Hi parents! :wave:

Just to update everyone that Little Winners Nursery in Middlewood currently has vacancies available in our surestart supported neighbourhood facility.

We also have a brand new website full of information for you to view which is at www.littlewinners.ikbt.com (http://www.littlewinners.ikbt.com)

Little Winners is a not for profit nursery operated on a charitable basis, run by a qualified team of nursery staff and managed by a board of trustees.

:thumbsup:

Mod note: if this is in the wrong place just let me know

depends how close to city centre you want to be and which direction you are coming from. The old school house at crosspool is nice. or there's SAYAC near the wicker (don't know what that's like tho).

Our nursery is on the tram route. :D

want to be within a mile of city centre really.

Tram route sounds good.

I think the just for kidz play centre on John st nowrun a day nursery

want to be within a mile of city centre really.

Tram route sounds good.

Well as the crow flies your not far off. :thumbsup:

Hi,

My little boy goes to a nursery on Scotland Street in town near West Bar Roundabout its very good but in price can be quite deer in care charges, its called children first at breedon house, tel. no. 2798 892.:thumbsup:

Our nursery is within 1 mile of town (just off the Parkway) :)

The Grapevine, on QueensRd/Chesterfield Road (in the Grapevine magazine building) is I believe within a mile of the city centre and on main bus routes. Cosycub goes there and I can vouch for excellent staff, a friendly atmosphere, a fun and educational routine and good food, as well as baby signing as part of the day to day communication.
They are quite new so not yet full. The number is 2558881, and you want to speak to Liz.

There is one in the Workstation on Paternoster row.

im having a nightmare! i know that my son is ready to go to nursery to develop his social skills - only one morning a week at first (i couldnt cope with anymore!) Ive received my brochures from across Sheffield but i keep hearing horror stories -so how do u choose? I ve previously visited a few and been put off by one thing or another
got a visit on thursday - any suggestions on questions or what to ask/look out 4?

Where's convenient for you?

The Hallam University one at collegiate is as good as any of the mainstream ones.

you haven't said which area you're looking at, so i shall tell you about the one's i've seen (not the bad ones, for fear of offending anyone who sends their kids there).

i'm moving to s10 and i've just booked babybabychickens into one called the Garden Nursery - i'm moving house soon and it's the closest one to where i'm moving to, although after walking a mile and dropping her off i'll still be walking 3 miles to work - might just get the bus back, maybe. anyway, it seems to be a good nursery - the carer-child ratios are good, it was well cleaned and well organised, and the emotional and physical health of the children i saw seemed very good, as did their mood and behaviour. it's a bit on the pricey side, but i guess that's what you get for moving closer to the countryside. i'll be cancelling a full time place that i have reserved at beech hill nursery in broomhill though, but i think you don't want a full time place anyway, but i did like the look of that one too (but not after a 3.5 mile walk).

my daughter has been in 4 nursery's and i won't badmouth the ones that i found to be pants on here, but what i will certainly say is that i have actually found the local authority ones to be better, unfortunately it usually means that they will only take the child from around 8.30 to 3-ish, but i found them to be much more caring and professional than the private nurseries, and as a result my daughter is much happier!

Quite a few of my friends send their kids to Garden House on Crimicar Lane and are very happy with it ... I was considering there, when I found a brilliant childminder!

Heeley Baby Unit at Heeley Young Childrens Centre is fantastic. I was recommended to it by my relative whi is a child health professional and she said that compared to others with regards to child stimulation and care of the kids it is the best she has seen.
I have to agree. The staff are great and so caring and follow what you want for your child and your routine. They take them to Heeley city farm and the park and they stimulate all their senses.
I don't live in the area and am moving about 10 miles away from the nursery but I am going to keep taking him there as I trust them.

