Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

56 Knightsbridge Park, Belfast BT9 5EH
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9.9 36 Reviews
  • Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School, Belfast
Belfast YMCA Nursery & Afterschool offers childcare to children aged 3 months to 11 years in Stranmillis, Belfast.

The purpose-built setting overlooks the Lagan Meadows and features bright and airy rooms that offer a warm atmosphere and nurturing environment where children can thrive.

There is plentiful outdoor space where children enjoy a variety of activities that support their physical development and teach them about nature.

The abundance of outdoor play areas further enhances the experience, allowing children to connect with nature and engage in physical activities that promote their overall well-being.

Indoors, there are four play rooms that are all specially designed to support the learning and development of their respective age groups - the Baby Room, the Toddler Room and two Nursery Rooms.

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Care Provided by Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Owner
  • Belfast YMCA
  • Person in charge
  • Sarah Ferguson (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 30
  • Registered Charity Number
  • NIC102252
  • Total Places for Children
  • 129
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • 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
  • New Years Day, Easter Monday & Tuesday, 12th & 13th July & 1 week at Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

  • Full Days - £65 a day,
    Mornings/ Wraparound care - £48 a day,
    Afternoon - £35 a day.

  • Fee Information and discounts:
    For families needing childcare full time this is discounted by 17.5% - this is available for full days, mornings or afternoons.


    We offer the following family discounts:
    5% discount for 2 siblings attending our nursery 10% for 3 children includes our After School Club.


    Our fees are reviewed annually each April taking into consideration the impact of inflation and any minimum wage changes.
  • Parking

  • Free car parking on site


Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School Reviews (36)

Total of 36, showing 21-36
9.9

Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.878) out of 10, based on 36 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School has 36 reviews.

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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent care from the staff at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School. Their patience, kindness and overall positive atmosphere makes our daughter feel very at home, she runs into nursery and asks to go on days she’s not there! Cannot recommend highly enough.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review - we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and your daughter feels at home. I will be sure to pass this on to all the staff, they will be so glad to know your little one is very happy here. Thank you.


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Review from G M (Father of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Without exception, we have found all staff to be kind, caring and greatly experienced. We trust them with the care of our child and believe it's a very well-run nursery, with great communication. Very happy overall.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your review - we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and feel at ease trusting us. I will be sure to pass this on to all the staff, they will be so glad to know your little one is very happy here. Thank you.


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Review from R M (Father of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff have been excellent, teaching my son to potty train.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your review - I am delighted that you have experienced this excellence from the staff.


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Review from J G (Father of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have two children (daughter and son) at the Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School, they both love the staff, the space to play outdoors with their friends as well as fun indoor activities and quiet time to get homework done!

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your kind review, we are delighted you have had a positive experience with us and your children enjoy their time with us.


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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My daughter has just started with the Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School and has settled in very quickly and happily. The staff are friendly and very caring and there is a very much a family feel to the nursery. Staff are communicative and I am kept up to date on how my daughter is getting on throughout
the day.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your review - we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and feel the 'family' atmosphere of our facilities. I will be sure to pass this on to all the staff, they will be so glad to know your little one is very happy here. Thank you.


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Review from Elaine C (Mother of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

An excellent nursery. My 2 and 1 year old attend and just love it. The care and attention the staff provide are second to none and it is so lovely to see my girls thrive in their nursery environment. They are obviously very happy and it has helped us click into a routine. The activities, food and thought
that go into every day are very impressive. Never a dull moment!

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review - we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and that both your children have really enjoyed their time here. I will be sure to pass this on to all the staff, they will be very glad to hear how much the girls enjoy attending and that they are thriving! Thank you.


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Review from Johnny M (Father of Child) published on 22 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot speak highly enough about how brilliant the staff and management are here at the Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School. Our two kids run through the door every morning. They have so much fun and really enjoy their day here. They are made to feel so safe and secure and the staff go so far out
of their way to accommodate us. The facilities are brilliant with lots of toys and fun activities, the facilities are also an extremely clean environment. The staff are so helpful and friendly and instil complete trust that our two kids are being very well looked after. The communication and organisation are first-class.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review - we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and that both your children are very happy here. I totally agree that the staff go above and beyond to create a fun, safe environment for all the children. I will be sure to pass this on to all the staff, they will be so glad to hear how much your children love attending. Thank you.


