Benefits of music in early childhood education
Music helps children to develop their social, physical and communication skills. Discover more about the benefits of music in early childhood education.
Sycamore House Day Nursery & Pre-School, Bishop's Stortford
Partou Sycamore House is an excellent day nursery and pre-school which has a fantastic reputation throughout Bishop’s Stortford for the high-quality childcare and early years education that it provides.
Occupying a prime location, just a short distance from the town centre and railway station, the nursery can be easily reached via main transport links or car, with on-site parking making it safe and easy to drop off your little ones.
Facilities
Bright, spacious playrooms that are designed to awaken creativity within children
Fun-filled resources, from musical instruments to authentic toys, that children can use to develop key skills
Healthy and delicious meals from our seasonal menu, freshly prepared at the nursery
A well-utilised outdoor area with space for children to grow their own flowers, plants, and vegetables
A highly qualified, experienced team of practitioners who put the needs of children first
Funded childcare places available
The Partou experience
At Partou, the children lead the way. They explore their surroundings and learn about the world they live in, by choosing for themselves which activity they want to join in with next.
Our team are there to care for them and keep them safe. To nurture their emerging abilities and encourage them to seize each fun-packed day. But not to tell them what to do next.
Why? Because when children are allowed to choose their own activities, rather than being told what to do, they naturally choose the activities they’re most interested in. And scientific research has shown that being interested in what they’re doing is the easiest and best way for children to learn.
Food & nutrition
Creating healthy eating habits for young children stretches far beyond their time with us. It encourages a lifelong positive relationship with food whilst building healthy bodies and healthy minds. Here’s how we encourage healthy eating habits:
- Rotating menus: Evidence shows regular exposure to foods helps children to develop their taste for them, yet we still want to offer variety. So, we rotate our menus on a three-to-four-week basis, offering the perfect balance between exposing children to new foods yet allowing them to become familiar with flavours.
- A lunchtime focus: We prioritise lunch as a time where children can enjoy their food. There is a social aspect to all lunches and, where possible, children are encouraged to take an active interest in the food they eat.
- Fresh food everyday: We serve children fresh food every day and accommodate many different dietary requirements. We have procedures in place to protect children with food allergies and offer different meal options too. If your child has a dietary requirement, simply let us know as part of our registration process and we’ll make sure we meet the needs of your child.
Nursery fees
| Age | Weekly rate (5 full days) |
Full day 7.30am – 6.30pm |
Morning session 7.30am – 1pm |
Afternoon session 1pm – 6.30pm |
| 0-2 | £471.25 | £99.50 | £58.75 | £55.00 |
| 2-3 | £412.50 | £92.25 | £55.00 | £51.25 |
| 3-5 | £412.50 | £92.25 | £55.00 | £51.25 |
Other fees & discounts
- Registration fee: £75 (non-refundable).
- 5% discount for eldest child for siblings.
- Late pick up fees and administration fees for late payments also apply.
What’s included in our fees?
Our full fees (as shown above) combine care fee and meals and consumables fees.
Care fees include: trained, qualified team members taking care of your child, regular updates about your child and their progress at nursery, a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities tailored to the needs of your child, and use of the nursery building facilities.
Meals & consumables fees cover the cost of all food and drinks we provide your child whilst in our care, plus all of those other important daily care items needed such as nappies, wet wipes, sun cream, soap, plus other health and hygiene essentials.
Government funded childcare
If you’re eligible for government funded childcare, this funding only applies to the care fee (as described above). Meals and consumables fees are fully chargeable for all sessions including funded.
Our meals and consumables fee for funded sessions are:
| Full day | Morning session | Afternoon session |
| £13.00 | £7.30 | £5.70 |
Learn more about government funded childcare.
Other key information
- We follow the term time dates as set by our local authority.
- Bank holidays are fully chargeable.
- We’re closed between Christmas and New Year.
)
Sycamore House
Day Nursery
& Pre-school
01279 465097
Mon - Fri, 7.30am to 6.30pm (excl. bank holidays)
36 Hadham Road, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2QS
View on map
What families say?
Overall rating
79%
21%
0%
0%
0%
Geraldine B
11 April 2025
Sycamore is a Fabulous nursery with the most caring staff. Our eldest moved nursery when he was 2- his transition was seamless and he settled so quickly. Our youngest has just started and he's already so excited at each drop off. The staff love what they do and it shines through. We feel very lucky.
L L
03 April 2025
Sycamore has been great for my child! The staffs are caring, the facility is great for learn and play, and my little one loves going each week. regular updates, fun activities, and a happy, nurturing environment.
