Safari Childcare Halstead Road

79 Halstead Road, Lexden, Colchester CO3 9AD
Submit a Review
9.0 73 Reviews
  • Safari Childcare Halstead Road, Colchester

Care Provided by Safari Childcare Halstead Road

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Amy Clifton (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 12
  • Total Places for Children
  • 50
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:00-18:30
    Tuesday 07:00-18:30
    Wednesday 07:00-18:30
    Thursday 07:00-18:30
    Friday 07:00-18:30
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Safari Childcare Halstead Road Reviews (73)

Total of 73, showing 1-20
9.0

Safari Childcare Halstead Road has a Review Score of 9.0 (9.000) out of 10, based on 5 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Safari Childcare Halstead Road has 73 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 65
  • 7
  • 0
  • 0
  • 1

Date Published

73
0
2
5
68
Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending since January 2022, and I couldn't thank them enough for everything they have done for her.
She's currently getting ready to transition to school come September, and the nursery has been great in getting her prepared.
All staff are so welcoming and friendly.
Great
garden space with lots of different toys to play with.
100% recommend.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I couldn’t recommend Safari Childcare enough. My daughter who is 15 months started in February of this year and I was very nervous due to her only ever being looked after by friends and family. All the staff made us feel so welcomed and made the process so easy. They were always more than happy to answer
any questions I had. The communication and details about what your child has been up to that day is amazing and the camera is a lovely additional bonus to keep parents minds at ease. Overall, I am so pleased we joined Safari!

Reply from Kirsty Scurrell, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your amazing review! It's so wonderful to see how pleased you are with our service!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

In June this year our daughter started at Safari full-time, the staff go above and beyond to ensure that both of us are settled into the routine. It is not just her key worker but all the staff make an effort to get to know each individual child and help them develop.
The pastoral care shown by all
staff has been phenomenal and I couldn't recommend them more. Our daughter is happy to go each day and happy to come home.
With connection days for parents to feel comfortable with the day-to-day setting. Our daughter is thriving in their care in all areas. I just want to thank everyone involved for creating such a caring atmosphere for our daughter to grow.
We look forward to continuing our journey in the coming years.

Reply from Kirsty Scurrell, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your amazing review! It's so wonderful to see how pleased you are with our service!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We cannot praise Safari highly enough! Our son started Safari childcare in September and we are so impressed on how well he is doing since going regularly. The staff are lovely and my son is excited to go and is always smiling when we pick him up. We are so pleased with our experience with Safari and
long may it continue!

Reply from Kirsty Scurrell, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your review and taking the time to write this, it is wonderful to read!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Really lovely nursery, everything you could ask for and so pleased to have found this nursery, my little girl loves it too! She’s learning new things every day, the food is all cooked fresh and my baby eats so well when she’s there!
It’s great you can also gain access to the camera in the room so
you can watch your little one playing and learning! Couldn’t recommend enough.

Reply from Kirsty Scurrell, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review, it's wonderful to read!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My twin sons go to Safari and absolutely love it! The garden is a lovely size and has lots to keep little ones entertained. The staff are amazing, very understanding and friendly. I feel happy to leave my children in Safari’s care.

Reply from Amy Clifton, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

We are so happy that you and your family are loving your experience at Safari Childcare! Thank you for your review!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter recently started, and they have all been amazing and so welcoming; they have never dismissed my millions of questions and have taken great care of my girl. I’m excited for her continued journey with Safari. She’s learnt how to drink from a cup in just four visits.

Reply from The Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your lovely comments; it really means a lot to us!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely little setting that has worked tirelessly to settle my daughter after I had to go back to work. The staff are great and made me and my child feel a part of the Safari family. I have never left my daughter before, and due to having camera access, it puts your mind at ease. I would recommend this
childcare provider; they really do go above and beyond. 10/10.

Reply from The Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your lovely comments. It is a pleasure to be a part of your and your little one's journey!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son joined Safari Childcare in September, right from the off the staff have all been incredible, I had some worries concerning my son and they listened and took everything on board, they went above and beyond to help us, since being at safari he has flourished, his language has come on tenfold and
it is so lovely to see!
He loves going there and has a brilliant relationship with his key person.
I couldn't ask for a better nursery for him to begin his educational journey! I will be forever grateful for the support that they provide not only to him but to myself as well!
My little girl has had a few settling-in sessions ready to start and they have made both of us feel so at ease for this new chapter were both about to embark on! She already seems super comfortable there!
Really puts my mind at ease ??

Reply from Safari Team, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you for your kind words; we are so pleased we are able to support you and your little ones.


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely staff and atmosphere. I can say this about the entire team, from the admin team to the staff that actually care for the children. It puts my mind at ease to know that all staff are very experienced and knowledgeable in child care.
Children are well fed and looked after.

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you for your kind words; we are so pleased we are able to support you and your little one.


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter joined Safari Childcare a couple of months ago now. We were impressed from the initial show around and hearing about what the nursery had to offer. Due to being a lockdown baby, and therefore unable to attend a variety of social settings, my daughter has anxiety when left, but even when
she is very emotional at drop-offs, all staff are calm and welcoming to help calm her down. Since she joined, we have already seen such an incredible improvement in her understanding, following instructions and speech - we cannot wait to see how much more she progresses in all aspects of her development here. Safari has worked promptly and professionally to resolve any minor issues we’ve raised. They picked the perfect key worker for my daughter - someone I just cannot speak highly enough of who has built up a great relationship with our daughter; as have other members of staff. The CCTV helps me to feel reassured throughout the day as well. I highly recommend this childcare setting!

