Multi award-winning nurseries
Urban and Rural Forest schools
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths
Qualified Teachers
Intergenerational Programme
Award-winning nutritional menus
Eco School Flag Awards
Pets
Rooted in care, full of possibility
Here at The DEN, we’ve spent decades building an approach that allows the children and staff in all our nurseries to thrive.
With our industry leading investment in staff development, a completely bespoke learning curriculum and a commitment to physical and mental health, our nurseries are full of smiles, laughter, learning and play.
You can have confidence in the high quality early years education our nurseries provide.
Nursery life, in our families’ words
From the reassurance of those first days to the discoveries children bring home, our families share what being part of DEN means to them.
Our little one has been at Beeches Park Day Nursery since he was 15 months old. Beeches Park have contributed massively to his development & ultimately, the little boy that he is today. He’s polite, has learned how to tidy up after himself, shares & eats his meals with cutlery.
People often comment on how well he can talk and communicate in a confident manner. We owe a lot of thanks to the amazing people at Beeches Park for encouraging & enhancing these key stages in his development.
The staff are genuinely kind and caring. He loves to tell me all about his day when I pick him up & he happily & excitedly walks into nursery which is a huge relief as a parent, knowing that your child is somewhere that he feels safe & loved.
I can’t recommend The Old Vicarage Nursery enough!
The staff here are absolutely wonderful—so caring, attentive, and always providing excellent updates on my child’s progress. They truly go above and beyond to make sure every child feels valued and supported. I love how they organize creative and fun messy play activities every day, allowing the children to explore and have fun in the best ways possible.
The meals are also top-notch—high-quality, delicious, and nutritious, and I had the chance to sample them during one of their open days. It was so reassuring to know that my daughter is getting healthy and tasty meals!
Most importantly, my daughter has so much fun here, and I can see her learning and growing every day. The Old Vicarage is a fantastic place for any child to thrive!
I just wanted to make you guys aware of what a total star Elena was yesterday! I collected B from Bear Cubs mid morning after her being off for nearly a week with illness and I was a bit of an emotional mess! I felt so guilty for trying to send her back too soon and also work/life had got on top of us a little whilst we’d been juggling her being off sick!
Anyway Elena was so so kind and empathetic, she gave me a hug and said some really kind words. It makes me so happy B is growing up around such kind and compassionate ladies and so I just wanted to make sure management were aware of her lovely actions yesterday and how much we appreciate her (and the rest of the team of course!)
Making sense of funded childcare
Support for your family’s next stepsUnderstanding childcare funding can feel like a lot to work through. We’re here to help you explore your options and understand how funded hours could fit into your child’s nursery week.
Our funding information and nursery fee guides explain the options, what’s included and any additional costs. Your nursery team can talk these through with you, so you can plan with a clearer picture of what to expect.
Nourishing food, little discoveries
Freshly cooked, thoughtfully planned, shared togetherThe smell of lunch cooking, a favourite dish arriving, a new flavour to explore. Our nursery cooks prepare meals from scratch on site, guided by menus developed by our award-winning Catering Manager.
Our seasonal, 16-day rolling menu brings variety to every nursery week. We work closely with you on allergies and dietary needs, helping your child feel included at the table. Growing ingredients, cooking together and daily Food Fact Cards connect mealtimes with discoveries about where food comes from.
Our care for children’s nutrition has earned Food for the Brain accreditation at an Excellent standard, scoring 91/100.
Stories from nursery life
Discover what we’ve been exploring, making and celebrating across DEN Nursery Group, alongside ideas and useful guides to share at home.
The DEN Nursery Group Achieves “Excellent” Food for the Brain Accreditation
A fresh season of flavour: Introducing our Spring/Summer 2026 menu at The DEN Nursery Group
Recognition for the care behind each day
A woodland discovery, a recipe made together, a team finding a thoughtful way to support a child. These everyday experiences sit behind the awards and accreditations we’re proud to have received.
Recognition for our Forest School, children’s cooking, nursery operations and food provision celebrates the care, imagination and commitment our teams bring to nursery life.
Explore our awards and accreditations
Nursery World Awards 2025 – Nursery Manager
Nursery World Awards Winner 2024 – Nursery Food
Nursery World Awards Highly Commended – 2023
Nursery World Awards 2023 – Social Media and Online
Nursery World Awards 2023 – Nursery Operations
NDNA Awards 2025 – Individual Nursery
NDNA Awards 2025 – Nursery Manager of the Year
NDNA Nursery Awards Finalist – 2024
NMT Awards Winner Forest School 2023
NMT Awards Winner Kids Cooking 2023
NMT Awards Winner 2022 – Kids Cooking
First 1001 Days Movement
National Day Nursery Association Member
Eco-Schools Member
Forest School Association Member
Food Hygiene Rating 5
Food for the Brain
