Submit a Review for Small Friends Day Nursery
15 Rectory Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2HA
View Full Details of Small Friends Day NurseryLatest Reviews for Small Friends Day Nursery
21 October 2025
Highly recommend Small Friends; both my children went there and they loved it - the staff are wonderful and caring, they host a wide range of activities on a daily basis, they feedback on your child's development progress and support these areas in their learning through play. The facilities are also very good, and clean, and have a wide variety of toys, games, books, and arts/crafts for the children to enjoy. My youngest is now at school, but she still loves to talk about her time at Small Friends, and the lovely staff!
15 October 2025
Amazing nursery! Our son went here aged 2 and has just left to start school, and our youngest has just started. All of the girls are just lovely, they really care about the children and build great connections with them. Our son developed wonderfully there, and they really got him ready to start school. What I also love is the communication with the management team - they are often the ones letting you in and out of nursery and so are always available for questions etc. Would recommend small friends to everyone!
15 October 2025
My daughter attended small friends for a full year before starting reception. Shes always been very reserved in new settings or with new people and I can't praise the staff at Small Friends enough for their patience and assistance in helping my daughter settle and come out of her shell. She's become so much more confident and has made friends who she's now also has at reception. I also loved how Small friends really takes advantage of their location by providing the children with educational trip to the beach, woods and the local gardens. I especially loved the Christmas nativity at the church. Thank you Small Friends for having such an impact on my daughters early years
16 July 2025
Small Friends Day Nursery has been a wonderful nurturing environment fo rmy son for the past two years - with caring staff helping put in the foundations for the person he will become. The nusery makes good use of itslocation for activities - and we loved seeing our son in the nativity play, sports day and on trips to the beach and nearby parks. He's grown in confidence and has become articulate and curious despite being one of the youngest in his cohort. You should send your child here.
17 March 2025
I looked at several settings before choosing Small Friends and it was absolutely the right choice. As a previous Ofsted inspector and headteacher I have high expectations and this nursery meets them all and beyond. The staff are professional but friendly and genuinely care about my son. They are also supportive of the parents which goes a long way. I know my son is safe, happy and well looked after. The parents evening and feedback via the app also gives me a clear idea of what my son is doing and achieving. I couldn't recommend this nursery more highly - they do a fantastic job and I'm very grateful to them for their hard work and dedication.
17 March 2025
Small friends is absolutely amazing, the staff are outstanding I was really worried for my twins as they never been separated from us, but they settled in lovely and have got to know the staff so well, they have adapted really well into nursery setting! They really gone above and beyond to get things in place for my child so he can be safe in the setting! The boys are enjoying nursery and I am so glad I have chosen small friends.
17 March 2025
Our son started at Small Friends recently, and we've been so pleased with how well he has settled in. His speech has really come along, and it's lovely to see him making friends and growing in confidence. The staff are fantastic-they all seem to know him well and genuinely care about his wellbeing. He's always happy to go in the morning, and he especially enjoys the outings and activities like music and movement. We're really grateful for the warm and nurturing environment at Small Friends and would happily recommend it to other parents.
13 March 2024
Our little chatterbox started at Small Friend a year ago. While he wasn't shy, he was definitely a slow talker. Now he's saying full sentences, knows his colours and numbers, and even explains his "no's"; and "yes's"! Small Friend's caring staff helped him blossom. They made him feel loved and safe, giving him the space to explore and grow at his own pace. Special shoutout to his main carer who (though she's moved on) once helped him with a choking scare - amazing! If you're looking for a warm, nurturing environment where your child can truly thrive, Small Friend's is the place! We highly recommend it!
13 March 2024
Many thanks from the heart for all your hard work, love, dedication and patience to the children, and for keeping personal belongings in order (toys, clothes), helping with potty training, caring when my boy isn’t feeling well, making everyday a fun environment to go to which is also very important. And thank you for making this such a safe space for my boy, who absolutely loves it here. This is an absolutely fantastic nursery, great team running it and wonderful management. Highly recommend it to anyone.
13 March 2024
Wonderful, friendly setting. My daughter is absolutely thriving and loves attending. The staff are so kind and always there to listen and help in any way they can. Feedback is always given at the end of a session, and I feel they really know my daughter and her likes and dislikes. Her speech is phenomenal for her age, and this has really improved since being at Small Friends. She is a keen singer following her sessions and always teaching me new songs. Activities are always varied and relevant to special events in the calendar. Highly recommend this setting. The only slightly disappointing thing is that you cannot enter the setting at pick up or collection, understand why, but would be nice to see my daughter in the setting interacting with the other children.
11 March 2024
We are so happy with the setting for our eldest. Our second is following her footsteps and attending Small Friends, too Everything from the warm welcome at every session, to the support for settling and communication. We know our child is in safe hands.
