Leyf Nurseries

Be 'brave' - grow your career in childcare with LEYF. We are looking for Nursery Managers to Chefs. Whatever your experience, LEYF is the place for you! View our list of vacancies: http://ow.ly/IiF850jZBTs #career #jobs #nursery #nurserypractitioner #qualified #LEYF #apprentice

Open Days in January - book your place at one of LEYF's nurseries http://ow.ly/RVbz50jWFbq We hope to see you there! #LEYF #nursery #nurseries #openday #visit #school

Are you looking for a new career opportunity in childcare? Join the 'Bravest' team in London! Visit us at The Nursery World Show to discuss your career ambitions and get involved in some fun activities with us. Click here to book your personal discussion and to fast track your career! http://ow.ly/VFUa50jWFPv
... #nwshow19 #bebrave #childcare #nursery #earlyyears #LEYF #career #ambitions
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Dr Perkins from University of Wolverhampton talks to Nursery World about her latest research (conducted with Tracey Edwards) for LEYF on children’s attitudes to gender stereotypes.
Click here: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/…/11…/ interview-helen-perkins

Enquire today to visit your local LEYF nursery. Open days on the 19th and 26th of January 2019. To book a place, please visit: http://ow.ly/XAoz50jSYh1. See you there! #openday #nursery #LEYF #children #joinus 

Have you registered for @nurserywrldshow 2019? Come visit us on the 1st and 2nd of February 2019. Book here http://ow.ly/ksbN50jSTfR to have a personal discussion with us about your career ambitions.
#NWshow19 #LEYF #childcare #earlyyears #Nurseryworldshow #nursery #beinspired

We are a family of 37 nurseries across London. Each LEYF nursery will be hosting an open day on selected days and times in January 2019.
To Book your Open Day visit, click here: http://ow.ly/GeUD50jRLVC

We will once again be at @Nurseryworldshow in February 2019. Come along to stand E18 to discover what LEYF is all about and discuss LEYF's passion for early years as well as your own career ambitions. To find out more and to register, please go to: http://ow.ly/nibK50jQBNf
#NWshow19 #NurseryWorldShow #LEYF #EarlyYears #Childcare

Don't miss out on 30 hours free funding childcare. Register by 31st December 2018. Go to: http://ow.ly/9s7z50jPvDY to find out if you are eligible and to register now! #30hours #funding #childcare #earlyyears #LEYF

Interesting read on Gender Equality in Early Years. Click Here: https://bit.ly/2RgqZH5. #MenInChildcare

At LEYF we ecourage our practitioners to be creative. During our Fantasy play academy session our practitioners created these wonderful fairy houses. I'm sure the children will love it!! #fairyhouse #fairy #house #creative #childcare #nurseries #earlyyears #LEYF

We look forward to the premier screening film: "The Tea Party” in partnership with 'University of Wolverhamton, made by the #LeyfSohoNursery children about their views on #MeninChildcare. @JuneOSullivan #MargaretHornDebate

Count down to Margret Horn Debate continues - #MenInChildcare @JuneOSullivan @EY_Matters

#WhoKnew today is #SocialEnterpriseDay! @JuneOSullivan @SocialEnt_UK #SocEnt #EY

Our Customer Service team shared their lovely smiles as they reflect some of LEYF Values - Great build of #SocialEnterpriseDay. @JuneOSullivan @SocialEnt_UK #WhoKnew #SocEnt #Childcare

Happy World Kindness Day everyone😇 #KindnessDay2018

Have you heard of our brand new nursery? Barking-Riverside nursery will be opening in January 2019. Click here http://ow.ly/AiZj50jFamG to book now! #newnursery #barkingriverside #LEYF #childcare #earlyyears

Saying it Loud and Proud. We are excited to be taking part in #SocialEnterpriseDay. @JuneOSullivan @SocialEnt_UK #WhoKnew #SocEnt #Childcare

Barking-Riverside Nursery will be opening in January! Here are a few sneak peak photos. Come and attend the open day on Tuesday 30th October 2018. Click here http://ow.ly/qDHs50jvpx7 to find out more about our new Nursery! #newnursery #LEYF #earlyyears #barking #riverside

This review is for the Leys Children’s Centre Nursery in Dagenham.