Forgot to say it is a council run nursery. Their number is 2582413

im having a nightmare! i know that my son is ready to go to nursery to develop his social skills - only one morning a week at first (i couldnt cope with anymore!) Ive received my brochures from across Sheffield but i keep hearing horror stories -so how do u choose? I ve previously visited a few and been put off by one thing or another
got a visit on thursday - any suggestions on questions or what to ask/look out 4?


Sunny Meadows Nursery, Handsworth Road, Sheffield 13 ...my son went there and he loved it. Great atmosphere and great staff.

All nurseries are required to have an OFSTED report on them, which you can access on the net. I was on it yesterday. Should give you a little further indication of how good they are. Here is a link: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/childcare/

My personal favourite is the Grapevine on Queen's Road, where my little mooch goes. Lovely staff, great development ideas, lots of creativity, and importantly, really nice children for him to play with.

Plus don't forget, a good nursery will let you attend a few sessions with your child to see how your child gets on, and to help them settle.

I used to be a nusery nurse before i had my children i trained at one mentioned on here .They are not always as they seem. Lets just say i chose to be a at home mum we don't live in luxury as a result but comfortable i wouldn't send my children to any private daycare nursery if i had no option but to go back to work and family could not help then it would be a childminder if you are set on taking your child to a nursery from my experiance i would say drop on them for a visit anywhere that you have to make an app to visit not worth it as for off stead they go by app so the nurserys are all ready for them and they usually have a code over the intercome incase a spot cheak happens visit more than once and especially over staff lunch .If its only for socialising you want to send them there are other ways untill there 3 and at a age they can let you know if they are unhappy or not.

Council run nurserys are the best not so tight with money and staff ratios are always met

just visited one 2day and how young are the staff?!?! i know its being ageist but id rather someone who is past their teens, care for my child. someone has told me the one in town nr police station is good
i live in s6, so opinions on wharncliffe side, oughtibridge, and anywhere on tramroute would be brill

hye first start at firth park is great and so is shiregreen young childrens centre on bellhouse road

Nat did you go see LW? If you did feedback would be much appreciated good or bad. :)

no not yet, can i just pop in one day? where abouts on the estate are you - have to admit it scares me a bit on there sometimes :( although do meet some niceys on the tram:)

I used to be a nusery nurse before i had my children i trained at one mentioned on here .They are not always as they seem. Lets just say i chose to be a at home mum we don't live in luxury as a result but comfortable i wouldn't send my children to any private daycare nursery if i had no option but to go back to work and family could not help then it would be a childminder if you are set on taking your child to a nursery from my experiance i would say drop on them for a visit anywhere that you have to make an app to visit not worth it as for off stead they go by app so the nurserys are all ready for them and they usually have a code over the intercome incase a spot cheak happens visit more than once and especially over staff lunch .If its only for socialising you want to send them there are other ways untill there 3 and at a age they can let you know if they are unhappy or not.

Not all private nursery care operates like this. There are also Private nurseries that are charities

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=ccreportHTML&id=164015

Not all private nursery care operates like this. There are also Private nurseries that are charities

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=ccreportHTML&id=164015

You are most definately correct Titian.. and very well run aswell ;)

no not yet, can i just pop in one day? where abouts on the estate are you - have to admit it scares me a bit on there sometimes :( although do meet some niceys on the tram:)

If you go into Middlewood Park from the main road and walk down the path to the playgrounds you see it on your right. Its not 'on the estate' its by the park.

You are most definately correct Titian.. and very well run aswell ;)

It's nice when nurseries can appreciate each other isn't it Fox20thc and not work against each other. :thumbsup:

If you want me to meet you and give you the guided tour and introduce you to the manager I would be happy to. Off work this week until thursday :thumbsup:

Natalie, Little Winners gets my 100% recommendation.. and the Winn Estate isn't anywhere near as bad as it looks ;) (trust me I live there!)

