticed after a day or two that was the issue, the managers were more than happy to sort this straight away. They arranged a meeting and discussed going forwards what could be done to ensure our daughter didn’t have any more reactions. They also changed all the wipes in the nursery to sensitive ones to ensure this didn’t happen again.


My daughter loves coming to nursery and I would highly recommend this setting and the lovely staff team that work here. It’s also a massive bonus being on a gorgeous farm setting!

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Review from Amy M (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick since he was 8-months old. I really wanted him to attend a nursery that allowed him to play outdoors often which is one of the main reasons I chose this nursery for him because it's on a farm. The children get to go on walks to see the sheep, jump
in puddles, climb trees, and the older ones have a Forest school. He has French singing lessons once a week, they have a pet snail and the activities are very imaginative! I couldn't ask for any more, my son loves his teachers, he has a "girlfriend" and I'm really pleased with the decision to send him to this nursery.
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Review from Vikki S (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves coming to Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick. He has attended since he was 9-months-old and always wandered in happily. He loves all the outdoor activities and seeing the farm animals when they venture out! He will be attending right up until he absolutely has to leave. The staff are always
friendly and kind, and really seem personally invested in my child's development. I've recommended this nursery to two of my friends now, who both also love it!
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Review from Natasha M (Mother of Child) published on 22 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Monkey Puzzle in Astwick for 18 months. I looked around numerous nurseries before choosing this one but the beautiful settings, friendly knowledgeable staff and the promise of a lot of outdoor adventures sold it to me. We have not been disappointed. My son loves going there and adores
the staff in his room, regularly telling me they are his best friends. We love how he gets to go out on daily adventures around the farm, explore, play, and jump in muddy puddles having lots of fun with his friends. The staff are supportive, encouraging, and very caring. My son is thriving here, his speech and development surprises me every day. He is a chatty, affectionate child and the staff support the children’s needs individually and allow them to grow and show their personalities. I am kept up to date with his progress and receive daily pictures of their day. I would not hesitate to recommend this nursery.
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Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 21 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have two children at Monkey Puzzle Astwick who we moved from another nursery about 18 months ago and we’ve never looked back! Both of our children settled in really easily and we noticed a positive change almost immediately. One of the major attractions for us was the outdoor aspect to the nursery
and that our children get to go on adventures! We love looking at all the photos and hearing them tell us about their day. The forest school leader is amazing and really promotes the positives of outdoor learning.
We feel able to have open discussions with the staff and they are able to provide support and work with you as parents to help your child’s development. This is really important to us having this reassurance.
We’ve experienced all four rooms at the nursery and can’t fault any of the staff or management. If you have any queries or concerns they will always make themselves available to talk things through.
We would 100% recommend this nursery to anybody!
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Review from V B (Mother of Child) published on 21 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started Monkey Puzzle when he was 10 months old. It was difficult going back to work and putting him into full-time care but the staff were wonderful. You are updated regularly throughout the day through the parent app so you can see how your child is doing. He is now 2 and has just moved into
his third room. The activities and engagement with the children is wonderful - I can’t fault it. I know the staff know my child very well and have recommended the nursery to friends and work colleagues.
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Review from O W (Mother of Child) published on 21 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending the nursery since October 2021. We moved into the area at that time so my daughter had left another nursery to move to this one. The staff in the room were very welcoming and helped her to settle in quickly - she was running in each morning after just a week. The management
staff were very accommodating with settling in sessions and the start date.
My daughter is in the process of transitioning to the next room and that had been handled really well - she has been spending time with her new key worker and buddy as well as the children in her new room. There was also an information session for parents in the lead up to her transitioning, which was really helpful.
I absolutely love that the kids go out on the farm regularly and that the nursery has a forest school. The monthly updates on the theme/activities/book of the month are also great for visibility of what the kids are doing while in the nursery setting.
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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.973)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.973) out of 10 for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 31 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 31 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 4.973 for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick is calculated as follows: ( (359 Excellents x 5) + (10 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 369 Ratings = 4.973
  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 Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick is based on 31 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 105 number of registered child places is 21, which has been reached with 31 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

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Awards / Recognitions (2)

Meet the Team (1)

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Natasha Moniz

Job Title: Nursery Owner Joined: 2019

NVQ Level 4 – Childcare & Education
Safeguarding Officer
First Aid Officer
Paediatric First Aid
Food Hygiene


I have over 20 years’ experience in childcare, first starting as a nursery nurse, then as a deputy manager and finally a manager working for two of the largest nursery groups in the UK. I have also worked in the NHS with babies and their mothers who were suffering with severe mental health conditions.


I have always loved working with children as no two days are the same, and children have a way to make you smile so much. It is a privilege to teach a child something new and watch them grow and develop until they are ready for school.


I love working at Monkey Puzzle Astwick as its always been a dream of mine to own my own nursery and I still can’t quite believe it’s finally happened! It’s no longer a job – it’s a passion, and I have absolutely loved putting my heart and soul into making my nursery such a beautiful place (even if I do say so myself ??). I also love the location on Church farm; it’s such an amazing environment for the children and my staff team.


In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my own three boys and my husband, going on family days’ out or movie nights at home on the sofa. I also enjoy spending time with friends and travelling.


An interesting fact about me…


I used to work as a PA for Charles Worthington (celebrity hairdresser) and also trained in fashion and make-up at the London College of Fashion before realising that my passion was caring for children.

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