My son is currently in his fourth week in the baby room here and I have to say that me & my husband are delighted with this nursery. I was a nervous first time mum feeling awful about having to leave my son, but seeing how much he enjoys himself at Leys and how wonderful the staff are with him soon put my mind to rest.



It’s a warm & friendly place. I feel that the staff genuinely care about my son and have got to know him well in a short space of time. The children always seem to be happy, engaged in fun activities & well cared for. I’ve also been impressed with the food my son is eating there as it’s really healthy & varied.



I have no hesitation in recommending this nursery. Thanks to Pat, Caroline, Teresa, Gemma, Leanne and the rest of the team at Leys for taking such great care of my boy & making my transition to ‘working mummy’ less worrying than I thought it would be!

This rating and feedback is for the LEYF Queen’s Park nursery. Friendly environment, learning through fun, caring teachers.

Our warmest thank you to Jean and her staff at Queensborough for their very professional teaching and care in such an easy to learn manner. Our daughter Vanesa thoroughly enjoyed it and can now speak English in the short time she attended. We shall keep in contact and definitely recommend you to any parent looking for the best nursery in this neighborhood. Andrew and Jurgita.

Our two year old son is at Bayswater and loves it. The staff are warm, caring and experienced. I'm so grateful I can leave him and know he is in such good hands.

Our son goes to the Queensborough branch and we're really happy with it. The team is so friendly and there's a really nice atmosphere!

My son has been going to queensbourgh and I can see how much he loves it and how he has blossomed since he started going there. Amazing staff, could not ask for better! It might not be as glitzy as other posh nurseries but it is the best place you can pick.

I have worked for leyf for nearly 2 years now and i love it. They are like a family and treat staff fantastically and have upmost standards to the childcare approach. My nephew and friends children attended abbots manor nursery and the practice was amazing and i know alot of parents of other children attending leyf settings.

Following a fatality at my sons childminder my son had a rapid entry into Warwick Community Nursery in early 2014. Just over a year later we had to move to South London and the company facilitated a smooth transition for him into New Cross Community Nursery. As with most places they have their strengths (such as consistency, feedback, general communication and strong management) and their weaknesses (stretched for permanent staffing cover at times). Nonetheless they always manage to deliver and I see the way this reflects through my sons behaviour, development and educational attainment. I look forward to co-ordinating with them to see my son through his final stretch of pre-school this academic year.

This seems an exciting and enthusiastic Early Years approach for many practitioners, parents and children. My own special interest is in the production of Early years books demonstrating non stereotype work roles in our society. Having produced " My Nanny Tracey" and "my Mum is a Firefighter" books I am looking to the role of men within nursery settings.

The staff were very welcoming and informative. On the day of the visit I was quite disappointed that people are allowed to walk into the baby area with shoes on with babies crawling on the floor. I suggest that people wear some type of shoe cover. Toddlers and babies are known to pick things off the floor and put it in their mouth. Also there was a young boy who was crying to get picked up. I ended up picking him (a stranger) to comfort and so I put him down after some time hoping that the staff would giving him somebody comfort. He then started crying again and the staff member just stuck a dummy in his mouth. I think you need a little more compassion then that when caring for a small baby. He continued crying. I personally wouldn’t put my child there..but each to their own. I would say this nursery is fair, based on first impressions.

Im concerned with the high turn over of staff...people who have worked within the company for years just suddenly leaving.

These people are amazing people and it has left me with a major uncertainty of what to do with my child for the next coming months. It seems to becoming a trend within your barking and dagenham settings...as seen by other peoples reviews.

I appreciate recruitment etc is of importance to you but a high turn over of staff in less than 3 months has not only made myself feel really uneasy but, everybody who is surronding my child, is also feeling this.

Staff had seem to become very deflated in the months running from july until now. Always putting their best efforts in, i highly praise what they do for my daughter.

I really didnt want to be writing this, as i have been nothing but happy so far in the 2 and half years my daughter has attended furze.

