The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Coombe Lodge, Bath Road, Bristol BS40 7RE
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9.9 43 Reviews
  • The Old Potting Shed Nursery, Bristol
Situated in a unique countryside setting in the Coombe Lodge Estate in Blagdon, The Old Potting Shed Nursery provides day care for children from birth to 5 years.

For their youngest children, the nursery offers 'The Stables', a cosy and comfortable area where babies are cared for by a professional and friendly team and engage in a range of sensory activities, both indoor and outdoor.

For toddlers and younger children, The Old Potting Shed offers an enclosed garden as well as a spacious inside area. Following the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, all children are offered a variety of activities, providing endless opportunities to play, explore and learn in a way that suits them.

As children reach the end of their time with the nursery, the team will help to prepare them for the next steps, and are always available for help and advice as you progress your child into school.

Open all year and available for full day and sessional care, the Old Potting Shed Nursery is a great facility for parents and families looking for a safe and stimulating day care provider.

Care Provided by The Old Potting Shed Nursery

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Lisa Marchent (Manager)
  • Total Places for Children
  • 78
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 0 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

The Old Potting Shed Nursery Reviews (43)

Total of 43, showing 1-20
9.9

The Old Potting Shed Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) out of 10, based on 27 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time The Old Potting Shed Nursery has 43 reviews.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Old Potting Shed Nursery is an outstanding setting. From the moment my daughter started I felt at ease with leaving my her there. The staff are incredible and know exactly what they are doing, they update the app consistently throughout the day so you are able to know what your little one is doing,
and they have supported my daughter throughout. Highly recommend this nursery!

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we are glad to hear you feel confident in our service and the staff's professional experience and knowledge. We have some highly qualified staff in all of our rooms and are very enthusiastic to support our apprentices with gaining their qualifications and practice in early years. We all love to share with parents our experience and support where we are able to. The app is a very useful resource that ensures that you are kept up to date with what is happening with your child when they are in nursery.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Overall, I am really pleased with the nursery. My child has clearly learnt a lot of skills whilst he has been in their care, including sitting to a table properly to eat food, walking nicely along side a pushchair and asking questions.
The outside space is fantastic and my child loves playing outside,
which I think has stemmed from playing outside so much at nursery
His speech has improved really well, and again, I think this is down to how the nursery communicate with him.
We would recommend this nursery to other parents and we are lucky to have our son here.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we take great pride in the learning opportunities we offer to the children and are pleased that this is reflected in your experience.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot rate this nursery high enough. The level of care, attention and affection given to each child is outstanding. Nothing ever feels like a foolish request as a parent and often a staff member has gone the extra mile without being asked. My 3 year old has loved it there since day one and now my
1 year old is starting and I feel very happy knowing she's going to such a loving place. The outside space is wonderful and I can see how much effort the staff put in to help each child develop.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful review, we are pleased to hear that our efforts are recognised as the team are truly dedicated to caring for the children and providing them with the best possible experience.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We cannot recommend the Potting Shed enough! From the moment we viewed it, we loved the warm atmosphere, the location and outdoor space as well as the friendly staff.
We also really appreciate the excellent communication with parents. The nursery regularly updates us with photos, progress reports,
and any important notices. It really gives us peace of mind knowing our child is in such caring hands.
Overall, this nursery has exceeded our expectations. We feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful place and our child loves coming here. Highly recommend it to any parents looking for a nurturing, fun and safe environment for their little ones!

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we are pleased to hear that we have exceeded your expectations and that you find our app useful and reassuring. Starting nursery is a very anxious time for parents and being able to update you regularly through the day often helps to relieve any worries parents may have and helps the children to settle quicker once the parents know their children are in safe and caring hands.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

