Little Gems Private Day Nursery

1 Dunlady Road, Dundonald, Belfast BT16 1TT
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Top 20 award
9.9 123 Reviews
  • Little Gems Private Day Nursery, Belfast
Little Gems Private Day Nursery offers a loving homely environment for your child, having been part of the community for over 12 years with long established management and staff. Little Gems offers full day care for children aged 3months to 10years old. Each room is equipped with age appropriate resources and has a full programme of activities for a fun and stimulating day. Under 3s enjoy a weekly visit from Jo Jingles for music and dancing while Pre-school enjoy Spanish lessons and Debut Tots as part of the Pre-school curriculum. A large garden offers plenty of opportunity for exploring outside, gardening and outdoor toys. After-school care is available all year with a summer scheme and breakfast club. The nursery collects from Dundonald Primary and Brooklands Primary. Everyday carers strive to meet the individual needs of every child in their care, encouraging learning through play, covering all the areas of learning to develop independent and confident children.

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Care Provided by Little Gems Private Day Nursery

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Leah Morrow (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 38
  • Total Places for Children
  • 103
  • 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
  • Public Holidays

Funding & Fees Guide for Little Gems Private Day Nursery

  • Full-time Day Care - £288.00 per week
    Full Day - £69.00 per day
    Half Day - £47.50 per half day
    Two children – Full time only £487.50 per week
    Afterschool - £32.00 per session
    Morning & Afterschool - £33.00 per session
    Breakfast Club (Afterschool only)   - £8.50 per session

Little Gems Private Day Nursery Reviews (123)

Total of 123, showing 1-20
9.9

Little Gems Private Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.874) out of 10, based on 28 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Little Gems Private Day Nursery has 123 reviews.

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Review from N F (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little girl has attended little gems from October 2024 and remains in the baby room at present, it was such a hard transition for me leaving her at nursery, the staff were amazing and made the transition so much easier for me and her. It is such a lovely atmosphere with amazing staff nothing is too
much and my little girl is so happy to get to nursery in the mornings. It's also great to see her learning new things and thriving in the nursery environment.

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Review from Christine W (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent staff and nursery, my son is very happy and settled at little gems. Lots of different activities and great daily reports with lots of photos of what he gets up to! Highly recommend this nursery.

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Review from S G (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Little Gems is fantastic. Our son joined the baby room a few months ago & the staff have been amazing at helping him settle in. Everyday he goes in everyone is so kind & caring helping him settle. He is always smiling & happy when we go to pick him up.
When he is there he eats healthy meals & snacks
& there is always a great selection of toys & activities for the babies to do all day. Staff are brilliant at sharing updates & pictures of what he gets up to during the day & it's really reassuring! I would highly recommend Little Gems.

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Review from Jessica M (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Little Gems is definitely a Home from Home. Staff are genuinely caring and friendly and have the best interests of the children at heart.
My child loves attending -and has developed greatly. The activities are great for the children.
I find the management very approachable and nothing is too difficult.
Keep up the good work

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Review from Amy E (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2025
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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My kids really enjoy their time there and love the staff. Thank you to everyone for helping educate my kids and playing with them for hours!
The team are very flexible with adjusting to any last minute help we need and always supportive.

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Review from M W (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son had been going since September now and the staff are lovely. He's never been away from me and so they really took the time to help him and me settle in . Always friendly and nothing to much bother, if you time it right youll get to smell the home cooking thats going on. The management are
so accommodating and rearranged my days when it no longer suited. I'm more then happy with all the staff at little gems dundonald. It really feels like my kids are their kids, leah and her staff are a credit to the business.


My 4 stars are only because my child is in the baby room. So haven't seen as much evidence but I can see it round the building


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Review from K G (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2025
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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have now had 2 children attend Little Gems since they were 11 months old and so have been part of the Little Gems family since January 2021 and I have had such a positive experience. My children have both thoroughly enjoy going to nursery both in the daycare and preschool setting. The staff are all
brilliant and I feel fully confident leaving my children in their care. My youngest is due to start his Little Gems journey in May 2025 and I just know he will have equally as positive an experience. The Manager really goes above and beyond as well.

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Review from Hazel A (Mother of Child) published on 25 October 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Little Gems are a fantastic nursery, and I can't thank the staff enough for how helpful and gracious they've been to me and my family. They unhesitatingly accepted my son who has additional needs into their preschool and have been nothing but accommodating towards him and our family. They have bent
over backwards to help him every step of the way. The staff are always friendly, polite and professional and go out of their way to help. I can't praise this nursery highly enough, they have made our transition to a new town so much easier than I ever thought it would be.

