Barney Bears Nursery Barking

I have had a very positive experience with Barney Bears Nursery, my son settled in very quickly and I was regularly informed on how he was getting on during his settling-in-week. When I had the show round, information was clearly explained to me, staff were very warm and friendly, other children looked happy and were busy learning and playing. The learning environment was colourful, children’s work was celebrated as well as the range of festivals they experience. Also regular trips in the local area which my son loves!!! Communication from Management is good especially when there are changes, it is mentioned in newsletters and emails. General inquiries are handled well and you will get a reply pretty much quickly. Handovers are really good, you get a full description on your child’s day, e.g. foods they ate, times and type of nappy change, sleep times etc. Knowing that my son is very happy, settled and is confidently becoming more independent, I have chosen the right nursery for him.

My child has been coming to the nursery since she was 8 months old, she has developed so much in the last 10 months, she is a very confident little girl which is always coming out with new things.
Staff are very welcoming and will always greet my daughter in a friendly manner.
Management has always supported me with personal circumstances which have made me feel very comfortable.
I would definitely recommend this nursery if you want your child to thrive and develop, feel safe and warm at all times.

Great nursery. My daughter has been there since 7 months and she loves it, and has grown into a friendly confident girl. The staff are very friendly, they serve a great, varied diet. Very happy with this nursery.

I would advise parents to fully understand the nurseries policies, especially about childhood common illnesses. You will be too often called away from work and commitments for these common illnesses which can be very interruptive if you are a working parent.

Staff are good here generally, most do have long nails which I found to be very unhygienic as they are dealing with food and changing nappies throughout the day.

Management is very poor here and communicating with parents is definitely not a priority for them or of any importance. Often you will speak to staff who will then converse with management on your behalf.

Definitely not worth your money as it’s quite expensive and rates increasing every year, you can travel a couple of miles down the road and pay the same or a little less but you will see the difference massively.

I would strongly recommend that parents view other nurseries before considering this one.

My child has attended this nursery for the past year, starting in the baby room and later progressed into the main toddler room. This is an excellent nursery, staff are knowledgeable and experienced. Communication is excellent and the staff know all the children by name, regardless of what room they work in. Structure of the day, meals, sleep times, activities are well planned and follow the child’s age range and EYFS requirements.
Staff respond to any queries or concerns quickly and efficiently. They know my child well and tailor targets and activities based on my child’s needs which is reassuring. The nursery runs lots of celebratory events throughout the year which parents can get involved in such as Mother’s Day tea, summer fun days, etc. Payment structures and policies are clear and staff and managers are always on hand if you need clarification on anything. My child was at two different nurseries before she came to Barney Bears and we’re so happy we found this one.

My child has attended this nursery for the past year, starting in the baby room and later progressed into the main toddler room. This is an excellent nursery, staff are knowledgeable and experienced. Communication is excellent and the staff know all the children by name, regardless of what room they work in. Structure of the day, meals, sleep times, activities are well planned and follow the child’s age range and EYFS requirements.
Staff respond to any queries or concerns quickly and efficiently. They know my child well and tailor targets and activities based on my child’s needs which is reassuring. The nursery runs lots of celebratory events throughout the year which parents can get involved in such as Mother’s Day tea, summer fun days, etc. Payment structures and policies are clear and staff and managers are always on hand if you need clarification on anything. My child was at two different nurseries before she came to Barney Bears and we’re so happy we found this one.

My son started in April 2019. His settle week was quite hard for us as parents but it is very reassuring as a staff member called every day to let us know how he was getting on. My son settled in very quickly and had favourite staff very quickly. He loves going to nursery, staff are friendly and a handover of what your child has been doing is very good. Food is good as he seems to eat well and has said that the cook is ‘very good’ and this is coming from a fussy three and a half year old.
Would have been good if timings were a little bit better – but I guess it’s like this in the whole of Barking.
The only downside I would say is that the sick policy can be a nuisance – my son developed a rash on his body and I understand the importance of the nursery making sure that it isn’t contagious but it can be taken to an extreme as the doctors were also being difficult and we found this period a very stressful time. But overall a good nursery – good fun day in the summer.

My son attended Barney Bears Nursery from 6 months old, when I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd child 6 years later Barney Bears was the only nursery I would consider.
My 16-month-old daughter has been attending Barney Bears for 9 months now and loves it, even after having a small break during lockdown she was happy to go back. The staff are excellent and always there to help even during these strange times we are experiencing.