Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross

296 Queens Road, New Cross, London SE14 5JN
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8.1 84 Reviews
Monkey Puzzle New Cross is a day nursery in the New Cross Area. It opened in February 2018 and has been building a team of enthusiastic and dedicated staff to give outstanding care to the children and families are welcomed into the Monkey Puzzle family.

The interior provides an enabling and challenging environment for children throughout the nursery while the garden brings an additional classroom and many learning opportunities for all who use it.

Staff would love to show you around the amazing facilities, so why not book in for a viewing to come and visit.
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Care Provided by Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Liesl Hewitt (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 30
  • Total Places for Children
  • 76
  • 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 & 2 INSET days per year

Funding & Fees Guide for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross

  • £84.00 per day (full time only)
  • Parking

  • Pick up / drop off car parking facilities are available outside the nursery gate. All other visitors can find parking along the road.


Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross Reviews (84)

Total of 84, showing 1-20
8.1

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross has a Review Score of 8.1 (8.066) out of 10, based on 1 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross has 84 reviews.

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Review from Thanh D (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been going here since she was 18 months and she absolutely loves the nursery. Staff are patient, well trained and caring! She loves the staff, food, and looks forward to school every day. I want to say a big thank you to the nursery and would recommend to my friends.

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Review from L O (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are very happy at Monkey Puzzle. The staff are amazing and we feel very reassured by how professional everyone is. But most importantly of all, our little one has the best time. The activities and equipment, and of course the key workers provide such a wonderful environment to support his development
- he always has a big smile on his face. We are so pleased we chose Monkey Puzzle.

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Review from Joe M (Father of Child) published on 23 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter is very happy at Monkey Puzzle and at home, she often talks fondly of not only her key person (who is fantastic) but also the other members of the team - they are all lovely and seem to really enjoy what they are doing. The office team are also friendly and efficient and very helpful when
it comes to things like reorganising attendance days etc. We would certainly recommend Monkey Puzzle New Cross to others.

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Review from N M (Mother of Child) published on 16 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Monkey Puzzle staff are generally well mannered, confident and appear to always love their job. The nursery is usually well staffed; they give regular updates on the progress of the children and have meetings with the key worker of the child if there are any areas of concern. When concern is identified,
an action plan is promptly put in place so that the target needs of child is met. My child is usually excited to go to Monkey Puzzle and always looks forward to when they next they return. My child has developed in speech, language and activities since attending Monkey Puzzle. My child also gives regular praise to key worker and discusses activities done at the nursery and always looks forward to the next day.

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Review from R J (Father of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter is always happy to go to Monkey Puzzle and seems to have a great time there too as she develops into a happy young child.


Would recommend to anyone and we enjoy the updates we get via the app and in person.


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Review from Stephanie W (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I absolutely love Monkey Puzzle New Cross. The staff are absolutely excellent - so professional and sweet. They are incredibly attentive and always inform me of the details of my daughter's day. She has always been quite anxious around new people but within a week was reaching out for her key worker
when we arrived each morning. The nursery manager, is kind, professional, responsive and personable. It is such a friendly parent community. We could not be happier.

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Review from E H (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been at Monkey Puzzle for over six months and loves it. All of the staff there are so clearly child-centric, the meals are varied and well-balanced and the activities wide ranging. It’s a huge relief to know that he is so well looked after while I am at work.

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Review from S J (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I found it hard to find a childcare setting within the lockdown. Especially one who would allow us to view. Monkey Puzzle held out of hours visits, which was perfect. My son, 13 months at the time, loved the setting and the staff member providing the tour.
Starting in the baby room, he has experienced
all three rooms, a great team of staff and management. The communication is amazing, from management and staff with daily contact if any issues, online journals, regular newsletters and updates.


At drop off, the smell of freshly cooking meals is fabulous. The strange Covid restrictions are made better by welcoming staff at the drop-off and pick up. Smiley staff greeting us at drop offs and my boy usually coming out happy and bubbly, after an enjoyable day.


The nursery's outside space is great for a city nursery. With a large park within walking distance, regularly used by the children.


Monkey Puzzle isn't the cheapest local nursery. But you 110% get what you pay for. I could not want more for my son.
Thank you team Monkey Puzzle.