We have a child in The Stables part of the nursery.
The nursery are passionate about working towards the relevant educational frameworks for our children and translating that into adaptive and varied activities. Focus week is a nice touch and not something we experienced elsewhere when our son was
in nursery.
The nursery has struggled for resource, which is a real shame and does seem to occasionally impact admin and being able to offer flexibility in service provision.
Overall our child is happy at the nursery and loves their key worker, which is the main thing.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we appreciate the feedback and yes generally as an industry the staff recruitment has been an impacting factor to the service we are able to provide. However we have still maintained our high standards of provision and expanded the nursery both in child occupancy and staff team over the course of the 3 years under the YMCA Dulverton Group. We pride ourselves in the team and the high quality of our child centered curriculum.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We love The Old Potting Shed Nursery, the enclosed outside space is what initially attracted us to the nursery, a lovely large, safe space with so many different experiences within the garden. The staff set up so many activities for the kid, such a good variety of learning and playing every day, he
is always singing a different song that he has learnt. The staff are amazing and care for the children like their own, we all have a great relationship with them all, they have also helped support me with questions or concerns I have had at home, suggesting extra learning or books. The nursery puts on additional events where parents get to meet and get a say in what they would like to see more of at the nursery also events for dads to meet regularly, which we have both found very helpful.The variety of food is brilliant very nutritious, and healthy, he eats better at nursery than he does at home. I also think it is very reasonable money wise for everything you get compared to others.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful feedback and we are pleased to hear that you have enjoyed being part of our parent forum and attending our Dad's group. The children and staff really do enjoy the outdoor space we have and along side this enjoy exploring the grounds of the estate. We strive to support the children and their families as much as possible and take pride in our parent partnerships.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Wonderful nursery environment. After looking round several nurseries in the area in 2023 for my first child I felt that The Old Potting Shed provided the best environment with their location, indoor and outdoor facilities. After my child starting at the nursery in 2024 I could not be more pleased. Every
day he is happy to go in and really enjoys himself, he has learnt so much and the staff are wonderful with him. Nearly everyday he has plenty of outdoor time and even spends a lot of time in the surrounding grounds on walks and exploring nature.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we are very lucky to have the grounds to explore and we enjoy seeing the children explore and learn from the natural environment. They all love going to see the sheep in the fields on the Drive and the Elephant tree to have a climb. We also use the opportunity to go on bear hunts and to find a Gruffalo


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 14 month old daughter loves going to the Old Potting Shed Nursery so much! She clearly has lovely relationships with the staff and she is very happy and comfortable there. She learns so much, always coming home each week with a new sign, action or word. My 5 year old also attend the nursery and she
also loved it. We are very lucky to have this great resource on our doorstep in such a beautiful setting!

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review, we are pleased to hear that we are a value to the community. It is always an honour to have the siblings attend after especially after the older ones have left. The teams strive to ensure high standards and care for the children as if they were their own.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been at this nursery since he was one years old, and he is now 3. He really enjoys going to nursery. He's made lovely friendships with the children. And lovely relationships with the staff there.


The staff are very supportive, when there has been something I need to raise with them about

my child. they will take it on board.
The staff are very professional, kind and always there for support.


The Potting Shed Nursery, is so beautiful, set in the grounds of Coombe Lodge, the children go out and about around the grounds with staff, seeing and learning nature. It's perfect setting. My son has been at other nurseries, but this one is the best.
I have even got my daughter signed up to start In September 2025.


I recommend this nursery to any parents.


Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful review, we do enjoy seeing the children explore the stunning grounds of the estate. They lend us extensive opportunities to extend the learning and explore in the natural environment. A real favourite of the children's is the elephant tree where they can climb and learn to take risks.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little girl loves attending nursery at the Potting Shed. The staff in both Acorns and Seedlings are so caring and nurturing. They encourage her to be independent and put so much effort into the activities. I love getting a daily diary with photos of everything she's been doing and she is always super
happy to arrive at nursery in the mornings.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your feedback we are glad that you enjoy the daily updates and feel informed about your child's day.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has been attending this nursery for a year and a half now, and absolutely loves it. He has grown in confidence and learns so many new skills here. All the messy play and painting is great for his creativity and imagination. And I love that they encourage lots of outdoor activities, as our son
loves being outside, doing things like riding the bikes or running races. It's great to see all the pictures at the end of the day showing what they've been up to. All the staff are approachable, attentive and caring. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this nursery. Our daughter is starting there soon too, and I know she will be well looked after.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your feedback, we really do love getting messy be it through arts and crafts, or through exploring the natural outdoors environments we have access to. Watching the children grow in confidence to try the messy activities is a highlight of our time with them, and seeing their achievements makes us so proud.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son absolutely loves going to nursery! His speech has come on really well since starting and also his confidence has grown. The team are lovely and caring and very happy leaving my son in their care.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your review we really work hard with the children around speech and language and using a variety of methods to support language development but mostly through singing and reading and simple sign language.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely, friendly nursery, caring and professional. Great communication through the app and feel well-updated throughout the nursery day. Always have lots of different activities available, creative fun and time spent outside.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your feedback we are continually improving the nursery in all areas and enjoy planning the environments for the little ones to enjoy. We love being outside and often use the grounds of the estate to explore, learn and be curious about all things nature.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter joined this nursery in December 2024.
She has settled in brilliantly, always super happy at drop off/pick up. Her talking and confidence have improved a lot in such a short time. The staff are so friendly, happy, helpful and patient, I would definitely recommend family and friends to this
nursery. Different rooms inside for all kinds of activities and a huge garden for the children to play in with lots of different toys and educational activities.
A big thank you to all the staff for looking after my little girl!

