Happy Tree Academy

The Northwood Club, 20 Chestnut Avenue, Northwood HA6 1HR
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9.9 25 Reviews
  • Happy Tree Academy, Northwood
Happy Tree Academy has more than 25 years of experience in providing excellent childcare and education. The highly qualified and nurturing staff work closely with parents to ensure their child receives the support they need to develop in all areas and prepare them for their next step in life.

The nursery offers an ideal environment for children to learn through play and grow their physical, intellectual, emotional, social, sensory skills and abilities.

Children also benefit from an on-site forest school where they can explore and investigate the local woodland to build self-esteem and confidence.

The setting offers extracurricular activities: e.g. Monday - Yoga Mites, Tuesday - French, Wednesday - Lunge & Leap (Toddler fitness class), Thursday - Tiny Mites Music.
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Type of Service

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

Owner

  • Happy Tree Academy Ltd
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Anamaria Cacau (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 15

Total Places for Children

  • 42

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 4 years 11 months

Funding & Fees

  • The nursery offers full day sessions (07.30 - 18.00) at £102/day or half day sessions (07.30 - 12.30 or 13.00 - 18.00) at £76/half day.
    We offer funded hours as part time half day sessions (deployment to be discussed at show around depending of the entitlement).

  • Fees are reviewed annually.

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 & 3 inset days

Parking

  • The Northwood Club (Darwin Wellness) car park is available to nursery customers, as well as parking on the road on Chestnut Avenue.

Happy Tree Academy Reviews (25)