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Review from Carla M (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I was worried about my son starting nursery as he was born in lockdown and with restrictions, hadn't spent that much time away from me. However, the staff were great with welcoming my son and made me feel so relaxed. They give me very informative end of day reports on his day and I really enjoy reading
the online updates with photos that give me an added insight to his day. 3 months in, my son happily walks into nursery and is always excited to go back.

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Review from S T (Father of Child) published on 15 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at Monkey Puzzle New Cross are friendly and helpful with parents, and have always been kind and attentive with my child. Despite the challenges of the last two years of pandemic lockdowns, the team there has been a consistent source of care and support. The key workers have been proactive
around health and development matters, and take active steps to keep the children well cared for.


Every morning my child is eager to go in and get started, and every afternoon comes out smiling and happy. He recognises classmates and likes to talk about the songs, games and activities they do together. He's doing well at Monkey Puzzle, and they're good partners in his growth.


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Review from Marcella O (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5

I initially chose this nursery because of the good reviews and the close proximity to our home (8-10 minute walk). From settling in (first week), my son came home with a head injury. At the time, I thought little of it and put the reason down to the fact that it was his first week and the staff was
getting used to him being very active. As the weeks went on, and every week, my son came home with a head or wrist injury. It was now getting serious and I was very concerned. Another week, he had apparently walked into something with an edge and had a bruise from the side of his right nose into his cheek. The very last week, I had dropped my son to the nursey at 8:30 am and by 10:15 am, I had a telephone call to explain that within the 1 hour and 45 minutes, my son had conveniently walked into the door and banged his head and also injured his wrist on another occasion. Again, at 16:20 pm, a second call regarding a bang to the head. Seriously! He hasn't attended this nursery since this day.

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Review from Rich W (Father of Child) published on 11 June 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter attended the pre-school room between September 2020 and April 2021. She loved the place and developed a great deal while she was there. I’d have no hesitation in recommending it to other parents.

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Review from Nina J (Mother of Child) published on 9 June 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 2.0 out of 5

I will continue to regret that I allowed my one-year-old daughter old to spend a week at Monkey Puzzle for two main reasons:
1. An apprentice was appointed as her key worker and the fact he was an apprentice was never communicated to me. Therefore it was never communicated to me how this apprentice
would be supported to look after my child.
2. At pick up I witnessed my child in distress and unattended, screaming on the floor, for a few minutes.
I am so relieved that I acted quickly, despite losing money, and removed her from the setting immediately.

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Review from R F (Mother of Child) published on 27 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We can’t speak highly enough of Monkey Puzzle, New Cross. Our son joined shortly after his first birthday and absolutely loves his days at nursery. The staff are wonderful, and his key workers in the explorers and then discoverers rooms have been fantastic; caring, encouraging, fun and kind. The wide
range of activities inside and outside have given him new insights and also helped his development.

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Review from Kim T (Mother of Child) published on 25 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We couldn’t be happier with our 2-year-olds experience at the nursery. He has been there since he was 11months old and runs in every morning with a big smile on his face. He’s formed wonderful bonds with his carers and friends in his room and we are delighted with how much he enjoys his time there.

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Review from James A (Father of Child) published on 24 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We can easily see at pickup that our son is very well cared for by all the team at Monkey Puzzle, especially by his keyworker. There seems a lovely variety of play, learning and singing throughout the day and above all my son is happy there. We were impressed recently when the key worker arranged a
chat to talk about his speech development with us and brought in the recently- joined learning coordinator, for a bit of structured insight into what we could be doing to help him.
Would highly recommend.

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Review from Kathryn T (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been at Monkey Puzzle since she was was a baby and is now a toddler and absolutely loves going to the nursery. The staff are wonderful and so engaged with the children, it’s a lovely fun place and it’s reassuring as parents to see her enjoy it so much. There’s a wide range of activities
and she is learning so much every day.

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Review from Kate M (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We love Monkey Puzzle! We looked round a few nurseries in the area but as soon as we stepped through the door we knew it was where we wanted our son to be. We love seeing what he has been up to on the app - everyday is different. Highly recommend!

