Family Tree Day Nursery

The Old School at East Lodge, Ampthill Road, Shefford SG17 5BH
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9.7 60 Reviews
Family Tree Day Nursery in Shefford aims to provide premium childcare at family prices which are inclusive of all meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and creams.

Located next to the beautiful Campton Woods, the children have frequent opportunities for woodland adventures. During these outings, babies can be carried in slings and toddlers and pre-schoolers all wear branded high visibility vests. The inside of the nursery also reflects the natural environment with natural, calming tones and lots of natural resources for children to investigate and stretch their wonder and curiosity.

Two large, fully enclosed gardens allow lots of opportunities for outdoor learning and new challenges.

All staff are qualified (or in the process of) to level three or above and have been certified in first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene. They also receive specialist training in enhancing children's speech and language development from a qualified speech and language therapist.
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Care Provided by Family Tree Day Nursery

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

Good to Know

  • Owner
  • More Than Talking Ltd
  • Person in charge
  • Sarah Kingsley (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 16
  • Total Places for Children
  • 52
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 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 & 1 week at Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Family Tree Day Nursery

  • Our core hours are 8.00am – 6.00pm. We operate a minimum attendance policy of 2 days per week


    Session Times:
    8.00am – 6pm


    Our competitive fees are:
    Full day price = £82
    Early Start (7.30am – 8.00am) = £10

  • Please see our website for further fee information.

Family Tree Day Nursery Reviews (60)

Total of 60, showing 21-40
9.7

Family Tree Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.736) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Family Tree Day Nursery has 60 reviews.

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Review from Joe G (Father of Child) published on 30 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We moved down to the area just over a year ago and not only did we have to contemplate the logistics of moving, the pandemic still going on and new careers for myself and my partner we also had to find the best and most suitable nursery for son. We came across Monkey Puzzle as it was not far away from
where we were moving to. First contact with the nursery we found them very warming and friendly and the facilities were great. Our son has been at the nursery now for over a year, he goes 4 days a week and loves it! He is always excited to go to nursery, has a smile on his face and loves the staff. Since starting nursery his speech has come on so well. We are really happy we chose Monkey Puzzle and would highly recommend them!

Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery

Thank you for your review. It is a pleasure to have your son with us.


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Review from Victoria M (Mother of Child) published on 16 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started at Monkey Puzzle in April this year, after visiting back in October last year.
The staff were warm and welcoming, and I could see that he felt at ease from the moment we walked in during our visit.
Despite only attending sessions twice weekly, and having an emotional start (super
clingy, thanks to Covid lockdowns) he settled in very quickly, forming attachments to key workers and other children, and he comes out smiling after every session!
From using the smart doorbell to manage drop-offs and collections, to the parent app used for documenting the sessions, we couldn’t be happier that he’s part of the Monkey Puzzle family. Highly recommend!

Reply from Caroline Mathieson, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery

Thank you Victoria, it's a pleasure to have him with us.


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Review from S R (Father of Child) published on 29 January 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My children have attended a few different nurseries and enjoy Monkey Puzzle the most. When your son gets upset, it is not 'a nursery day' you know that's a good thing!

Reply from Caroline Musgrove, Owner at Family Tree Day Nursery

Thanks, S R, we love having your children with us.


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Review from Michelle W (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son only started nursery in January this year and at such a worrying time with also going back to work. Monkey Puzzle has been amazing at making the experience smooth sailing for both of us. The staff have been so welcoming and supportive of my son who is already loving it. They also focus on his
development daily and I can already see such a positive difference. Thank you!

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Review from Victoria B (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My little boy loves going to nursery. He has learnt so much and is progressing well.

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Review from Amy (Mother of Child) published on 9 November 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son currently attends nursery in the 'Squirrels' baby room and he absolutely loves it. The staff are all absolutely lovely and they always have loads of different play stations set up every morning for the day when we go in. My son's development has come on leaps and bounds there and always has a
great day... would certainly recommend.

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Review from E D (Mother of Child) published on 28 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter loves her time at nursery! They always seem to be doing fun activities and I like how much time they spend outside. My little girl has a lovely bond with her key worker, but all the girls in the baby room are great.

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Review from P M (Father of Child) published on 4 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son has made his best friends in this safe friendly environment, he speaks about the staff and children all the time and enjoys nursery so much he is reluctant to leave in the afternoons. The staff are amazing for giving accurate and detailed accounts of what he has done during the day and his development.
Both myself and my son's mother have complete peace of mind that our son is safe, being cared for and developing while at the nursery.

Reply from Caroline Mathieson at Family Tree Day Nursery

We are so pleased that you are happy with the care provided. We are sorry you are not happy with the food provided. Our menus are planned in conjunction with a nutritionist to ensure children are getting a balanced diet and all the nutrients they require. In young children, this does include sugars and fats which are important in moderation to help them to grow.


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Review from Iain T (Father of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent facilities and very friendly, warm staff. A fantastic development for children.