9.9

Happy Tree Academy has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.893) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Happy Tree Academy has 25 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Total of 25, showing 1-20
Review from Kira E (Mother of Child) published on 25 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We love the nursery! Our daughter is very happy there and she can't wait to go in the morning. She is learning so much through play and all the activities they offer each day.
The teachers provide a warm and welcoming environment, and keep parents updated about progress.
I wouldn't want my daughter
to go anywhere else.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to share your views and for working so closely with us! It is a pleasure to see your child grow and become the little person she is today.
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Review from S G (Father of Child) published on 17 October 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Sending the kids to Happy Tree Academy was the best decision my wife and I made! The kids (2 of them) have both thrived in this setting and always come back with a smile on their faces. The staff are so great with the kids and have helped us in so many ways with their education. Would recommend this
setting to everyone. Could not have asked for a better nursery or staff for our kids. Thank you all again for everything you have done for our children.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to submit such a confidence boosting review! Knowing that we have all done our best so the children develop into confident young people, able to express themselves and…read more
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Review from M V (Father of Child) published on 13 October 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have found my little one has settled in so well. She enjoys her interactions with the staff and other children. She enjoys the different activities on different days. I find the staff friendly & great with communication, overall, we're very happy with the nursery.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to submit a review. We aim for children to establish trusting relationships so they can focus on and enjoy their learning.
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Review from Cianca G (Mother of Child) published on 2 September 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Leaving your children is such a daunting experience; however, all the staff at Happy Tree made the transition so easy.
My twins love attending nursery; they come home so happy.
They learn so much, they come home with new words daily, and I couldn't be happier.
But most of all, seeing how much each
staff member cares & shows admiration for my children makes every day so much easier.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. Your comments provide validation for the team's hard work and commitment.
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Review from Iulia B (Mother of Child) published on 13 August 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter joined Happy Tree Academy in September 2024, being an extremely shy child, I thought the adaption process would take longer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my daughter adapted and integrated surprisinly quickly. The teachers were wonderful, they gave her the necessary time and helped
her overcome her shyness. My daughter learned a lot, and going to nursery soon became a pleasure and something she was looking forward to. She became very attached to her teacher and she reminds me everyday how much she will miss them when she will start school. Her teachers guided her and helped her bloom and prepare for the next chapter in her life - starting reception. I would like to thank all nursery teachers and staff for all their care and attention. My daughter will always hold them in her heart.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to submit a review. We strive to give a broad experience to our children to support their learning and development.
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Review from G J (Mother of Child) published on 15 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child started at Happy Tree Academy at age 1 and has been there for 2 years now. He enjoys the range of extra curricular activities provided, including yoga, lunge and leap and exploring the forest school, as well as trips to the local park. His social and language skills have thrived in the nursery
environment, as well as his independence, e.g. learning to put on his own shoes, coat, etc. Daily updates allow parents to keep track on how much their child is eating, sleeping etc and the nursery is always available to answer any questions or concerns. Staff are polite and seem genuinely invested in helping my child develop and have the best time at nursery. The nursery work with us to try and nip issues like tantrums in the bud as soon as they are identified. We are very happy with HTA, thank you!
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for submitting your confidence boosting review. Working with the parents is one of our priorities to ensure children thrive and enjoy learning!
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Review from H G (Mother of Child) published on 8 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is a lovely nursery - the staff are kind and nurturing, and always on hand to offer advice and support. It's a great environment and the activities are fun and educational. My son loves coming here.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to submit a review. We strive to give a broad experience to our children to support their learning and development.
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Review from S T (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son attends HTA 3 days a week and it is the best investment we have made fore him. Since he has joined, he has THRIVED. He is happy, motivated and keen to learn and I do believe this is due to the provision that is provided. The staff at HTA are the most kind, genuine and motivated people. They are
empathic, gentle and nurturing. I cannot thank them enough and I appreciate the time and effort they make to keep the days at nursery engaging and relevant. Additionally my son has allergies and SEND and this has not affected his day to day provision at the nursery.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you so much for the lovely review! This is a boost in confidence for the team to see their hard work and dedication recognised. Thank you once again for working in partnership with us!
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Review from Ana maria S (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It is a very good nursery! with very active staff, very clean, they do all kinds of activities! My daughter is making progress every day. The nursery have put on events such as "stay and play" mornings which are greatly appreciated and good fun! Congratulations Happy Tree Academy
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for your lovely review! Good communication between parents and the team is essential to ensure children thrive and have fun!
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Review from K P (Father of Child) published on 21 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter (3 years old) attends 3 days a week. She starts the day happily and the ends the day with a smile. Food options are excellent. She loves Tiny Mites, lunge and leap and enjoys French as well as playful activities! The staff are caring, supportive and attend to her needs and growth.
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to review our nursery. Noticing and responding to the children's needs is essential to help them engage in all the experiences available and ensure they have the focus to…read more
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Review from S P (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Happy Tree Academy since she turned 1. She spent a year in the baby room. She is now in the toddler/pre-school room and is thriving. She has a key person and we receive monthly written updates alongside the daily reports of her activities including photos.
The extra curricular
offerings are great- currently they have French, Sports (Lunge and Leap) and Tiny Mites on the days my daughter attends. The children have daily circle time as well as for structured learning and free play.
There is a great food menu including a hot tea which has helped my daughter explore new foods.
The staff are friendly and helpful and take feedback well. The nursery have put on events such as "stay and play" mornings which are greatly appreciated and good fun!