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your lovely feedback, our teams work hard to help each child settle as quickly and securely as possible and it's also just as important to us to support the parents during the settling in stage. We are pleased to hear how happy and settled you are as a family.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our boys aged 2 and 4 have been attending the Old Potting Shed for 6 months and are absolutely thriving there. They love the team and have bonded really closely with their key workers especially. The staff are so thoughtful and take a holistic approach to caring for our children. They run into the nursery
happily in the mornings and talk to us at the weekends about all the fun things they get up to. The garden and grounds are fantastic and they spend so much time outside, whatever the weather! They did a detailed and insightful preschool observation of our older son and gave us some really helpful advice on getting him ready for school. Most importantly, the staff are caring, trustworthy and kind. I go to work safe in the knowledge that they will all take amazing care of our boys.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your very kind review, the teams in all rooms really care for the children they look after and always strive to give them the best time at nursery making memories and offering new opportunities.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have 2 children at this nursery. 1 year and 3 years, they transitioned in June from a nursery in Bristol.
I love the outdoor space my children have to run around.
Every morning at drop off I think how beautiful it is.
Staff are really friendly and experienced.
I loved the sports day as that is
not something they've been able to do in a nursery setting before.
My son is also recently learning phonics and he comes home every evening full of knowledge and is excited to tell me all the new things he he learnt.
They are both super happy.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful feedback, our teams enjoy taking the children out for walks around the grounds even the littlest ones get to explore! Our Sports days events across the nursery this year were very much enjoyed by staff, parents, carers and most importantly our little ones, being the first time to try this in the babies this was a fantastic success and we are definitely looking forward to next year's sports events. Our preschool lead who is a qualified teacher having worked in Foundation Stage classes works very hard to ensure the children are learning what they need to in preparation for school ensuring that they are confident and independent learners who have high resilience to enable them to approach school confidently.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son's time here has been nothing short of exceptional. From his very first day, he has received reception care and development in a fantastically caring and nurturing environment. His social and intellectual development during his time here has been notable. His interests and needs are always nurtured
and met, the fact he is outside getting fresh air every day is brilliant and the quality of the goods he eats here helps greatly with meal times at home. We have no worries about his safety and have always found the staff both caring and approachable.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful feedback, our staff work hard to ensure all of our children make fantastic progress in all areas of their development and to involve the families in their child's learning as much as possible. Working in partnership with our parents and carers is an important aspect of our provision and value their support. We are very fortunate to have the stunning grounds of the estate to use along with our own secure garden spaces for our little one to enjoy and explore. Our outdoor provision is as important to us as our inside environment.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely staff, loads of outdoor space and outdoor activities. Very safe garden space and lovely that the kids can explore the grounds. Very helpful staff dealing with drop offs. Great to be able to do stay and plays

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you so much for your feedback we do enjoy exploring the stunning grounds of the Coombe Lodge Estate with the children and engaging with nature. The staff enjoy planning the activities and events to engage the children and our families.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our child has been at this nursery for a year now and we are really pleased with all elements. She is well looked after here and really cared for. The catering is brilliant and caters to allergies very well! She loves coming into nursery and always returns very happy at the end of the day.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you for your wonderful feedback, our catering team work extremely hard to ensure that all children are included for with our menu and have the opportunity to have healthy and nutritious meals each day they attend.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A wonderful nursery. Both my children attend and they both have a great time every day. My oldest plays on the bikes, is learning his letters, lots of songs, etc. The staff give regular updates and daily photos and commentary on an app. My youngest started this week and has settled in nicely. He had
4 settling in sessions. The team are approachable and friendly. Very much recommend.

Reply from Lisa Marchent, Manager at The Old Potting Shed Nursery

Thank you so much for your feedback, we are pleased to hear that both your children enjoy coming and that our settling-in processes are a positive experience as we know how much of an anxious time this can be for both the children and the parents.


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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.892)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) out of 10 for The Old Potting Shed 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 27 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 4.892 for The Old Potting Shed Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (290 Excellents x 5) + (31 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 323 Ratings = 4.892

  • 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 The Old Potting Shed 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 78 number of registered child places is 15.6, 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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Frequently Asked Questions about The Old Potting Shed Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that The Old Potting Shed Nursery accepts?

The Old Potting Shed Nursery accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is The Old Potting Shed Nursery Open?

The Old Potting Shed Nursery is open: Monday 08:00-18:00, Tuesday 08:00-18:00, Wednesday 08:00-18:00, Thursday 08:00-18:00, Friday 08:00-18:00.

How many Children does The Old Potting Shed Nursery have capacity for?

The Old Potting Shed Nursery has capacity for a total of 78 Children.

How far is The Old Potting Shed Nursery to the centre of Bristol?

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