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Review from A A (Mother of Child) published on 11 October 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending this nursery for nearly a year and she could not be happier. We love the atmosphere and environment in the classrooms (babies and wobblers so far) and appreciate all the updates via the app, including the cute photographs! She gets to develop her creativity and social
skills while having fun. I believe this experience is making her a very confident and social child. We are very grateful for all the excellent staff and have nothing but good words for everyone.

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Review from Steffi S (Mother of Child) published on 11 October 2024
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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has attended Little Gems since he was 9 months old and has loved every minute of it. The team have been amazing through both the baby and wobbler rooms. He has come on leaps and bounds with the help of the team's patience and kindness. They provide a variety of activities to progress my son
which allow him to develop his emotional, intellectual and social skills. I can't wait to see what the future holds for my son as he continues his journey through little gems!

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Review from L G (Mother of Child) published on 11 October 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both my children have had a brilliant time here. They are so well looked after. The staff are excellent, so encouraging and enthusiastic. There is a wide range of toys and lots of opportunities for messy play and outside play.

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Review from James G (Father of Child) published on 11 October 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My two little ones have been attending Little Gems since they were tiny, all the way from Baby Room up to Preschool.
The staff have, without exception, been wonderful. I really feel like my kids are in safe hands, and that the team really care about their feelings and their wellbeing. They love nursery
and have been learning good habits and good manners there. Really can't recommend Little Gems enough. Thanks for everything.

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Review from C C (Father of Child) published on 19 August 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been going to Little Gems since October last year, he was in the JPS room called cubs. The staff were great, patient with him settling in. The support and hard work of the girls potty training was excellent! He has now recently moved into the preschool room for the summer to get used to the
new environment for starting in September where he will be going for preschool before his big move to p.1 next year, the girls are really good with children downstairs! Little gems I highly recommend! Loving, caring, supportive environment for young children.

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Review from Hayley N (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter is currently in the baby room. The team were so patient with her when she was settling in and it gives me peace of mind to know how well looked after she was during the day. They do so many different activities and toy rotations which is amazing. The best staff and set up. Thank you to all
the girls in the baby room. They do a fabulous job!

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Review from C M (Father of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter is currently in the cub's room, at the start she would have been upset going into the room but now she is fully settled and enjoys going in to see her wee friends. The staff really helped with the settling-in process. She seems to enjoy all the activities that they do and it's nice to get
pictures of how she is doing on the app.
Little Gem's outdoor space looks very good and my daughter loves playing outside.
All the staff are always very welcoming and friendly and my daughter interacts well with them.
I would highly recommend it.

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Review from A T (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has been attending since he was 9 months old. He loves going each day and lights up when he sees the staff who are kind and supportive. We love to see the photos of what he has been doing during the day. Great range of activities from arts and crafts to sensory activities and plenty of age-appropriate
toys for play. Very happy with the service from Little Gems!

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Review from A A (Mother of Child) published on 26 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has been attending for 6 months now, the transition was very smooth. The activities are always fun and the staff are amazing. The various options of cover are very helpful and easy to add days at late notice.

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

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son attends here, he absolutely loves it!
The staff are amazing with him and cater to his every need. I have seen a massive change in my son ever since attending here in August of 2023.
The outdoor play area and activities that is provided is great, along with the friendly staff, the overall
experience is excellent.

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

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

An absolutely amazing preschool. Makes such a difference when your child runs in and enjoys every minute and that’s down to the staff and the efforts they go to, to ensure your child is happy and enjoying themselves. Cannot recommend it enough, amazing!

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Review from Nikki A (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My two children have been going to Little Gems for 3 years and they both love it. The staff are friendly and helpful and take time to get to know the children and what works for each individual child to ensure their needs are met. The summer scheme was great and my children loved the activity programme.
Little Gems is part of their lives and they always get excited when we drive past and have made great memories, friends and relationships with staff there.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.874)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.874) out of 10 for Little Gems Private Day Nursery 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 28 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 27 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 4.874 for Little Gems Private Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (301 Excellents x 5) + (24 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) + (2 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 333 Ratings = 4.874

  • 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 Little Gems Private Day Nursery is based on 27 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 103 number of registered child places is 20.6, which has been reached with 27 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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Awards / Recognitions (16)

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Meet the Team (1)

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Leah Morrow

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2008

Leah Morrow has been our manager at Little Gems since July 2022 and previously held the manager position in our Greendale nursery.


Frequently Asked Questions about Little Gems Private Day Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that Little Gems Private Day Nursery accepts?

Little Gems Private Day Nursery accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Little Gems Private Day Nursery Open?

Little Gems Private Day Nursery 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 Little Gems Private Day Nursery have capacity for?

Little Gems Private Day Nursery has capacity for a total of 103 Children.

How far is Little Gems Private Day Nursery to the centre of Belfast?

5.9 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 Little Gems Private Day Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Little Gems Private Day Nursery has a Platinum Service – more info.