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Review from T W (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter is very happy at Monkey Puzzle. Every time she comes there are different activities for her to get involved in and the team in the baby room are very creative. The staff are lovely and my daughter has a great relationship with her key worker. It's lovely to pick my daughter up at the end
of the day and hear all about her day.

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Review from Claire M (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has settled in well to the nursery and is progressing well with the support of the staff. Lots of activities provided and happy caring staff.

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Review from C S (Father of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Our son has a range of experiences and is engaged with them all. The staff work hard to keep us informed and updated. Any issues are always quickly resolved and communicated.

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Review from C B (Father of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

The service ar Monkey Puzzle has really bought my son out of himself. He is more confident around others and his speech is progressing really well.

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Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

At the beginning of the year there was a high turn over of staff. This had a huge impact on my son. This all changed last term. The team is great, they work with the parents and keep you regularly updated which is great. The outdoor area is fantastic and they have been doing great activities outside.
I would now 100% recommend to anyone looking for a nursery.

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Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My daughter has really flourished in the pre-school room, growing in confidence and learning new things every day.

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Review from R P (Father of Child) published on 3 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Everyone who works with the children are always happy to help. They all seem to know all the children and are friendly, either on the drop of or pick up the children are active and seem to all have a keen interest in activities and investigating areas either inside or outside. There always seems to
be a pleasant feeling whenever I have been.

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Review from R K (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son is very happy at Monkey Puzzle Shefford. He talks about his friends, the ladies and the activities he does during the day. The staff have his best interests at heart. A recent change to the management team has led to me and my husband having more faith and trust in the setting.

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Review from Claire W (Mother of Child) published on 1 August 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

When we first visited the nursery, I knew this was the right nursery for us. She's been there 16 months, and really loves it and will often come home with paint or glitter on her from the craft activities that day! She really enjoys different messy play activities, with water in particular!


She settled

in well and formed good bonds will all staff, and key worker. Staff are happy, caring, supportive and positive role models and the nursery is a warm, safe, nurturing and a happy place to be.


All meals and snacks are cooked on site, it has good outdoor space, and also that the nursery is next to the woods where children can explore and listen to the sounds. We also like that we're sent regular updates and photos via tapestry of what our daughter's been doing and learned that day. These are all reasons why we chose Monkey Puzzle.


Without a shadow of a doubt, this is an excellent nursery for little ones to grow and thrive and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other parents/carers.


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Review from Harriett B (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son really enjoys going to Monkey Puzzle. He always asks when he goes to bed where he will be going in the morning and gets so excited when I say Monkey Puzzle. We love the extra touches like the bear he was given when he started and the attention they pay to his own interests.


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really lovely and he will happily go to any of them. We love the garden and the visits to the woods and can't wait for the football club to start.
Management is supportive and shows great flexibility. We love the different approach with the natural resources as it encourages his imagination more.
Would definitely recommend to others.

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Review from Chris C (Father of Child) published on 28 February 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been going since just after her 1st birthday, she is 2 and a half now and loves going. She has come on leaps and bounds in her time here and is always happy to go. She eats well, sleeps well and loves all the staff.
The nursery itself is warm, inviting, clean and seems to engage the
children.
The range of play activities is varied and a great mix of play and education.
We like the personal handover at the end of each day, a nice personal touch and used to catch up what they have been up too.
Our hours are pretty fixed but they have been flexible with our work when we have required.
The staff are worthy of a mention and really make it what it is for the children. They are always happy, engaging and full of enthusiasm.
If I have one criticism it would be around the staff turnover, but this has been softened somewhat by the quality of the staff which have come in and replaced the outgoing.
I feel genuinely warmed that our daughter is safe, happy and really loves going.

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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.736)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.736) out of 10 for Family Tree Day Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 12 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 4.736 for Family Tree Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (110 Excellents x 5) + (30 Goods x 4) + (4 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 144 Ratings = 4.736

  • 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 Family Tree Day Nursery is based on 12 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 52 number of registered child places is 10.4, which has been reached with 12 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.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Best staff recruitment

Recipient: Family Tree Day Nursery

Date: Saturday 19 Nov 2016 More details

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Meet the Team (2)

Caroline

Caroline Musgrove

Job Title: Director

Joined: 2015

Caroline has worked as a paediatric Speech and Language for over 20 years and has a passion for early years and early intervention. She has worked in many nurseries and pre-school settings and has a strong understanding of the EYFS. Caroline has high standards for the nursery and works hard to achieve them. Her ethos is to provide the high standards of care and teaching in a natural friendly environment where children can explore their curiosity and use their imagination to learn in a way that is led by the child.

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Sarah Kingsley

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2018

Sarah has a foundation degree in Early years and has over 10 years of experience working in day nurseries. She has a young daughter who attends the setting and shares Caroline's ethos of delivering high standards in a natural environment.
Sarah is our designated safeguarding officer and supports the nursery SENCo.
As a parent herself Sarah knows the importance of working closely with parents and has implemented lots of opportunities for parents to come in and share in their children's learning if they wish.

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