West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester)

Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5HT
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9.8 108 Reviews
  • West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester), Winchester
A purpose built day nursery, specified by Childbase to the highest quality standard. Friendly and well-established, West Downs provides a happy, sociable environment where every child is treated as an individual.

The nursery has four main bright and colourful playrooms for individual age groups with additional sleeping areas. Outside is a secure, fully enclosed garden with a well-equipped soft tarmac playground and a lawned area which includes a digging and planting area and a sensory path for exploration.

The nursery also organises regular outings as a means of extending the children's vocabulary and understanding.

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Care Provided by West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester)

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Ren Norman-Greer (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 26
  • Total Places for Children
  • 68
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 2 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • 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 & Inset Days
  • Parking

  • Drop off bay directly outside of the nursery.


West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) Reviews (108)

Total of 108, showing 21-40
9.8

West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.801) out of 10, based on 18 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) has 108 reviews.

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108
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Review from Sarah L (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2023
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

West Downs has been really great since our little boy moved here three months ago. He finds it hard to settle in at new places but they've been wonderful at supporting him in the ways he needs. We also love the extra events and things they put on for the whole family.

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Review from Anna S (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2023
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Absolutely love this nursery. My daughter settled in so well and the staff are incredible. Would highly recommend it.

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Review from Chris K (Father of Child) published on 20 December 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been attending West Downs Day Nursery since she was 5 months old and has absolutely thrived in her time there. We credit much of her development and confidence to the Caterpillar and Ladybird teams who are attentive, caring, and knowledgeable. We were anxious first-time parents enrolling
our child into the nursery earlier than we had hoped but were quickly made to feel comfortable leaving her in their care. Our daughter enters and leaves her room with a smile on her face every day.

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Review from Illy A (Mother of Child) published on 20 December 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Within two months my daughter had to settle in two different nurseries (West Downs being the second one) and I was worried about it. She was 14 months old at the time and after the first two weeks, my daughter started to demonstrate she was happy going there and showed trust in the Caterpillar team
leader. Her settlement was very quick. The whole team, including the admin, have been amazing, all very attentive to my child's needs. The communication with them is excellent. They made me feel she was in good hands. They have a good variety of activities to develop them as well. I love that we are able to access the rooms to drop off and pick up the child and actually see what they are doing. My daughter adores going there. I highly recommend the Nursery, they are doing a great job at West Dawns.

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Review from J B (Father of Child) published on 13 December 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Staff are absolutely great! Our child loves going there and has always had a great time.
Food is second to none and very healthy with a great variety of flavours and textures.
Admin are always friendly and quick to respond.
Absolutely delighted by them.

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Review from Katie K (Mother of Child) published on 30 August 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

West Downs Day Nursery has been amazing for our daughter. She started at six months and they have supported her through each stage of her development. They have always listened and fulfilled any wishes we had and would help us with any questions when asking for help/advice. My daughter loves nursery
and looks forward to attending each day. She has so much fun and gets to spend lots of time outside. We will all miss my daughter coming when she goes to school in September.

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Review from E E (Mother of Child) published on 30 August 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

West Downs Day Nursery has cared for my daughter so well since she was one. The continuity of care has been outstanding, even throughout lockdown she was cared for by staff she knew and was comfortable and confident with. The activities she does at nursery keep her interested and enthusiastic to learn
new things. She is well catered for with her food allergies and loves it when the chef does baking activities that she can join in. The staff in her room are so kind and caring, we are always happy to leave her with them. Thank you for taking such good care of her, we cannot recommend the nursery enough.

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Review from Moira B (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A great supportive nursery that my son loves to attend. The staff are fantastic and make me, as a parent, reassured that he is in excellent hands. So many activities for the children to get involved with but by far my son's favourite is the garden with the many different areas to explore there. We have
found it such a good place for our eldest that we are booking a place for our youngest too!

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Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 14 June 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been very happy with the service and care provided by the staff at West Downs. Our 18-month-old has attended for almost a year now and is thriving in the nursery environment. The staff are incredibly professional, kind and caring and we feel that he is in very safe hands. We are also impressed
at the attention to detail staff apply to designing learning experiences and to ensuring that each child is engaged in activities that will entertain and stretch them. The children also spend a lot of time outside playing in the lovely outdoor space.
The communication is excellent with a weekly newsletter updating parents on the activities for the week and a mobile app which records daily events like naps, meals, nappies etc.

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Review from Rebecca S-H (Mother of Child) published on 25 May 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I was really nervous as a first time mum leaving my baby (who was only four months at the time) with a nursery, but everyone in Caterpillars has been amazing for both my child and me - huge shout out to the staff who reassured me on my first anxious settling in visit and for supporting and encouraging
my child's development. I am never anxious dropping my child off ever - she adores nursery, has made lots of friends, clearly has a wonderful time and crucially, she is happy. I would absolutely recommend West Downs Day Nursery to any parent wanting a fun, engaging, safe and caring environment for both their child and them.

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Review from Helen M (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started at West Downs when he was two and we’d just moved down from London. He’s now 4 and off to school in September. We have absolutely loved our experience with the nursery. From day 1 we were fully supported with transition and settling my son into the nursery. The team are brilliant, truly
caring about the welfare and development of the children. The children are happy, well looked after and you get every opportunity to hear about how they are doing.


My son is also obsessed with the food. The nursery cook is his hero. He was quite a fussy eater and now eats most things.


