Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries Employee Reviews

Very friendly and warm environment Supportive management Good communication between staff and management Fairly good pay for both qualified and unqualified

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Great company to work .plenty of staff trainings,Management support. Owner also involvled regarding holiday cover and the budjet.

Nursery Chef (Former Employee) - Aylesbury - 26 September 2023

Full of fun and no stress at all. Nursery manager always communicate with the allergen and the preferences etc. Management and the owner experianced and well organised team.Experianced Staff.Enjoyed working with kids.

Pros

Weekends off and working in day time.

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Insights into Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries

Based on 103 survey responses

What people like

Ability to meet personal goals
Fair pay for job
Clear sense of purpose

Areas for improvement

Trust in colleagues
Sense of belonging
Support from manager

Very intense and not a happy end

Nursery Assistant (Former Employee) - London - 26 September 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?They don't value the staff team , and it's always different staff members around the nursery which is not fair for the little ones . What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Not been treat as part of the team What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Very unprofessional and disorganised What is a typical day like for you at the company?Stressful . Apart from the little ones they are the most precious thing . But the management needs improvement and stop using staff members against each other

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Wouldn't recommend

Nursery Assistant (Current Employee) - Cheshunt - 25 September 2023

Unfortunately not the best work environment. Stressful and unorganized workplace. A lot of change in staff. Low standards overall, not good communication. The salary is very basic.

Pros

Can have flexible shifts

Cons

Lack of communication

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Great, supportive team

Nursery Assistant (Former Employee) - Cambridge - 12 September 2023

No day the same! Definitely fun workplace. Team is supportive, management caring, constantly assisting you and accommodating your needs. There’s lots of training available.

Pros

Free food

Cons

Physically demanding

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Good setting

Nursery Practitioner (Former Employee) - Uxbridge - 9 August 2023

Good place to work at. Management was good. Good activities for the children. Flexible with time off a good place to work overall I would go back to this setting if they offered a term time role.

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Lovely job. Not great management

Nursery Practitioner (Current Employee) - Southport, Merseyside - 29 June 2023

Managers need more training and need to be more professional. This can make day to day work difficult and gossip about employees spread around the setting.

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A fantastic place to work

Support Role (Current Employee) - Head Office - 15 June 2023

Great team and business to be part of. They take the time to get to know you and support you in your career development. The business is forward thinking and you're encouraged to contribute, make decisions and learn. You can be at your best and the people you work with really make it a place you look forward to going each day.

Pros

Team/People, understand you, stretch and opportunities to get on in your career.

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Awful

Nursery Practitioner (Former Employee) - Chesham - 8 June 2023

I worked at monkey puzzle chesham, was the worst place i have ever worked at. I was there 3 months. The children are not cared for properly in any way shape or form. There is little to no activites. Barely any qualified staff and always out of ratio. They was never flexible with hours and have a massive staff turn over. management is awful so so rude.

Pros

nothing not one

Cons

management is horrific

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Not bad.

Nursery Practitioner (Former Employee) - Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire - 17 May 2023

I went from a apprentice to a room leader here and I enjoyed my time. I would recommend. They also pay well. I spent around 3 years there, if has it ups and down but all nurseries do. All the staff care alot about the children and management are easy to talk to and get on with and it’s a great franchise to progress in.

Pros

Watching children grow

Cons

Long hours

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Jobs at Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries

See more jobs

Nursery Kitchen Assistant

Nursery Practitioner (Unqualified)

London

30+ days ago

Nursery Nurse Level 3 NC

London

2 days ago

Senior Office Administrator

Colchester

5 hours ago

Great opportunities to learn and develop!

Deputy Manager (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 4 May 2023

I have worked for Monkey Puzzle East Finchley for over 11 years now and having worked in many other settings in the sector including other large chains can honestly say I would not leave as they are the best company in the sector. Monkey Puzzle East Finchley enabled me the opportunities to develop my career from a Nursery Practitioner all the way up to Deputy Manager. Over those transition times I felt that the management team, room teams and parents were always very helpful, ensuring I received all the support, guidance and training required.I can honestly say that this place is like a family where we all get to learn from one another and share best practice. We are very open-minded to new adventures and celebrate achievements.Monkey Puzzle East Finchley provide authentic, open-ended resources and sustain a safe, stimulating home from home atmosphere where children feel confident and are supported to learn and develop their natural curiosity and imagination. Our hardworking team is developing daily as the Nursery Manager & Director (East Finchley branch is a franchise) always put staff welfare and wellbeing at the forefront of their ethos. They believe in our potentials, honour the fact that each of us brings a unique value to the team and they embrace this to new levels. I can honestly say I have never worked for a better company and with a better staffing team. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to pursue a career in childcare.