But as you can appreciate as a early years practitioner myself, that certain values of the eyfs are not being met. As there is no longer positive relationships and my daughter now has no consistency, no firm relationship with people she spends half of her day with, 5 days a week.

Thank you for your time.

The staff turnover at marks gate has been awful causing so many other issues. Does nobody look at the effects of one person leaving before making the decision to move another 3? Now the deputy manager will also be leaving and she is the only person that reassured us during all of these changes that remained consistent and was always someone we could talk to. The children are unsettled and as a parent I feel awful leaving my child in the care of strangers I get my husband to pick up and drop off most days as I get too upset with all the chaos in the nursery.

Our son went here (conservatoire in Blackheath). He always seemed to have a nice enough time there and the staff seemed friendly but several incidents set alarm bells ringing, such as one staff member telling us confidently (and callously) that she thought our son had behavioural problems (specially ADHD). Having never had this mentioned to us by his previous two nurseries we were surprised and obviously concerned; we asked the nursery to explain more and to confirm what qualified this staff member to make such medical diagnoses. The manager promptly Informed us that the staff member was wrong, had no medical qualifications and (suspiciously) was due to leave their employment in a matter of days. Our son also frequently came home with bite marks and bruises from the children and then last week had a nasty accident whilst 'playing' in the garden with a plank of wood (!). He had to go to A&E, dental hospital and a follow up dentist but sadly has lost one of his front teeth (which came out at the time of the accident) and could have issues in future with his adult tooth (we sadly won't know for a number of years until it comes through). We've subsequently withdrawn our son from here as we cannot trust them to take proper care of him. The manager has informed us that this is just one of those things, that they encourage 'risky play' and stated that 'exploring risk is an important part of childhood development'.



So, if you want your child to explore risk by playing with a plank of wood with no supervision then do sign up for the conservatoire - they do love the kids to indulge in 'risky play' where possible. However if you want them to go somewhere safe - and trust that they are in safe hands - steer clear!

My daughter had the misfortune of attending the Stockwell Gardens (London) branch - awful nursery and I would not recommend the place to anyone!!



The neglect, lack of care and non-existent attention/compassion is absolutely shocking! The children are not fed properly, (I later discovered that their food is rationed) and they’re effectively left hungry/starving throughout the day.



To give you a personal example, one day, when I collected my daughter from nursery, I found her crying in the corner on her own. When I asked the teacher why she was crying, he said, “ohhh she wanted more fruits but she had already eaten her portion so I didn’t give her any more”. I was flabbergasted by his response.



Previously, when she was in the younger (0-2yr) class, whenever children requested extra FRUIT, one of the teachers would go to the kitchen and prepare more - after all, are they not growing children, along with their appetites? And as fee-paying customers, is that not a service we are paying for?!



With that said, my daughter is quite a fussy eater, so on the rare occasion that she requested extra FRUIT, I would have expected the teacher to have made a little effort at least. Nobody was consoling her, she was just left to cry on her own. (Thankfully, I always pack snacks for her to eat after nursery, as she usually seems peckish, so I reminded her of the fruits waiting for her in the car, and consoled her to stop crying).



Just before leaving the nursery, as I was about to put her coat on, to my horror, I discovered that she wasn’t wearing any pull-up nappies nor pants; she was just left bare bottomed with her leggings on. I was mortified! When I questioned the teachers about where her underwear was and how long she had been left unattended in that condition, NONE of the staff on duty could provide me with any explanation why?! And to make matters worse, there was no manager on site!



Some of the staff, (like O’Shana and Monique), are extremely rude, confrontational and dismissive towards parents’ concerns/complaints, which clearly appears to be the culture/norm in this place. Most staff definitely require thorough customer service training!



Unfortunately, even the management in this place are no better (with the exception of Roselys - the assistant manager), especially in terms of their rudeness and handling of complaints. It took me over an hour to finally be given their head office number, along with the contact details of their safeguarding officer. There was a complete lack of understanding from all staff encountered that day, towards the general concept of safeguarding children, and the relevant applicable processes the nursery may have had in place - absolutely shocking!



