Benefits of music in early childhood education
From nursery rhymes to dancing games, music helps your child grow. Learn how music in early years education supports development in fun, meaningful ways.
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
Nursery fees
| Full-day (2 sessions) |
Weekly rate | Early drop off session | Morning session | Afternoon session | Late finish session | |
| Session time | 8.00am-6.00pm | 8.00am-6.00pm daily | 7.30am-8.00am | 8.00am-1.00pm | 1.00pm-6.00pm | 6.00pm- 6.30pm |
| Care | £79.75 | £358.88 | £6.00 | £47.85 | £47.85 | £6.00 |
| Meals & snacks | £9.85 | £49.25 | £5.55 | £4.30 | ||
| Consumables | £3.15 | £15.75 | £1.75 | £1.40 | ||
| Total | £92.75 | £423.88 | £55.15 | £53.55 |
Upon registration, you will be asked to pay a £75 registration fee (non-refundable) or a £75 registration deposit to reserve your child’s nursery place (see terms and conditions for eligibility).
Discounts
Only one discount can be applied at any time:
- 5% discount for eldest child for siblings.
- 5% discount for Blue Light Card holders.
What’s included in our fees?
Our full fees are clearly broken down into care, meals & snacks and consumables fees for full transparency.
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 & snacks fees cover the cost of all food and drinks whilst your child is in our care. Meal and snack times are a very important part of Partou nursery life, learn more about how we make food and nutrition enjoyable and educational for children in our care.
Consumables include; important daily care items needed such as nappies, wet wipes, sun cream, soap, plus other health and hygiene essentials.
Other key information
- We’re closed on Bank Holidays.
- We’re closed between Christmas and New Year.
- Charges apply across 52 weeks of the year, including Bank Holidays.
Funded childcare
Partou Sycamore House Day Nursery & Pre-School is proud to offer funded childcare places
Funded childcare is a government incentive fulfilled by Local Authorities which aims to provide financial support for eligible families accessing childcare at an OFSTED registered setting. Partou Sycamore House Day Nursery & Pre-School work with Heretfordshire Local Authority to apply childcare funding for eligible families.
Funding typically covers 15 or 30 hours per week for the 38 term weeks of the year across a maximum of 10 hours a day which will be applied in different ways depending how many weeks of the year your child is in childcare:
- Children who are in year-round childcare will receive “stretched” funding. This means that their 15/30 hours over 38 weeks will be stretched over 51 weeks of the year so children accessing year round childcare at Sycamore will receive 11.17/22.35 hours of funded childcare per week.
- Children who have term-time only childcare places will receive 15/30 hours funding per week over 38 weeks of the year. Term-time only places are limited and are subject to availability.
Government funding for childcare only applies to the care fee (as described above). Meals & snacks and consumables fees are fully chargeable for all sessions including funded.
Many families are eligible for government funded childcare, see our childcare funding guide for more information.
)
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
80%
20%
0%
0%
0%
Rachael H
03 June 2025
We are absolutely thrilled with this nursery. Our little one has settled in so well and loves all the staff. The staff are great and are so caring and excellent at keeping you updated on what the children do each day. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Sycamore House to a friend.
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...
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...