Pros

Pay and regular salary reviews, Supportive, Career Development and progression.

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Couldn’t imagine being at any other childcare setting

Under 3's Manager (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 4 May 2023

I’ve worked at Monkey Puzzle East Finchley for over 5 years now and couldn’t imagine being at any other childcare setting. I started my journey as a volunteer and worked my way up to a brand-new position of un under 3’s manager. The management team are amazing with everything they undertake every step of the way. They listen to any concerns with an open mind and will amend them almost immediately. When they noticed staff were feeling a bit stressed, they created our very own Zen Den with facemasks, vitamins and massagers. Daily praise is given as they notice how happy and engaged our children are, as well as yearly and random pay rises and rewards for our hard work, we even have rewards point system from parents and colleagues for which we’ll get bonuses and treats! Childcare can be stressful and at times overwhelming but the support for staff and the happiness of our children mean I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else

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Family feel

Nursery Assistant (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 1 May 2023

If you genuinely care about inspiring children to be the best little versions of themselves you should join the family! The manager is very much a part of the team, she will always help out in any way she can from helping with nappy changes in the thick of it to a chat to catch up on my well being. Very inclusive place to work, lots of training for career progression, everyone looks out for each other and the children are at the heart of everything.

Pros

Excellent salary, long breaks, bonuses, extra annual leave, transport links

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Good memories

Nursery Practitioner Level 3 (Former Employee) - Chadwell Heath, Greater London - 29 April 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Managers care about staff well being. Flexible working to fit your lifestyle.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Just the usual things, working with children is demanding and can be physically tiring at times.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Staff and managers are friendly, felt like a familyWhat is a typical day like for you at the company?Set up and tidy up roomsPlan, execute and evaluate activities.Observations and assessments

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Supportive and fun workplace where you can thrive

Third in Charge (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 26 April 2023

The recruitment process was quick and easy, the induction was comprehensive, and there was always someone to help and guide me when I started. I was able to progress within the organization and my skills and and contributions have always been acknowledged. Management show a lot of appreciation for the part we play and the benefits of working here are immense.

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Care = Career

Room Leader (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 22 April 2023

“Working at Monkey Puzzle East Finchley is such a joy! The management are fantastic and always provide opportunities to grow. They promote from within wherever possible which allowed me to progress from an unqualified assistant nursery teacher to completing my level 5 qualification as a room leader. The wellbeing of staff is at the forefront of the management team’s mind. During lunch breaks we have the opportunity to use the “Zen Den” staff room which has a TV, breakfast bar, face masks and lots more to give you a rest from the crazy day! It is always a fun day at Monkey Puzzle East Finchley!

Pros

Monthly performance bonus, additional annual leave bonus, 1 hour + 15 mins breaks, yearly salary increase, paid for team events eg summer social and xmas party, food truck, free & confidential counselling helpline, discounts, breakfast bar

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No stars

Deputy Room Leader (Former Employee) - Charlton, Greater London - 30 March 2023

Stay far away from Charlton and sidcup branch.Managers are unprofessional and do let you know when they coming or going , communication slacks to nothing to hardily none.

Pros

No. Free lunch

Cons

Don’t let them fool you no resources

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Best company I've worked for (Monkey Puzzle East Finchley)

Senior Nursery Practitioner (Current Employee) - East Finchley - 28 March 2023

They have big focus on staff well being and are very flexible and accommodating to requests. Salary is high compared to other nurseries and we get 1 hour 15 mins break each day when I'm used to 30 mins in other nurseries. We have a zen den for relaxing or time out if we need it, lots of training, INSET days. Mangers very involved and care for the children as much as we do. As long as you are willing to work hard and do what is right for the children you will quickly go far with them. I've been at the company less than a year and already got a promotion to senior with salary rise.

Pros

free breakfast, day off for birthday, long breaks, training, fun days out, good pay

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Unsupportive management

Key practitioner (Current Employee) - London - 27 March 2023

Management is up supportive and tend to break policies and procedures as and when it suits them. They break ratios and are not supportive with time off for appointments making you feel guilty

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Poor management

Monkey Puzzle Nursery - Nursery Assistant (Former Employee) - East Finchley - 18 March 2023

Management have their favourites for time and then stab you in the back. Despite working there for three years I received a bad reference which did not reflect my time at the nursery. The kids are amazing, but the nursery is held together using agency and bank staff. Numerous full time staff left during my time working there.

Cons

long hours

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Highbury and Islington

Room Leader Nursery Nurse (Former Employee) - Islington - 14 March 2023

This particular setting is amazing. It is run by one of the best families you could have as owners. They offer support and guidance, encouragement they really are amazing. Some years after leaving and regret that decision most days. Just to be clear Monkey Puzzle is a franchise, so I'm speaking specifically about the Highbury and Islington