11 March 2024
Very friendly and keen to progress our child’s learning experience in a fun and inclusive manner! Include key classes such as French and others to give a well-rounded experience for what is to come when school starts!
08 March 2024
Both of my children have had an excellent experience at Small Friends. Over a period in excess of five years, we have felt the level of care and teaching offered by the manager and all of her team has exceeded all expectations. Thank you!
08 March 2024
My daughter goes to Small Friends and settled there straight away. I feel the nursery is extremely good at communicating with parents, and the app is updated regularly with photos and reviews about how the children are getting on. The staff all seem very happy and genuinely care a lot about the children. They think of lots of engaging activities for them and bring in other fun classes like movement and music. In any areas the children might be struggling with, they do their best to encourage and teach them. Overall, I’m very happy with my experience with Small Friends and highly recommend them.
08 March 2024
The team at Small Friends have been wonderful since the moment my daughter joined in January 2024. They have been so flexible and welcoming - I honestly cannot fault them. My daughter has various allergies, and they have put my mind at rest with their policies and procedures. Additionally, my daughter has made such lovely bonds with the staff in the Caterpillar room. My daughter loves Small Friends so much, she often asks to go on Saturday and tries to pack her bag - I think that's a pretty good sign that she enjoys it.
17 July 2023
My child was struggling with settling again after being off ill. All the staff have been fantastic at getting her resettled, and she loves her time there. We get regular updates face-to-face and also on the app, which is lovely to see.
17 July 2023
Such a warm, welcoming nursery; they are very good at comforting the children when they are upset about leaving their parents. Food choice is an amazing variety of meals. My son loves it here. They go above and beyond to make sure he comes out smiling.
17 July 2023
Fantastic nursery - both my children have grown and flourished here. They have learnt so much and are always in a fun, creative and caring environment. Both children forged great relationships with children and staff. I have had extremely positive experiences with all the staff; it genuinely feels like a little family unit. I have also had help on the admin side of things, which I greatly appreciate. My youngest is now about to leave, but I am so happy he feels prepared and excited for reception, loaded with all the skills he has learnt at small friends.
22 March 2023
There are not many people I trust to care for my babies, but I highly rate Small Friends, and both my children thrived. Patient, nurturing and engaging are some of the keywords that jump to mind. The garden is small, but they make the most of what there is, and the children are always engaged in fun activities.
22 March 2023
Warm staff and lots of wonderful activities for my child. She is new to the nursery and has really settled in well! They have even gotten her fully potty trained and trying new foods! Absolutely brilliant!
Latest Reviews for Small Friends Day Nursery
21 October 2025
Highly recommend Small Friends; both my children went there and they loved it - the staff are wonderful and caring, they host a wide range of activities on a daily basis, they feedback on your child's development progress and support these areas in their learning through play. The facilities are also very good, and clean, and have a wide variety of toys, games, books, and arts/crafts for the children to enjoy. My youngest is now at school, but she still loves to talk about her time at Small Friends, and the lovely staff!
15 October 2025
Amazing nursery! Our son went here aged 2 and has just left to start school, and our youngest has just started. All of the girls are just lovely, they really care about the children and build great connections with them. Our son developed wonderfully there, and they really got him ready to start school. What I also love is the communication with the management team - they are often the ones letting you in and out of nursery and so are always available for questions etc. Would recommend small friends to everyone!
15 October 2025
My daughter attended small friends for a full year before starting reception. Shes always been very reserved in new settings or with new people and I can't praise the staff at Small Friends enough for their patience and assistance in helping my daughter settle and come out of her shell. She's become so much more confident and has made friends who she's now also has at reception. I also loved how Small friends really takes advantage of their location by providing the children with educational trip to the beach, woods and the local gardens. I especially loved the Christmas nativity at the church. Thank you Small Friends for having such an impact on my daughters early years
16 July 2025
Small Friends Day Nursery has been a wonderful nurturing environment fo rmy son for the past two years - with caring staff helping put in the foundations for the person he will become. The nusery makes good use of itslocation for activities - and we loved seeing our son in the nativity play, sports day and on trips to the beach and nearby parks. He's grown in confidence and has become articulate and curious despite being one of the youngest in his cohort. You should send your child here.
17 March 2025
I looked at several settings before choosing Small Friends and it was absolutely the right choice. As a previous Ofsted inspector and headteacher I have high expectations and this nursery meets them all and beyond. The staff are professional but friendly and genuinely care about my son. They are also supportive of the parents which goes a long way. I know my son is safe, happy and well looked after. The parents evening and feedback via the app also gives me a clear idea of what my son is doing and achieving. I couldn't recommend this nursery more highly - they do a fantastic job and I'm very grateful to them for their hard work and dedication.