Finally, the leadership team have been excellent and this was really highlighted in the pandemic. They put the children and staff’s safety as a priority and did everything they could to ensure a clean and safe place.


I would strongly recommend this nursery. They’ve made our little boy very happy and confident as he sets off to school. He’s made lots of friends and has loved his time.


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Review from Emma M (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

West Downs is a fantastic nursery. The staff are always friendly and seem to genuinely care about the children they are looking after. The communication is great and the staff ensure that they keep parents informed about key parts of their child's day.
My daughter has just left after attending for
almost 4 years and I have never had any issues with the care she has received. There is a lovely outdoor space that is well used by the children and the rooms are appropriately equipped for each age group.
I have been particularly impressed with the way in which the nursery and staff have responded to Covid. As a key worker my child continued to attend during the closures and at no point did I need to worry about the safety and care she received. Everything has been communicated clearly to parents and any changes have been implemented without making my daughter feel at all unsettled. Overall a great nursery which I would be happy to recommend for anyone looking for great childcare!

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Review from Rebecca D (Mother of Child) published on 31 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son started at West Downs in March 2021. Having been just 5 weeks old when we locked down in 2020, my son has not been to any baby groups or even socialised beyond his parents, so we were a bit apprehensive about the nursery. We couldn't visit the site due to COVID restrictions, however, the manager
was brilliant, gave me so much time on the phone and email - answering questions and describing the setting. He also sent videos of the baby room and other information such as the menus. The nursery were amazing with settling in sessions and arranged four gradual sessions to ease both my son and I, into the nursery. We had to drop our son at the door but the staff at West Downs couldn't be more reassuring. He very quickly settled into the baby room. He clearly loves his time at nursery, he is bonding brilliantly with the staff and we are so very impressed with the communication, professionalism, updates and most importantly, care from his keyworkers and the rest of the team. Thank you.

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Review from Jen F (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We continue to be so pleased with West Downs nursery. Staff are friendly and professional, and daily tasks are varied and engaging. My little boy thoroughly enjoys attending and always talks about his day the whole way home. Since our last review, the feedback has been taken on board about varying assessment
tasks, which has been so lovely to see. I still think that assessments themselves are sometimes graded peculiarly, (eg saying your child is commencing a skill that they have been secure in for 4+ months). However, I appreciate the subjectivity and the fact staff have a small amount of time to complete assessments and probably do it purely in the time set aside rather than as they go through the day and see it, therefore, maybe giving different results? This would be my only criticism. I am really happy with the Covid procedures and have no doubt that my son is safe and nurtured. The food is superb, and they take all parental preferences on board and stick to them. Management is exceptional.

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Review from David E (Father of Child) published on 2 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at West Downs since she was 9 months old and has moved up through all the rooms with excellent support from her keyworkers and other team members. She is now in pre-school. She has grown so much in confidence and is excelling/thriving so well all due to the support from her fantastic
practitioners that I can't praise highly enough,
especially during the tough times we are all facing currently. The facilities, learning and outdoor space are excellent. The Management team are always there to support with any queries or issues raised. I would recommend this nursery to anyone.

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Review from Rebecca D (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son loves his nursery. He gets glowing reviews from the staff, and always seems to be happy and sociable. We get good communication from the staff, and they comment on how our son is always smiling.

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Review from Sarah L (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We would highly recommend West Downs nursery. Our son started when he was 9-months-old, and after a few weeks settling in, it is clear that he loves going and enjoys interacting with the staff and other children. We are so grateful to the staff who make such an effort to look after him and provide such
a wide range of activities, which have clearly benefitted his development.

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Review from James H (Father of Child) published on 26 January 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Overall, we are pleased with how our son is catered for. He comes home very happy, and indeed, the syllabus provided is helping with his cognitive development and social interaction skills. We are happy to of chosen West Downs as his nursery.

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Review from Elizabeth W (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are very happy with the care our daughter receives at West Downs. She settled in quickly when she started, and then return to the nursery after the 'Covid break' in the middle of 2020 seemed to be handled very well. She is always happy to go in the mornings and keen to tell us what she has been up
to (and what she's eaten!) when she gets home. The staff are all very friendly, and our daughter likes to talk about them at home. The staff/office always respond quickly to queries/requests for additional sessions.

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Review from Tessa M (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery with lovely, dedicated staff who are always happy to help. Our little boy took time to settle after being home for so long due to covid, and all staff were so kind and committed to getting him happy. He now loves it! Highly recommend.

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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.801)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.801) out of 10 for West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 18 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 18 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.801 for West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) is calculated as follows: ( (175 Excellents x 5) + (39 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 216 Ratings = 4.801

  • b) 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 West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) is based on 18 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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 68 number of registered child places is 13.6, which has been reached with 18 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Meet the Team (1)

Ren

Ren Norman-Greer

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2016

Ren is the Manager of West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester and has a wealth of experience, having worked in Early Years since 2012, starting as an apprentice and progressing through to Nursery Manager. Ren holds a Level 3 qualification in Early Years, a Level 3 in SEND, and is also a Mental Health First Aider.


What is your favourite feature of your nursery?
My favourite feature of the nursery is our wooded area. It lends itself to endless amounts of imaginative play and creativity.


What are you most proud of about your team?
I am most proud of my team because they are the most kind and supportive people that always go above and beyond for anyone who needs it.


Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. West Downs Day Nursery (Winchester) has a Platinum Service – more info.