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review. It has been rewarding for us as well to see your child grow into such a confident young person.
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Review from Ayesha S (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Happy Tree for 5 months now, after being at a different setting for over 2 years. As expected, I was worried about her settling in to a new environment however the staff at Happy Tree made the transition seamless, providing exceptional support! I cannot praise the team enough.
As well as the high level of care and attention, the nursery invest in activities for the children including yoga, french lessons, tiny mites and even have an on-site forest school! My daughter comes home with a big smile on her face and lots of stories to tell! I highly recommend Happy Tree!
Reply from Anamaria Cacau, Nursery Manager at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for taking the time to review our nursery. Establishing trusting relationships between the teachers and the children is at the centre of our practice. It is a boost of confidence for the…read more
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Review from J E (Father of Child) published on 15 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
In this current economic climate, Happy Tree Academy really is worth every single penny you pay.
From the unbelievably wonderful food they will give your child to the interaction with singers, instruments, painting and so much more besides.
Most importantly, the happy wonderful caring and intelligent
staff are 2nd to none.
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Review from Farah H (Mother of Child) published on 2 January 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have had both of my children enrolled at Happy Tree because of the level of attention, engagement, positive feedback (from my child) and the level of care taken to take into account the child's needs to ensure they thrive. The staff are friendly and communicate clearly and respectfully. I love getting
updates via the app as I love to see what my child engages with during his day. I also love getting little bits of memorabilia to keep forever!
Reply from Seema Shah, Quality Assurance Director at Happy Tree Academy
Thank you for your wonderful review. I will pass it onto the staff.
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Review from Samantha F (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended Happy Tree since she was 9 months, she is now 31 months old and is thriving as a result. Without doubt, my daughter's confidence and social skills have flourished, in addition to the teachers supporting both my daughter and I at every stage of her development and learning. The
facilities and cleanliness and security of the nursery is the best in the area in my opinion and the variety of learning activities are exceptional. I can honestly say my daughter is happy going to nursery to see both her friends and teachers. It takes a village to raise a child and the staff at Happy Tree are very much part of our village.
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Review from A B (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little girl has been at Happy Tree Academy since she was just over one year old and is now going to reception school. Sche has loved her time at the nursery and has really flourished which is also thanks to the carers at the nursery. the carers provide a fun loving environment and you can see that
the children really enjoy their time there. We have built as parents a lovely relationship with the carers which we truly cherish.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything.
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Review from S H (Mother of Child) published on 12 September 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves it, I am very happy with the high standard of care and affection ym son is provided with. He looks forward to going to nursery everytime. Biggest difference has been in the way he interacts, how his language is developing and just as important is his eating habits. He is able to eat independently.
It's a pleasure to see the bond he has wit all the nursery teachers. Highly, highly recommend!
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Review from B J (Mother of Child) published on 6 September 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at the nursery since she was 8 months old and is now 3 and a half. The staff including management are fantastic! They are extremely supportive and really know my child as an individual. The nursery communicates with me regularly and are always approachable. They treat her with such
love that you can see they truly care and want the best for the children in their care.
They provide the children with a range of activities including teaching them Sports, Spanish and Forest Schools and regularly take the children to the local park and look to take them on trips when possible.
More than anything, the staff are honestly incredible and make sure my daughter has a great time at nursery! She loves going and that makes me as a parent so happy. I honestly wouldn't send her anywhere else and cannot thank them enough for how much they've supported my daughter in growing into the confident little girl she is today!
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Review from Jenni D (Mother of Child) published on 2 September 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has a speech delay, and it was picked up very early by the staff at Happy Tree. From that moment on, they have gone above and beyond to help me get her the help she needed, help me fill out forms, guiding me where I should be looking to help support her more at home. Along with this, they
have no issues with delivering her speech and language therapy within the nursery day as requested once she was diagnosed. We have been at Happy Tree now for nearly 18 months. I cannot recommend the nursery highly enough. They always put each child's needs first, and any concerns I have, are always addressed quickly and professionally. They notice every small detail about my daughter when her likes/dislikes change when she's learnt a new word. The staff are all emotionally invested and were visibly proud of my daughter when she was finally able to say their names after nearly 8 months of practising. My daughter truly loves it at Happy Trees; she walks in excited, doesn't look back and has only ever come home happy. Most days she's more upset that she must come home. To me, that speaks volumes.
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Review from A G (Mother of Child) published on 12 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Good facilities, good teachers and very easy communication. My son is learning every day, something different and he is very excited about it. Outside activities quite nice, they do go for walk most of the time of the week. Thank you all.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.893)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.893) out of 10 for Happy Tree Academy 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 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 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 4.893 for Happy Tree Academy is calculated as follows: ( (150 Excellents x 5) + (18 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 168 Ratings = 4.893
  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 Happy Tree Academy is based on 14 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 42 number of registered child places is 8.4, which has been reached with 14 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 (2)

Anamaria

Anamaria Cacau

Job Title: Manager Joined: 2017

BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Professional Status (EYP)
Over 15 years experience in Early Years

Subia

Subia Khan

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2021

BA (Hons) in Working in Integrated services for Children and Young People
Over 20 years experience in Early Years

Frequently Asked Questions about Happy Tree Academy

What is the Age Range of Children that Happy Tree Academy accepts?

Happy Tree Academy accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 4 years 11 months.

What Days & Hours is Happy Tree Academy Open?

Happy Tree Academy 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 Happy Tree Academy have capacity for?

Happy Tree Academy has capacity for a total of 42 Children.

How far is Happy Tree Academy to the centre of Northwood?

0.3 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 Happy Tree Academy to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Happy Tree Academy has an Enhanced Service - more info.