Early childhood development in Croydon

“I was initially concerned when my child was transferred to the school, especially after reading some negative reviews and considering its distance from my home. However, I soon realized that many of those reviews were misleading. The school is outstanding in every aspect. The discipline is strong, and all children are treated with care and respect. The meals are delicious and impressive, with the thoughtful addition of offering bagels in the morning. Very touching! The headteacher, Mrs. Edmonds, comes across as both professional and caring, and all the teachers and assistants are highly responsible and attentive to the children’s needs. It’s clear they put in a lot of effort. My child, who started in P1 after moving from Scotland, has been very happy here, even after just a few weeks. The after-school club is excellent too, with friendly staffs,and my child absolutely loves the meals it offers! Shamed I have to transfer her to another school only because it is too far from where I live. Both me and the child feel very sad about leaving minister infant school.”

“Excellent place for children. Friendly and hard-working staff. Children seem happy and active! Highly recommended.”

“My sons have attend the nursery one is shy and the other very lively and not so shy! The nursery has been really good in teaching and using creativity. My son is always bring home drawings and creations and loves seeing them at home. He really loved a counting book that nursery made that he brought home. Really helped with his counting. Staff are friendly and responsive to parents questions.”

“This nursery is the best by far. My little girl has been attending Little Elms, Shirley for almost 5 months and she has such a great time. The staff are very caring and affectionate towards my little girl needs!”

“Best nursery ever! I had a very bad experience with the first nursery my son went to, when we arrived at gingerbread within the first week my son loved it!!!! It was so nice to leave him in the morning smiling and sure he will have a good time! The staff is amazing and very friendly. Kids have so many toys to play with and all the activities are fun. I will definitely recommend gingerbread! Thank you for everything ❤️”

“Two of my children attend here one in baby room and one in pre-school and I have had no issues, I am really happy with the care given to my children and the communication I receive. Both my children love the staff, are well-settled and looked after. I have a very good relationship with the managers who always accomodate my requests. I am pleased with this nursery and would recommend it to others :)”

“I had they greatest time of my life there”

“A perfect place for both parents and children”

“My son attended this preschool since he was 3 year old until school age. I can't describe in my words how greatful I am to all the staff for what they have done for my son. They were caring, understanding and loving. My son tried 2 nurseries before and wouldn't settle in, so I asked the predchool manager for longer settling in period. They understood and allowed my son to take his time. They encouraged him to develop at his own pace, provided interesting resources and activities ans were there for him when he needed help. The preschool is substantially staffed. My son made his first friendships here. He continues seeing his preschool friends at church. It's nice to be part of the community. The preschool teachers are well experienced in special needs and have understanding, and can provide support.”

“This is the second nursery we have tried in this area. It is far and away the best. The teachers are dedicated professionals (most are also Montessori trained in addition to EYFS training) who are obviously enjoying their work with children, and who are committed to Lemon Tree in the long term. In other words, unlike the other nursery we tried which had huge problems with staff turnover, the teachers at Lemon Tree know us, we know all of them, and most importantly they and the children know each other. Every week my partner and I talk about how relieved we are that our son is at Lemon Tree, and how confident we feel in the care and attention he is receiving there. They also have an enormous outdoor play area with real grass and trees, not just a carpark covered in astroturf. The children are given many opportunities for outside play and they integrate natural learning with their Montessori curriculum. I would recommend this place without qualification.”

“My son was really happy in this nursery, happy memories still on his mind about the staff and his learning process. It is a frendly, caring and safe enviroment that I will recomend to every one who whish a happy child.”

“Stacy is a great childminder, she has a lovely setting, she was caring and loving to my little one and works with an experienced team. I highly recommend Stacy to anyone who is looking for safe space for their child.”

“I have been working at Purley Oaks for over 10 years now as a class teacher , both in Year One and Reception. I can honestly say that I love it here. Everyone is so kind and welcoming . We all help each other out no matter what year group we are in or what job role we have - we are a great team! I was advised when I was an NQT to keep moving to different schools but I really don’t want to be anywhere else! In Reception we are a fantastic team and work very closely together. We have such fun and it is amazing to see the children progress throughout the year. I feel that in Early Years we give children a great start to their learning careers!”

“Sherwood pre-school is a professional, well managed and caring environment for children. My daughter started at Howard newly and since then she has dropped off and picked up from school by Sherwood pre-school staff. They are very welcoming and my daughter love this place. It's always so well organized and full of fun opportunities for children to grow and explore the world around them. The commitment of the staff from both Breakfast & Afternoon club is immediately evident. I highly recommend this nursery the staff make your child feel safe and comfortable.”

“My kids have been attending Little Learners South Croydon over the last 6 years and I can only say positive things about them. Staff are lovely, we get regular updates of their development and they've always been accommodating when needing to adjust attending hours. Highly recommend.”

“Omg the best nursery the staff everything about this nursery is beyond.... Is very good. Is a best start for u child”

“Fantastic preschool, all the ladies are lovely, warm and friendly community. Also my Son has come on leaps and bounds since joining last September. I couldn’t recommend more❤️”

“I have experienced very friendly staff that look after my baby son very well, his basic necessities are well cared for, he’s very content at the premises, always comes out happy, staff knows on tips what my child did all day there, they are very insightful and cooperative. My son’s thriving well through initial settling. I am being a parent remain well informed about all news happening at the premises. Overall, good nursery with good resources for teaching and play. Thanks for inviting me to write this review. Kinds regards, Miss Zafar”

“My daughter goes to Tafii and I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the entire team on how well she has developed. They have provided an environment that is very homely, and culturally diverse - just what we were looking for in a nursery. The thing that attracted me to Tafii the most was their level of cleanliness and the way Eno was welcoming and genuinely warm despite meeting me for the first time. Keep it up team Tafii and I’d definitely recommend the services to other parents with little ones.”

“Brilliant school.. my son loves it”

“Fantastic Nursery place with natural and forest School approach to learning”

“Fantastic school , fantastic staff. great to tech life skills.”