Needless to say, the episodes that occurred that day were the straw that broke the camel’s back, and my child ceased attending this horrid place once and for all.



She now attends another nursery, where she has even started gaining weight, she is looking a lot healthier and she is definitely 100% happier!



Ultimately, here’s a friendly piece of advice, from one parent to the other, if your child is between the ages of 2-5yrs old, DO NOT send them to the Stockwell Gardens branch of this nursery!!!!

I worked for this company for 2 1/2 years. I was grateful for them taking me on as a first job. But not for all the stress and health problems that came with it. I feel sorry for all the lady's at my nursery who I left behind.



For a company who tells us to be brave, nurturing, inspiring and fun. How do you expect your staff to accomplish such things with all the over worked hours and piles of paper work that you so happily force upon them. We are there to nurture the children of the future but instead worry so much on how tidy the rooms are and how outstanding the learning journeys are. There is no time left in the day to nurture let alone have fun.



Maybe now the company has stop concentrating so much at making more money by opening more and more nurseries you would take a step back and see the amount of stress and over worked your older nurseries have become. Maybe think about staffing them too, to lift the weight of over ratio's and 25 key children per person would just be a start.



I watched a handful of good and honest members of staff leave the nursery I worked at and finally came to the breaking point of where I ( at the age of 21) had to leave for my own health.

I worked at the one in Hackney and I'm so happy I left there.... After moving on and in a new career I've learnt that the passion for being with children isn't there at fire station they have deceived us staff Nd parents and the taught that we approved was the biggest mistake. Our nursery was a very vibrant and family orientated nursery how now it cold and literLly money scheming company. The children are being starved because they not eating the food and Us as staff has voiced that but no change. As someone with xperience in workin numerous nursery and a Godmother there isn't no love between LEYF and the children us stAff love the children however I feel we're restricted. As In before we had different learning skills with the children but with LEYF it's either their way or u get fired. Watch this comment will be deleted in a bit

I said Goodbye to LEYF couple of weeks ago but I feel that I left my mission unaccomplished and I am still struggling to overcome the LEYF addiction I have, however I do feel that by moving on I have done one of the best things for my overall well being. Leyf is an organisation which has high aspirations and to achieve these aspirations LEYF likes to push its staff as much as it can without sorting the issues or giving them enough support etc. Staff at Leyf get dead busy and no extra help or time is offered to them to manage the enhanced work load. As a deputy manager I had so much to do with out having any admin day or some time off the room. I was working as a deputy, a Senco, was in the ratio 5 days a week, had key children, doing extra hours, deputy's extra work and 3 hours a day commuting and on top of all this putting up a bully chef. I was also put in the ratio when manager was absent which also put extended pressure on the staff when I had to leave room. No doubt Staff will find themselves unable to cope with added pressure. They are already under huge pressure as due to large number of agency staff and few apprentices they end up having 15 to 20 key children each. Eventually passionate staff who want to do a good job get stressed, frustrated and drained and finally bound to leave. Unpassionate staff also leave due to.separate reasons. In addition to fix the staff problems which I mentioned above another important thing LEYF must do is to upskill and empower their management team as they are directly responsible for staff well-being for example I had to put up a bully chef which affected my mental state to the extent that it nearly put me off coming to work every morning and myself (deputy manager) and the manager could not address this effectively and fairly I believe due to lack of confidence and skill or may be sometimes management's habit or a will to ignore issues like this but who paid the price undoubtedly me. There are job competencies there for the staff which every one needs to meet but they are just a piece of paper. This 'Chef' does not meet any of these competencies, intimidates the staff however still comfortably working at LEYF under the nose of even Area manager who is (I hope so) well aware of his day to day actions.

Disappointed at the nursery I worked in had to leave two weeks after I started, dead mouse in the cupboard! Dropping on toys. My son hated it aswell! Lots of staff conflict. Unorganised. Seems like they care about opening more and more nursery’s rather then sort out the ones they have! It had a parent complaint and ofsted gave them inadequate. Not surprised at all! Staff have no time for paper work and over worked. No one why so many are leaving. Really disappointed. As I always want to make a difference in every child’s life. But it was impossible here. (Eastbury)

This review is for the Leys Children’s Centre Nursery in Dagenham.