17 March 2025
Small friends is absolutely amazing, the staff are outstanding I was really worried for my twins as they never been separated from us, but they settled in lovely and have got to know the staff so well, they have adapted really well into nursery setting! They really gone above and beyond to get things in place for my child so he can be safe in the setting! The boys are enjoying nursery and I am so glad I have chosen small friends.
17 March 2025
Our son started at Small Friends recently, and we've been so pleased with how well he has settled in. His speech has really come along, and it's lovely to see him making friends and growing in confidence. The staff are fantastic-they all seem to know him well and genuinely care about his wellbeing. He's always happy to go in the morning, and he especially enjoys the outings and activities like music and movement. We're really grateful for the warm and nurturing environment at Small Friends and would happily recommend it to other parents.
13 March 2024
Our little chatterbox started at Small Friend a year ago. While he wasn't shy, he was definitely a slow talker. Now he's saying full sentences, knows his colours and numbers, and even explains his "no's"; and "yes's"! Small Friend's caring staff helped him blossom. They made him feel loved and safe, giving him the space to explore and grow at his own pace. Special shoutout to his main carer who (though she's moved on) once helped him with a choking scare - amazing! If you're looking for a warm, nurturing environment where your child can truly thrive, Small Friend's is the place! We highly recommend it!
13 March 2024
Many thanks from the heart for all your hard work, love, dedication and patience to the children, and for keeping personal belongings in order (toys, clothes), helping with potty training, caring when my boy isn’t feeling well, making everyday a fun environment to go to which is also very important. And thank you for making this such a safe space for my boy, who absolutely loves it here. This is an absolutely fantastic nursery, great team running it and wonderful management. Highly recommend it to anyone.
13 March 2024
Wonderful, friendly setting. My daughter is absolutely thriving and loves attending. The staff are so kind and always there to listen and help in any way they can. Feedback is always given at the end of a session, and I feel they really know my daughter and her likes and dislikes. Her speech is phenomenal for her age, and this has really improved since being at Small Friends. She is a keen singer following her sessions and always teaching me new songs. Activities are always varied and relevant to special events in the calendar. Highly recommend this setting. The only slightly disappointing thing is that you cannot enter the setting at pick up or collection, understand why, but would be nice to see my daughter in the setting interacting with the other children.
11 March 2024
We are so happy with the setting for our eldest. Our second is following her footsteps and attending Small Friends, too Everything from the warm welcome at every session, to the support for settling and communication. We know our child is in safe hands.
11 March 2024
Very friendly and keen to progress our child’s learning experience in a fun and inclusive manner! Include key classes such as French and others to give a well-rounded experience for what is to come when school starts!
08 March 2024
Both of my children have had an excellent experience at Small Friends. Over a period in excess of five years, we have felt the level of care and teaching offered by the manager and all of her team has exceeded all expectations. Thank you!
08 March 2024
My daughter goes to Small Friends and settled there straight away. I feel the nursery is extremely good at communicating with parents, and the app is updated regularly with photos and reviews about how the children are getting on. The staff all seem very happy and genuinely care a lot about the children. They think of lots of engaging activities for them and bring in other fun classes like movement and music. In any areas the children might be struggling with, they do their best to encourage and teach them. Overall, I’m very happy with my experience with Small Friends and highly recommend them.
08 March 2024
The team at Small Friends have been wonderful since the moment my daughter joined in January 2024. They have been so flexible and welcoming - I honestly cannot fault them. My daughter has various allergies, and they have put my mind at rest with their policies and procedures. Additionally, my daughter has made such lovely bonds with the staff in the Caterpillar room. My daughter loves Small Friends so much, she often asks to go on Saturday and tries to pack her bag - I think that's a pretty good sign that she enjoys it.
17 July 2023
My child was struggling with settling again after being off ill. All the staff have been fantastic at getting her resettled, and she loves her time there. We get regular updates face-to-face and also on the app, which is lovely to see.
17 July 2023
Such a warm, welcoming nursery; they are very good at comforting the children when they are upset about leaving their parents. Food choice is an amazing variety of meals. My son loves it here. They go above and beyond to make sure he comes out smiling.
17 July 2023
Fantastic nursery - both my children have grown and flourished here. They have learnt so much and are always in a fun, creative and caring environment. Both children forged great relationships with children and staff. I have had extremely positive experiences with all the staff; it genuinely feels like a little family unit. I have also had help on the admin side of things, which I greatly appreciate. My youngest is now about to leave, but I am so happy he feels prepared and excited for reception, loaded with all the skills he has learnt at small friends.
22 March 2023
There are not many people I trust to care for my babies, but I highly rate Small Friends, and both my children thrived. Patient, nurturing and engaging are some of the keywords that jump to mind. The garden is small, but they make the most of what there is, and the children are always engaged in fun activities.
22 March 2023
Warm staff and lots of wonderful activities for my child. She is new to the nursery and has really settled in well! They have even gotten her fully potty trained and trying new foods! Absolutely brilliant!