RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood

The Gatehouse, Abbey Wood, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8JH
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9.9 44 Reviews
  • RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood, Bristol
RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood is located very near MOD Abbey Wood. It is a charity supporting the RAF community, providing affordable, good quality childcare.

Staff at RAFA offer children an experience that is special, unique and child focused and the care is tailored to the child and their individual needs.

Children can enjoy the fresh air in the outside areas and parents will see their children grow in independence and resilience.

Staff work hard to ensure that every child at the nursery reaches their full potential, regardless of their ability, background or circumstances.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Abigail Hudson (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 26

Registered Charity Number

  • 1154822

Total Places for Children

  • 114

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Please contact us for our fee chart.

  • Please contact us for our fee chart.

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 & Christmas

RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood Reviews (44)

9.9

RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.905) out of 10, based on 44 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood has 44 reviews.

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Total of 44, showing 21-40
Review from R B (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have had two sons use this nursery and both have received fantastic care. The staff interact well with the children and make an effort to include children and help them develop and have fun. I would highly recommend.
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Review from Frances J (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son is very happy in this nursery. We feel he is learning and developing and well-supported. The staff genuinely care for him and encourage him. We really are very pleased with his progress. Thank you to all.
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Review from Erin W (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son and daughter both attend Rafa Kidz Abbeywood and they both love it, and so do I. The staff are absolutely wonderful, they are just so supportive and so kind. You can see just how much they care about all of the children in how they go out of their way to ensure each child gets what they need
everyday. They make a huge effort to set up events (like Christmas concerts and graduation) and the hard work and dedication of the staff is always evident. There is a wide range of activities offered regularly, and they take the children outside everyday in all weathers. The food is brilliant, my children think the chef is the best chef in the world and they certainly eat more at nursery than they ever do at home. The nursery are great at communicating with parents using the app too and management are so lovely and incredibly approachable and helpful. My children have flourished at Rafa kidz and I would highly recommend this nursery to everyone.
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Review from Elizabeth M (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child absolutely LOVES attending RAFA Kidz in Abbey Wood. We had a difficult time settling in but all the staff were so lovely and friendly and he now runs in at drop off.
The staff make this nursery. They are extremely caring and brilliant with all the children.
My child has grown in confidence
since starting and gets up to lots of fun activities. He enjoys all the food and the menu is varied.
The contact and communication from the nursery is brilliant and as a parent I love seeing pictures of what he has been doing. Overall I feel all the staff really care and have a genuine interest in his development and wellbeing.
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Review from M M (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are wonderful. They care about each child's needs and take time out to meet us parents in their busy schedules. The children are truly seen, great educational facility and the atmosphere is one of true care / friendliness. Could not have asked for a better place to care for our son during
these invaluable early-year-stages.
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Review from D M (Father of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Rafa Kidz has been a massive improvement on the previous operator of the Abbey Wood nursery. Staff are caring and friendly, and always ready to provide updates to parents. Facilities and equipment have been and continue to be upgraded and well maintained. And getting photo updates on the app of my kid's
activities is always a plus!
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Review from Claire S (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our child has been attending RAFA Kidz since she was 9 months and is now 2. The staff and management are friendly, professional and caring. The quality of care is excellent. Her key workers have been great, her current key worker seems to be our child's best friend as she talks about her at home all
the time and is excited to go to nursery to see them. The children have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of learning activities that stimulate their development. The outdoor spaces are well utilised and our child loves playing in the garden with all the outdoor activities. The foods is varied and nutritious. The app is great for keeping track of food, naps & activities. I love receiving photos during the day of her enjoying her time at nursery.
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Review from Liam G (Father of Child) published on 18 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My eldest son has significant additional needs. Rather than him go to a nursery for children specifically with SEND, I am more than comfortable leaving him in the care of Rafa Kidz, because they know him. They have taken the time and care to understand his needs, his likes, dislikes, his health issue,
how to engage with him, the best approach to learning etc., and they listen to me as his parent. My youngest son has also grown more and more comfortable there, because of how attentive they are to his personality. I would definitely recommend this nursery.
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Review from Toria R (Mother of Child) published on 18 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We absolutely love Rafakidz abbey wood - the staff are all friendly and trustworthy and we know we're leaving our daughter in safe hands. She goes three days per week and we get updates throughout the day. Highly recommend!
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Review from S D (Mother of Child) published on 18 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Caring staff, engaged nursery. Really well organised and I feel my children are safe and cared for. They always pick up the phone, always respond to messages, always are happy to spend time with us as parents if we're concerned about anything or want to work with them about something to do with our
children, etc
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Review from R N (Father of Child) published on 13 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to this nursery since she was 9 months old, she is now 4 years old and had just left nursery for school (Sept). All staff are amazing and the quality of care had been outstanding. She had formed lovely bonds with all the staff from different rooms and was very upset to learn
that she wasn't allowed to go to nursery this week but had to go to big school instead! The app was a good way to communicate by letting me know what my daughter had eaten for food that day/ her nappy changes/sleep and anything else I wanted to know. Just to know that my daughter was happy, fed and messy from all the lovely activities that they do, make me reassured that she had a great time. Thank you to all staff for the amazing work that you do.