My son is currently in his fourth week in the baby room here and I have to say that me & my husband are delighted with this nursery. I was a nervous first time mum feeling awful about having to leave my son, but seeing how much he enjoys himself at Leys and how wonderful the staff are with him soon put my mind to rest.



It’s a warm & friendly place. I feel that the staff genuinely care about my son and have got to know him well in a short space of time. The children always seem to be happy, engaged in fun activities & well cared for. I’ve also been impressed with the food my son is eating there as it’s really healthy & varied.



I have no hesitation in recommending this nursery. Thanks to Pat, Caroline, Teresa, Gemma, Leanne and the rest of the team at Leys for taking such great care of my boy & making my transition to ‘working mummy’ less worrying than I thought it would be!

This rating and feedback is for the LEYF Queen’s Park nursery. Friendly environment, learning through fun, caring teachers.

Our warmest thank you to Jean and her staff at Queensborough for their very professional teaching and care in such an easy to learn manner. Our daughter Vanesa thoroughly enjoyed it and can now speak English in the short time she attended. We shall keep in contact and definitely recommend you to any parent looking for the best nursery in this neighborhood. Andrew and Jurgita.

Our two year old son is at Bayswater and loves it. The staff are warm, caring and experienced. I'm so grateful I can leave him and know he is in such good hands.

Our son goes to the Queensborough branch and we're really happy with it. The team is so friendly and there's a really nice atmosphere!

My son has been going to queensbourgh and I can see how much he loves it and how he has blossomed since he started going there. Amazing staff, could not ask for better! It might not be as glitzy as other posh nurseries but it is the best place you can pick.

I have worked for leyf for nearly 2 years now and i love it. They are like a family and treat staff fantastically and have upmost standards to the childcare approach. My nephew and friends children attended abbots manor nursery and the practice was amazing and i know alot of parents of other children attending leyf settings.

Following a fatality at my sons childminder my son had a rapid entry into Warwick Community Nursery in early 2014. Just over a year later we had to move to South London and the company facilitated a smooth transition for him into New Cross Community Nursery. As with most places they have their strengths (such as consistency, feedback, general communication and strong management) and their weaknesses (stretched for permanent staffing cover at times). Nonetheless they always manage to deliver and I see the way this reflects through my sons behaviour, development and educational attainment. I look forward to co-ordinating with them to see my son through his final stretch of pre-school this academic year.

This seems an exciting and enthusiastic Early Years approach for many practitioners, parents and children. My own special interest is in the production of Early years books demonstrating non stereotype work roles in our society. Having produced " My Nanny Tracey" and "my Mum is a Firefighter" books I am looking to the role of men within nursery settings.

The staff were very welcoming and informative. On the day of the visit I was quite disappointed that people are allowed to walk into the baby area with shoes on with babies crawling on the floor. I suggest that people wear some type of shoe cover. Toddlers and babies are known to pick things off the floor and put it in their mouth. Also there was a young boy who was crying to get picked up. I ended up picking him (a stranger) to comfort and so I put him down after some time hoping that the staff would giving him somebody comfort. He then started crying again and the staff member just stuck a dummy in his mouth. I think you need a little more compassion then that when caring for a small baby. He continued crying. I personally wouldn’t put my child there..but each to their own. I would say this nursery is fair, based on first impressions.

Im concerned with the high turn over of staff...people who have worked within the company for years just suddenly leaving.

These people are amazing people and it has left me with a major uncertainty of what to do with my child for the next coming months. It seems to becoming a trend within your barking and dagenham settings...as seen by other peoples reviews.

I appreciate recruitment etc is of importance to you but a high turn over of staff in less than 3 months has not only made myself feel really uneasy but, everybody who is surronding my child, is also feeling this.

Staff had seem to become very deflated in the months running from july until now. Always putting their best efforts in, i highly praise what they do for my daughter.

I really didnt want to be writing this, as i have been nothing but happy so far in the 2 and half years my daughter has attended furze.