Sarah D
12 March 2025
We love Sycamore House, my little girl has been going since she was 10months and it's been the best thing for her. The staff are lovely and treat each child as an individual and pour love into each day! The dedication and support we have received has been nothing short of outstanding. Good communicat...
Georgie W
06 November 2024
I am extremely pleased with the care my son has received at this nursery. When he started in June, the staff made him feel so welcome and eased him in slowly. They provided me with lots of feedback on how he was getting on in the early days, which made me feel at ease. During his first few weeks, the...
A B
12 September 2024
Sycamore House has been an amazing place for my son to learn and grow. The carers are very nurturing and put a lot of effort into the learning experiences. We were very happy with our experience with all the staff, and would highly recommend this nursery.
Wendy S
08 September 2024
Sycamore House has been a fantastic, caring and supportive Nursery for both of my children in their early years. The staff are very kind and supportive, and are always looking for opportunities to help the children grow and develop. There is a great range of activities and equipment for the children ...
N K
29 August 2024
Just a wonderful nursery. My youngest two have both used Sycamore House. They both settled really well, clearly had a great time and it is obvious that staff really care about the children. My son has now left and the staff still call him by his name and ask him how he is when he does pop in. My youn...
N L
11 July 2024
My daughter is 3 years old and has attended Partou Sycamore House Day Nursery & Pre-school since she was 1. I have always been so impressed with how much she has learnt after each day at nursery. She is happy and very well looked after. The staff are amazing and friendly and knowledgeable. I would re...
Layla T
11 July 2024
Both my children have attended Partou Sycamore and I could not speak highly enough of this place as a nursery for my children to attend. Since my return to work, which is naturally a nervous time, I have felt so safe in the knowledge that my children are in great hands whilst I am not with them. Not ...
A H
11 July 2024
Our daughter has been attending Sycamore House since she was 10 months old and I cannot thank the staff enough for the care and love they have shown her since she started. She has learnt so much in 5 months she has been attending and surprises us every day with something new she has learnt from Sycam...
Z M
02 May 2024
Our daughter has been with Sycamore since she was in the toddler room. She’s very quiet but has grown in confidence with the kindness and encouragement of her key workers and all the practitioners. She has also been supported very well with her nappy training, and it has been so impressive the pati...
L D
30 April 2024
Such a perfect and homely nursery setting and the staff are just brilliant. They are so caring and the communication on routines etc was so straightforward. Felt so at ease dropping my daughter off for the day knowing she was going to be looked after and cared for by such a wonderful team. You will a...
Serena S
22 February 2024
Sycamore House Day Nursery has an open-door policy which means whenever you arrive you can see just how happy and well cared for all the children are at all times. This is a warm and welcoming nursery, the staff all seem so happy within their roles which is obviously transferring down to the children...
C D
22 February 2024
Staff are caring and know their children well. My 2-year-old is happy to go into the nursery and speaks about his key workers and other children fondly at home. Communication between nursery and home is excellent and their policies are well thought through to ensure best practice throughout the nurse...
A F
24 January 2024
I found it very difficult to collect our child from Sycamore on her last days. I was very sad to be taking her away from a place where she felt so happy, safe and loved. Having a place like that where our child could go when we could not look after her has been a huge comfort for us over the past 2 y...
Why Partou?
For us at Partou, childcare isn’t just a job, it’s a journey – one where every child leads us in a unique new direction.
As part of the Netherlands’ largest childcare group, we’ve access to world-leading expertise in learning and development, so you can be confident your child will benefit from an experience as unique as they are.
Of course, care is as much about empathy as education, and ours is a child-led approach that emphasises building confidence and curiosity – so that every child in our care has the freedom to flourish.
Reassurance for you and your little one
Care
We’re more than just a team; we’re a close community driven by our passion for childcare, and our commitment to each individual child’s development. We know that by working together, we’re stronger.
Compassion
In our community, compassion isn’t just a word; it’s our way of life. By embracing our differences, we make our community more diverse and vibrant. We build strong, supportive relationships with the children and each other, based on trust and understanding.
Continuous learning
We believe strongly in development, for the children in our care and for ourselves. Through continuous learning, we help our team and our children reach their full potential. Together, we make a positive impact, in our communities and across wider society.
Knowledge hub
Personal, social and emotional development
Why PSED is so important in early years?
Some of the most fundamental skills in life are the things we learn early on. Understanding and managing emotions, building positive relationships and developing a sense of self-awareness are among them, and these are all examples of personal, social...