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Review from Francesca R (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has only been at Monkey Puzzle New Cross for a couple of months but we are so happy with how well he has settled in and the care of the staff. Communication is very good, the staff are always at the end of the phone if you need anything and you always get an update about how your child has gotten
on that day, what they have been doing etc. There are so many activities for them to do, including a lot of messy play which our son loves. We are very grateful that the transition to nursery has been a smooth one, something we were a bit worried about as our son was born at the beginning of the pandemic and hadn't had as much social interaction as he would have done. So a big thank you to Monkey Puzzle New Cross for supporting us and looking after our son so well.

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Review from Rose O (Mother of Child) published on 21 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

An incredibly friendly and welcoming nursery. We do not have family in the UK and our child entered the setting at 10 months old, til present at 3 and a half years old. They truly acted like family towards our daughter and we feel very supported.

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Current Review Score: 8.1 (8.066)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.1 (8.066) out of 10 for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross 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 1 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.1 out of 5 from 1 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 Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross is calculated as follows: ( (12 Excellents x 5) ) ÷ 12 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 3.066 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross is based on 1 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 = 3

    • 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 76 number of registered child places is 15.2. 1 Positive Reviews ÷ 15.2 = 0.066

  • 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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Meet the Team (2)

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Jon

Job Title: Director

Joined: 2018

Jon, Director

There are two things in life that are very close to my heart – family and education. As an Uncle and Godfather, I enjoy spending time with my nephews, seeing them learn and develop, whilst supporting their growth within a loving family unit. I am recently married and very much enjoying this new aspect of my life, looking forward to the future and all it holds.

Education is my other passion in life and having completed a Law degree I felt it was right to carry on my own education completing a post graduate degree in Education with a particular focus on the Early Years Sector.
During my studies, I worked within a number of OFSTED GOOD and OUTSTANDING settings including our sister nursery Monkey Puzzle Bromley. Working in a variety of settings has given me an excellent understanding of what an OUTSTANDING nursery looks like which is what I am striving to achieve here at New Cross.

I have also worked within local New Cross Primary Schools gaining experience in preparing children for school and also building links with teachers and principals. This is a valuable experience I will be bringing into our Preschool Room to ensure that every child that leaves us is confident, sure of their value and ready to face the challenges of Primary School.

Having lived in New Cross for 13 years I have lots of local knowledge and a real passion for the community the nursery will be a part of. There is a lot of history in New Cross which we will share with the children as we aim to enhance and develop the future of education in the area as well as demonstrating to them their role and place within their community.

Monkey Puzzle New Cross hopes to be an agent of change in the community bringing innovative and creative ideas to the areas of education and childcare. We aim to be an OUTSTANDING nursery, caring for local children and their families in the New Cross area.

I am incredibly excited about this new venture and I hope you will join with us as we grow into an influential part of your community.

... Read more
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Liesl

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2018

“A teacher plants the seeds of knowledge sprinkles them with love and patiently nurtures their growth to produce tomorrow’s dreams”

I hold a Bachelors of Education Foundation Stage degree, Quality Teacher Status and qualifications in Business Administration and Management. I have worked within the Education system since 2007 and the managerial sector of Early Years since 2011.

I have a working knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs in the classroom as well as co-ordinating with outside agencies to ensure the individual needs of all our children are met.

As a mother of a 3 year old, I can relate to parents on the day to day joys of life with a little one and value the importance of ensuring every child receives the best OUTSTANDING childcare they deserve.

I believe children learn best through play, especially play focused on their interests, engaging their imagination and expanding their knowledge of the world. Creating and extending opportunities for this type of learning has always been my passion and I take great pride in supporting my team to educate our children in this way. I believe encouraging children to be confident, independent and full of self-worth is key to giving them a firm foundation on which to build their future.

It is an honour and privilege to care for your children and play an active role in their learning and development. Thank you for trusting your little ones to us and I am really looking forward welcoming you all into our Monkey Puzzle New Cross family.

... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions about Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross

What is the Age Range of Children that Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross accepts?

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross Open?

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross is open: 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.

How many Children does Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross have capacity for?

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross has capacity for a total of 76 Children.

How far is Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross to the centre of London?

4.8 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 Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery New Cross has a Platinum Service – more info.