But as you can appreciate as a early years practitioner myself, that certain values of the eyfs are not being met. As there is no longer positive relationships and my daughter now has no consistency, no firm relationship with people she spends half of her day with, 5 days a week.

Thank you for your time.

The staff turnover at marks gate has been awful causing so many other issues. Does nobody look at the effects of one person leaving before making the decision to move another 3? Now the deputy manager will also be leaving and she is the only person that reassured us during all of these changes that remained consistent and was always someone we could talk to. The children are unsettled and as a parent I feel awful leaving my child in the care of strangers I get my husband to pick up and drop off most days as I get too upset with all the chaos in the nursery.

Our son went here (conservatoire in Blackheath). He always seemed to have a nice enough time there and the staff seemed friendly but several incidents set alarm bells ringing, such as one staff member telling us confidently (and callously) that she thought our son had behavioural problems (specially ADHD). Having never had this mentioned to us by his previous two nurseries we were surprised and obviously concerned; we asked the nursery to explain more and to confirm what qualified this staff member to make such medical diagnoses. The manager promptly Informed us that the staff member was wrong, had no medical qualifications and (suspiciously) was due to leave their employment in a matter of days. Our son also frequently came home with bite marks and bruises from the children and then last week had a nasty accident whilst 'playing' in the garden with a plank of wood (!). He had to go to A&E, dental hospital and a follow up dentist but sadly has lost one of his front teeth (which came out at the time of the accident) and could have issues in future with his adult tooth (we sadly won't know for a number of years until it comes through). We've subsequently withdrawn our son from here as we cannot trust them to take proper care of him. The manager has informed us that this is just one of those things, that they encourage 'risky play' and stated that 'exploring risk is an important part of childhood development'.



So, if you want your child to explore risk by playing with a plank of wood with no supervision then do sign up for the conservatoire - they do love the kids to indulge in 'risky play' where possible. However if you want them to go somewhere safe - and trust that they are in safe hands - steer clear!

My daughter had the misfortune of attending the Stockwell Gardens (London) branch - awful nursery and I would not recommend the place to anyone!!



The neglect, lack of care and non-existent attention/compassion is absolutely shocking! The children are not fed properly, (I later discovered that their food is rationed) and they’re effectively left hungry/starving throughout the day.



To give you a personal example, one day, when I collected my daughter from nursery, I found her crying in the corner on her own. When I asked the teacher why she was crying, he said, “ohhh she wanted more fruits but she had already eaten her portion so I didn’t give her any more”. I was flabbergasted by his response.



Previously, when she was in the younger (0-2yr) class, whenever children requested extra FRUIT, one of the teachers would go to the kitchen and prepare more - after all, are they not growing children, along with their appetites? And as fee-paying customers, is that not a service we are paying for?!



With that said, my daughter is quite a fussy eater, so on the rare occasion that she requested extra FRUIT, I would have expected the teacher to have made a little effort at least. Nobody was consoling her, she was just left to cry on her own. (Thankfully, I always pack snacks for her to eat after nursery, as she usually seems peckish, so I reminded her of the fruits waiting for her in the car, and consoled her to stop crying).



Just before leaving the nursery, as I was about to put her coat on, to my horror, I discovered that she wasn’t wearing any pull-up nappies nor pants; she was just left bare bottomed with her leggings on. I was mortified! When I questioned the teachers about where her underwear was and how long she had been left unattended in that condition, NONE of the staff on duty could provide me with any explanation why?! And to make matters worse, there was no manager on site!



Some of the staff, (like O’Shana and Monique), are extremely rude, confrontational and dismissive towards parents’ concerns/complaints, which clearly appears to be the culture/norm in this place. Most staff definitely require thorough customer service training!



Unfortunately, even the management in this place are no better (with the exception of Roselys - the assistant manager), especially in terms of their rudeness and handling of complaints. It took me over an hour to finally be given their head office number, along with the contact details of their safeguarding officer. There was a complete lack of understanding from all staff encountered that day, towards the general concept of safeguarding children, and the relevant applicable processes the nursery may have had in place - absolutely shocking!



Needless to say, the episodes that occurred that day were the straw that broke the camel’s back, and my child ceased attending this horrid place once and for all.