Reply from Safari, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you very much for the amazing review! We are so pleased!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son attended Safari child care 6-years ago, and now my daughter attends preschool at Safari. Friendly staff and love the care they give to the children. Will recommend Safari any day to anyone looking for child care in the area.

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you so much for your recommendations and feedback. It has been a pleasure being a part of your family for so many years!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has attended Safari since August 2021. Due to being a lockdown baby and unable to attend many social settings, the nursery has really helped with this, and in the last few months especially, we have seen him come on leaps and bounds. Any issues we have had, Safari have worked with us to resolve
them quickly, and I cannot speak highly enough of his key person and other regular staff within his room, they are always keeping us updated and reassuring us in terms of any concerns we may have about his development etc. We have particularly noticed his social skills, eating skills and speech have come on really really well, and I put this down mostly to his attendance at nursery. My son now looks forward to going and is always very happy when I go and pick him up. I would highly recommend Safari Childcare.

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you ever so much for the feedback. We are so glad that yourselves and your little one are happy here at Safari Childcare!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been attending Safari Childcare for just over a year now, and we cannot say how happy we are with Safari! She has come on leaps and bounds since starting, and she enjoys it so much. Her confidence has grown immeasurably, and that is thanks to the staff at Safari! They are always so
happy and welcoming and great at comforting the little ones when needed. I couldn't recommend Safari enough.

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you for such lovely feedback! We are so pleased!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Everyone at Safari has been supportive and understanding! I’m kept fully up to date with everything my little one does, and my mind is at ease when she’s at nursery! My daughter is becoming so much more confident since starting nursery and loves going!

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

On behalf of our Safari team, we would like to thank you for your kind review! It has been an honour to see your little one grow in confidence!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Good nursery. My little one feels amazing there and is always happy to be there. The staff are helpful, especially my little one's key person. The best part is the camera view; you can check constantly what your child is up to.

Reply from Safari Team, Team at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you ever so much for your review! We are so happy that you decided to choose us to be a part of your little one's journey!


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5

The nursery is incredibly inflexible with payment dates, even though they take payment one month in advance and admit this can be financially challenging for parents.
They are also inflexible with the dates of care, which they will not let you amend even if you give them eight weeks or more notice.
I understand they are a small business but we pay full fees, in advance worth over £10k pa.
This is not how other businesses work and I would expect better customer care in such disputes.
The nursery would be rated very good or excellent in my opinion if management had better customer service and retention skills.

Reply from Amy, Manager at Safari Childcare Halstead Road

Thank you for your feedback. We value all feedback positive and negative and we thank you for taking the time to write the review. We are sorry that our payment terms do not align how you would like them to however as mentioned we do have to have set payment terms to ensure payments for our nearly 200 families are reconciled on time as stated in our terms and conditions which are given when joining Safari Childcare. We are pleased that you are happy with the care and early education your little one receives and if it wasn’t for the payment terms you feel Safari would be rated good or excellent which is brilliant news. We will take your feedback on board and when reviewing payments dates if we are able to make changes we will, of course, look into this. Thank you again and we are pleased to continue to provide quality care and education to your little one at Safari Childcare.


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Really lovely nursery. Our daughter has been attending since the start of January 2022, and she loves it.
The general atmosphere is calm and inviting; the staff are committed and friendly, and the opportunities available to the children is brilliant.
They have a massive garden in which the kids
can play in and plenty of equipment and activities inside and out to help develop and educate.
Our daughter has allergy's to certain foods, and Safari is committed to providing alternatives and utilising a really good medical system should she have a reaction.
I would definitely recommend.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Not a single fault. My little one couldn't talk before attending here, he wouldn't socialise and never left my hip. He now loves preschool and has such a wonderful bond with all the staff. It's a home from home experience each time he attends. Staff are very informative, give a wonderful handover and
even when my little one has a hard day they are right there supporting him, and myself as well. They care not only about the child but the child's family too. Safe environment, good education and the children have great facilities. The food is very nutritious and has helped my little one try new things. Nothing but high praises, also the SENCO is amazing and very helpful. The Garden is lovely and full of fun. I recommend this nursery to everyone. Always.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Safari is a lovely nursery that provides great care. It has good facilities with a nice garden. The food menu is good and always eaten by my normally fussy child. They provide fun, educational activities with themes, and overall, my child loves attending.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Current Review Score: 9.0 (9.000)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.0 (9.000) out of 10 for Safari Childcare Halstead Road is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 5 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.0 out of 5 from 5 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 5.000 for Safari Childcare Halstead Road is calculated as follows: ( (60 Excellents x 5) ) ÷ 60 Ratings = 5

  • 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 4 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Safari Childcare Halstead Road is based on 5 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 = 3.5

    • 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 50 number of registered child places is 10. 5 Positive Reviews ÷ 10 = 0.5

  • 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

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (1)

Loading...

Loading

Loading
Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading events

Loading

Meet the Team (0)

There are no Team Members posted yet

Frequently Asked Questions about Safari Childcare Halstead Road

What is the Age Range of Children that Safari Childcare Halstead Road accepts?

Safari Childcare Halstead Road accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Safari Childcare Halstead Road Open?

Safari Childcare Halstead Road is open: Monday 07:00-18:30, Tuesday 07:00-18:30, Wednesday 07:00-18:30, Thursday 07:00-18:30, Friday 07:00-18:30.

How many Children does Safari Childcare Halstead Road have capacity for?

Safari Childcare Halstead Road has capacity for a total of 50 Children.

How far is Safari Childcare Halstead Road to the centre of Colchester?

2.2 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.