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Review from Rory C (Father of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My two sons have both attended Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School. The staff have always been attentive, caring and generous with their time and have a genuine connection with the kids. A special compliment to one member of staff, in particular, who even the older kids, as they leave and become teenagers,
are always glad to see her and keep in touch.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your review, your feedback is greatly appreciated. We are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us and our care has been memorable for your older children as well.


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Review from G N (Father of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son is our third child to attend the Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School. We have had a brilliant experience with all three children. The majority of staff have been there for a very long time and it feels like a big family.
The activities are well-planned and fun and exciting for the children.
They have great outdoor space and lovely, big, bright rooms for the children. They also use the other facilities on the site.
The management is well-educated in the early years and adopts an evidence-based approach to practice. Her approach is holistic and even considers things like the physical activity guidance for under 5s in the planning of activities.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review - we are delighted that you have had such a great experience with all your children attending. I will be sure to pass this feedback on to the wider staff team, they will be delighted, the activities planned have been a great success with the children.


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Review from Siofra B (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A really lovely nursery with nice facilities and most importantly, very kind staff who genuinely care about the children. Our son started this year and we’ve been very happy with the nursery.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your review - we are so glad that you have experienced the caring nature of our staff team and your son is enjoying his time with us.


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Review from Ben A (Father of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Very happy with the nursery - the staff are friendly, they seem to have a good range of activities, it's a lovely site, seems good value for money. They are very accommodating. My daughter has been going there for just under a year now and we've never once considered changing.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you, your feedback is much appreciated and we are delighted that you have had such a positive experience with us.


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Review from Peter M (Father of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my two young boys went to the nursery at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School and the care they received was consistently excellent. They had the best of equipment to play with, the staff are warm and friendly and we had absolutely no issues at all.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted that your children enjoyed their time with us. I will be sure to pass this feedback on to the wider staff team.


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Review from J L (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter attends for nursery childcare. We have had a very positive experience and my daughter has settled very quickly. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful at all times and there are plenty of fun activities for the kids.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you for your kind review - we are glad that your experience has been so positive so far, the staff will be delighted to hear the children are enjoying all the fun activities planned.
Thank you.


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Review from Froso T (Mother of Child) published on 16 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Very good experience with Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School.
Staff are all very nice. I am confident that my kid is in good hands. They respond to any of our requests quickly.
My kid really enjoys their time there and always very happy to go back the next day to play there with friends and teachers.
I
am impressed with the amount of activities the kids do there.
I feel that the food menu has improved significantly from October to January, more variety is offered now. Good to check what works well with kids.
I was quickly informed through the app when my kid had even small accidents.
The management is well-organised. Always ensures to keep kids and parents happy, very accommodating during school strikes or days off.
I appreciated that my kid was offered alternative food when didn't like lunch.
Sometimes kids' belongings are understandably lost/mixed up. Although some thought can be put on how this can be avoided, staff are doing their best to find lost items.
Overall, very good experience!

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review - we are delighted that your child has had such a great experience so far!


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Review from J M (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son is in the afterschool club. The staff are very friendly and very easy to get along with and from the very start I felt I could trust them to collect my son from school and take him back to the YMCA and each day that I pick him up I get an update. Love that I get a check-in when he is collected
in the app.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your kind review, we are so glad you can feel at ease.


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Review from Patrick C (Father of Child) published on 9 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School is great, the facilities are great and the staff are amazing, the kids love it there. I don’t know what else to say.

Reply from Sarah Ferguson, Nursery and After School Manager at Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School

Thank you very much for your feedback, it is much appreciated - we are delighted your children enjoy it so much.


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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.878)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.878) out of 10 for Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 36 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 36 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 4.878 for Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School is calculated as follows: ( (379 Excellents x 5) + (44 Goods x 4) + (4 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 427 Ratings = 4.878

  • 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 Belfast YMCA Nursery & After School is based on 36 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 129 number of registered child places is 25.8, which has been reached with 36 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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