She now attends another nursery, where she has even started gaining weight, she is looking a lot healthier and she is definitely 100% happier!



Ultimately, here’s a friendly piece of advice, from one parent to the other, if your child is between the ages of 2-5yrs old, DO NOT send them to the Stockwell Gardens branch of this nursery!!!!

I worked for this company for 2 1/2 years. I was grateful for them taking me on as a first job. But not for all the stress and health problems that came with it. I feel sorry for all the lady's at my nursery who I left behind.



For a company who tells us to be brave, nurturing, inspiring and fun. How do you expect your staff to accomplish such things with all the over worked hours and piles of paper work that you so happily force upon them. We are there to nurture the children of the future but instead worry so much on how tidy the rooms are and how outstanding the learning journeys are. There is no time left in the day to nurture let alone have fun.



Maybe now the company has stop concentrating so much at making more money by opening more and more nurseries you would take a step back and see the amount of stress and over worked your older nurseries have become. Maybe think about staffing them too, to lift the weight of over ratio's and 25 key children per person would just be a start.



I watched a handful of good and honest members of staff leave the nursery I worked at and finally came to the breaking point of where I ( at the age of 21) had to leave for my own health.

I worked at the one in Hackney and I'm so happy I left there.... After moving on and in a new career I've learnt that the passion for being with children isn't there at fire station they have deceived us staff Nd parents and the taught that we approved was the biggest mistake. Our nursery was a very vibrant and family orientated nursery how now it cold and literLly money scheming company. The children are being starved because they not eating the food and Us as staff has voiced that but no change. As someone with xperience in workin numerous nursery and a Godmother there isn't no love between LEYF and the children us stAff love the children however I feel we're restricted. As In before we had different learning skills with the children but with LEYF it's either their way or u get fired. Watch this comment will be deleted in a bit

I said Goodbye to LEYF couple of weeks ago but I feel that I left my mission unaccomplished and I am still struggling to overcome the LEYF addiction I have, however I do feel that by moving on I have done one of the best things for my overall well being. Leyf is an organisation which has high aspirations and to achieve these aspirations LEYF likes to push its staff as much as it can without sorting the issues or giving them enough support etc. Staff at Leyf get dead busy and no extra help or time is offered to them to manage the enhanced work load. As a deputy manager I had so much to do with out having any admin day or some time off the room. I was working as a deputy, a Senco, was in the ratio 5 days a week, had key children, doing extra hours, deputy's extra work and 3 hours a day commuting and on top of all this putting up a bully chef. I was also put in the ratio when manager was absent which also put extended pressure on the staff when I had to leave room. No doubt Staff will find themselves unable to cope with added pressure. They are already under huge pressure as due to large number of agency staff and few apprentices they end up having 15 to 20 key children each. Eventually passionate staff who want to do a good job get stressed, frustrated and drained and finally bound to leave. Unpassionate staff also leave due to.separate reasons. In addition to fix the staff problems which I mentioned above another important thing LEYF must do is to upskill and empower their management team as they are directly responsible for staff well-being for example I had to put up a bully chef which affected my mental state to the extent that it nearly put me off coming to work every morning and myself (deputy manager) and the manager could not address this effectively and fairly I believe due to lack of confidence and skill or may be sometimes management's habit or a will to ignore issues like this but who paid the price undoubtedly me. There are job competencies there for the staff which every one needs to meet but they are just a piece of paper. This 'Chef' does not meet any of these competencies, intimidates the staff however still comfortably working at LEYF under the nose of even Area manager who is (I hope so) well aware of his day to day actions.

Disappointed at the nursery I worked in had to leave two weeks after I started, dead mouse in the cupboard! Dropping on toys. My son hated it aswell! Lots of staff conflict. Unorganised. Seems like they care about opening more and more nursery’s rather then sort out the ones they have! It had a parent complaint and ofsted gave them inadequate. Not surprised at all! Staff have no time for paper work and over worked. No one why so many are leaving. Really disappointed. As I always want to make a difference in every child’s life. But it was impossible here. (Eastbury)