Session types
Full day (8am-6pm), Morning (8am-1pm), Afternoon (1pm-6pm), Early Drop Off with Breakfast (from 7.30am), Late Pick Up with Snack (until 6.30pm)
Lydstep Nursery, situated in Southville, offers comprehensive childcare for children aged 6 months to 5 years, divided into three distinct age-appropriate sections: The Cottage for infants, The Bakery for toddlers, and The Library for pre-schoolers. The nursery prides itself on brand-new facilities, including a dedicated courtyard garden that allows for free-flow outdoor play for all age groups, with babies enjoying their own quiet terrace.
Lydstep Nursery fosters a stimulating environment, aligning with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, focusing on nurturing a unique child, fostering positive relationships, and creating enabling environments for learning and development. Each room is designed with age-specific resources and activities, from sensory play for babies to school preparation in the pre-school room, led by a dedicated teacher.
The nursery emphasises physical activities, exploration, and creative arts, ensuring a holistic approach to early childhood education, all within a homely and natural setting complimented by light, pastel colours.
Our ethos
Lydstep Nursery aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, focusing on nurturing the unique child, fostering positive relationships, and creating enabling environments for learning and development. They emphasise physical activities, exploration, and creative arts for a holistic approach to early childhood education, encouraging free-flow outdoor play.
What it's like
Children arrive at this busy nursery happy and ready to learn. Staff greet children warmly in each age room and help them settle into activities and play. Children benefit from the strong bonds they are building with staff who know them well. Staff use children's interests to engage them in play and activities that helps children continue learning effectively.
Fees are structured by age band, dividing children into Babies & Toddlers and Pre-School, with rates dropping the month after a child turns three. Sessions are available as full days, mornings, or afternoons. Fees are all-inclusive of meals, snacks, and drinks, except during funded sessions where extra charges apply.
Funding accepted
Good to know
Session types
Full day (8am-6pm), Morning (8am-1pm), Afternoon (1pm-6pm), Early Drop Off with Breakfast (from 7.30am), Late Pick Up with Snack (until 6.30pm)
Food
Morning sessions include a fruit snack and hot lunch; afternoon sessions include tea. Meals & Snacks are charged at £9 for a fully funded day.
Opening hours
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Age range
6 months to 5 years
Term time / All Year
All Year
Waitlist
Join our waiting list
Last inspected 1 December 2023
What it's like to attend
Children arrive at this busy nursery happy and ready to learn. Staff greet children warmly in each age room and help them settle into activities and play. Children benefit from the strong bonds they are building with staff who know them well. Staff use children's interests to engage them in play and activities that helps children continue learning effectively.
Inspector highlights
Areas to develop
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents comment that staff provide them with plenty information about what their children are doing and learning.
Inclusion & environment
When staff identify gaps in development they talk with parents and other professionals to seek support to help children make good progress. All children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn and develop well.
Staff make use of the two outdoor spaces at the nursery. Babies have an outdoor terrace with low level climbing equipment. Toddlers and pre-school children have an enclosed outdoor area. However, as these areas are small only a few children can use them at a time, and staff do not plan for children's learning as well outdoors.
Lovely team and great purpose-built, modern nursery with great play and learning activities. They had some staffing challenges a while back (hence some of the negative reviews) but I felt they communicated this well (it didn't impact us) and all seems resolved now
Read on GoogleIn Feb '24 we booked a place for our son from April '25, after reading so many stories about huge demand and long waiting lists, and hoped that closer to the time we'd be able to bring it forward to our preferred month of Jan '25 when we both needed to return to work. We paid nearly £600 to secure this place. When they made it clear in October '24 that they couldn't accommodate our son earlier than April, we had to look elsewhere and managed to secure somewhere. We gave them 5 months' notice, surely plenty given the huge demand for nursery spaces. Voicemail messages and emails were ignored, but I eventually got hold of the Director on his mobile. He promised a partial refund if they could fill the spot. More messages and emails were ignored, but I then received proof that they had no spaces available from April. Great news, they'd filled the spot we vacated 5 months before. Said Director continues to ignore me or consider repaying any of the £584 we paid. Disingenuous, not for us.
Read on GoogleI paid the deposit (£500) to take my son to Lydstep Nursery. As I was abroad and I didn't want to lose the spot for my son, I made the mistake of paying the deposit before going to visit the nursery. When I came back to Bristol, I tried to arrange a visit through phone and e-mail, but I received no response. I tried also going in person, and someone took my phone number but never called to offer me a visit. After several weeks of no communication, I decided not to take my son to this nursery. However, they won't refund me the deposit. I had to make a complaint and send many emails to explain that due to the lack of communication and also moving to a new house which it wasn't planned and we gave them 6 months notice, I didn't want my son to go to this nursery. In the end, they just offered me half of the deposit back so I lost £250. None of the other nurseries I have been in contact with take such a high amount of money as a deposit. Keep in mind that they won't refund it if you have to change your plans. As I said, communication with this nursery has been horrible and stressful, so avoid this nursery if you can take your kid somewhere where the deposit isn't that high and where communication with the place where you are leaving your son is good!!
Read on GoogleVery poor service and no communication whatsoever. I’ve been told one week before my child’s start day that he won’t be starting due to lack of staff (7th of April). Last week finally I’ve been advised by someone from accounts that refund is going to hit my account on Tuesday/Wednesday - it didn’t happened of course. Since then I can’t get a hold of anyone. This is unacceptable. I am very disappointed as the nursery was recommended to me by another parent.
Read on GoogleUnfair Policies and Poor Communication We paid £342 upfront to secure a nursery spot but had to cancel after moving out of the area. Despite giving two months’ notice and suggesting another family to take our place, the nursery refused to refund any of the fee. I am extremely disappointed and disheartened by the lack of communication from the nursery to not even acknowledge our unfortunate situation. We received no service from them, so keeping the full £342 feels outrageously excessive, unfair and completely unreasonable. They were absolutely lovely when they wanted our money, but when it came to providing some empathy or goodwill - it sadly fell on deaf ears. Not the kind of business you want to deal with, especially when you are trusting them to take care of your little ones.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Lydstep Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Date: December 2023
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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more