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Review from B G (Mother of Child) published on 23 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Rafa Kidz Abbey Wood are brilliant! The staff and management are friendly, professional and really do care about your child/children. I couldn’t have asked for a better place/setting for my child, their key workers have been amazing and their current key person is so attentive and knows my child so
well and knows how to settle them like no one else, they are immediately happier when they see her. Updates on the app are great, you are always kept up to date with daily activities, playtime in the garden or if they are taken off-site to the park or locally. Also, you can message at anytime in the day to see how your child is getting on and they always message back on the app with a response which makes me feel much more at ease as my child is almost always upset at drop off. All the staff are great and management are always so helpful if you have any questions.
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Review from I O (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Overall, we've had a good experience with RAFA Kidz. The fees are reasonable, they have sensible policies regarding when children need to go home for sickness etc and generally seem to use a degree of common sense when considering whether a child is well enough to be in the setting. There has been a
noticeable improvement in the structure of activities aimed at developing the children and regular feedback on these in a timely manner on the app. We've used the nursery for 4 years now and have generally been happy with the support and engagement we've received.
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Review from N H (Mother of Child) published on 3 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves going to this nursery, he can’t wait to put his shoes on every morning! They spend lots of time outside playing in the various gardens and regularly keep us informed of the variety of activities they have been doing. Photos added to the app regularly are a lovely touch. The staff are all
brilliant and very helpful when discussing development and behaviours.
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Review from Laura H (Mother of Child) published on 3 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
As an employee of the MoD, it was a no-brainer to put our daughter into this nursery when I returned to work after maternity leave, we didn’t even look elsewhere. When the previous provider pulled out at short notice at the end of 2023 we did look elsewhere and very quickly realised just how lucky we
were with the staff, the facilities and the price compared to all other nurseries in the area. We were so relieved when RAFA Kidz took over at the beginning of 2024, retained the majority of the staff, revamped the building and kept the fees well below those of all the other nurseries in the area.
If you are a MoD employee and live or work near Abbeywood with a child aged 3 months- 5 years look no further this is the nursery for you (in my opinion). I think even for non-MoD employees this is still a really reasonably priced nursery and the experience for all the children is the same, definitely consider RAFA Kidz Abbeywood in your shortlist and come visit!
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Review from Linda G (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are fantastic; they are really friendly and accommodating. The room layout is great, and there is a great variety of age-appropriate toys for play and learning in each room. My son loves it here and is developing really well.
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Review from Iliana A (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery staff are amazingly friendly, and their care is second to none. The children are exposed to a variety of learning activities that stimulate their thinking and make them further explore on their own or with their friends.
Children are encouraged to use their imagination and also helped
to express their feelings ie what does it look like to be happy or sad; How do children make feel each other, which is an important part of their emotional intelligence learning journey.
The meals are full of healthy ingredients and are freshly cooked every day on-site. The rooms are spacious and full of light. The outdoor space is very well utilised. A huge advantage is the nearby woods where the children go to explore as part of their forest school. My child loves going to the nursery.
The management team is fantastic and so quick with answering/sorting out any queries.
I can highly recommend the RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood Nursery!
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Review from R T (Father of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son loves it, and the staff are always a pleasure to deal with. Great nursery!
Our son especially loved World Book Day, with the bear hunt. He's been joyfully exclaiming "tip-toe" ever since! Thanks!
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Review from J G (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My two boys really enjoy going to the nursery. Eldest had a difficult time when changed to pre-school, but the teachers made it so much easier for him, and nowadays, he goes without hesitation, and sometimes over the weekend, asks if he can go to nursery. Youngest is learning so much every day, tells
me the word he learned, and his confidence is growing every day. It's a pleasure watching him enjoying himself and playing with others. Boys love the fresh meals, plenty of outdoor spaces and everyday learning, to which they are exposed to. The manager and the team are very supportive and understanding. I would highly recommend the facility, and cannot praise the teachers enough for the fantastic job they do to make sure my boys are safe and happy.
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Review from J L (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The breadth of activities and enthusiasm of the staff is a significant increase from the previous provider. It is great to see my daughter engaging in lots of stimulating activities.
On the other hand, I would appreciate greater visibility of the fee structure. I was not given a fee sheet until only
a few weeks ago and there is no explanation of the fee structure as there are quite a few options on there. I would also appreciate knowing how much I'll pay once the 15 hours and 30 hours begin.
An automated billing system rather than a manual payment would also be helpful.
Reply from Hannah Polhill, Thirds in Charge. at RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood
Thank you for your kind words about the nursery. It is looking so great since the takeover. We sincerely apologise about the fee structure and will take on board your views, thank you for sharing them…read more
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.905)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.905) out of 10 for RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood 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 44 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 44 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 4.905 for RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood is calculated as follows: ( (478 Excellents x 5) + (46 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 526 Ratings = 4.905
  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 RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood is based on 44 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 114 number of registered child places is 22.8, which has been reached with 44 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)

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Abigail Hudson

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2012

hello!
I’m the nursery manager at RAFA Kidz Abbey Wood.
I’ve been in this role for around five years, beginning as a nursery nurse and working with children aged three months to eight years. During my journey, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various cities and learn from different nurseries, but I really enjoy my role here at RAFA Kidz. It’s a remarkable and inspiring setting, complemented by excellent facilities such as our outdoor areas and play spaces. We have a fantastic team, and our families and children contribute greatly to our nurturing environment. I believe we’ve established strong connections within our nursery community, which benefits everyone involved.

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