You don't say how old your son is - as has been mentioned there is a lot you can do socially with your son before he is three such as toddler groups, rather than nursery. If it is childcare you are looking for whilst you are working - have you considered a childminder..? I know of a very good one with a glowing Ofsted report ;)
.

Natalie, Little Winners gets my 100% recommendation.. and the Winn Estate isn't anywhere near as bad as it looks ;) (trust me I live there!)

You don't say how old your son is - as has been mentioned there is a lot you can do socially with your son before he is three such as toddler groups, rather than nursery. If it is childcare you are looking for whilst you are working - have you considered a childminder..? I know of a very good one with a glowing Ofsted report ;)
.
still looking at minute, but have you got her details? ive got 14m old. how long has she done it, where does she live, how old, what are other kids like, any refs etc... thanks xx:D

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Thank you Henrietta :D :D

hi fox think ill try and nip down one day if ok with you:D

hi fox think ill try and nip down one day if ok with you:D

Well if you want company if I'm not working I'll gladly give you the tour :)

sorry i thought u were staff there! oops!

sorry i thought u were staff there! oops!
:P Oh to be paid. No I'm chair of the board of trustees/management committee but pretty hands on when not at work.

No worries.:thumbsup:

ah! a volunteer! me too but for other things - bet they have you running around like blue a*** fly!

ah! a volunteer! me too but for other things - bet they have you running around like blue a*** fly!

They try ;)

I do the webbys and deal with HR stuff, oh and other stuff like resetting the flippin alarm on sunday morning when the footballers set it off :rolleyes:

as for off stead they go by app so the nurserys are all ready for them and they usually have a code over the intercome incase a spot cheak happens visit more than once and especially over staff lunch

I work in a nursery and we were inspected by ofsted a few weeks ago. They turned up at 8.00 am and stayed all day, No appointment, so im afraid your wrong there. We did not have to be prepared for them as we do a good job every day and everything is in order as it should be.

(we got an excellent Ofsted report as well) :)

Natalie, Little Winners gets my 100% recommendation.. and the Winn Estate isn't anywhere near as bad as it looks ;) (trust me I live there!)

You don't say how old your son is - as has been mentioned there is a lot you can do socially with your son before he is three such as toddler groups, rather than nursery. If it is childcare you are looking for whilst you are working - have you considered a childminder..? I know of a very good one with a glowing Ofsted report ;)
.
hi im trying to PM u but ur just too popular and ur box is full! Im seeing a few more nurseries over next week or so but would like to meet u 2 if pos. PM ME! also what are charges etc.. and what slots have u got free for a 14m old

Oops sorry I didn't know that hinney.. have cleared it out
.

just visited one 2day and how young are the staff?!?! i know its being ageist but id rather someone who is past their teens, care for my child. someone has told me the one in town nr police station is good
i live in s6, so opinions on wharncliffe side, oughtibridge, and anywhere on tramroute would be brill

We have been using Elmore Kindergarten on Middlewood Road, both of our children go there, no problems. Im sure now Ive posted this someone will give it a slating, but I havent any problems with it and have turned up unexpected a few times. I use it because it is close and I needed somewhere where both children could go. I find them very very flexible when it comes to changing times/hours etc. This was an important consideration for me. The eldest, nearly 4, has quickly made a friend there and they've "discovered" his reading ability (he seems to be teaching himself to read with very little input from us!). He went to a nursery attached to a school before and we were happy with that too, but they never noticed he could read. He also had a lot of toilet accidents at the school one but doesnt at Elmore.

Its a few years ago now but my daughter went to Corner House on Wadsley Lane, staff very friendly and well run.

[QUOTE=Yellowrose]We have been using Elmore Kindergarten on Middlewood Road, both of our children go there, no problems. Im sure now Ive posted this someone will give it a slating, but I havent any problems with it and have turned up unexpected a few times. ............QUOTE]
i know a few girls there, so it put me off and also the spikey plants in the garden and every time u walk past staff are talking about their weekends! Think im just really picky, i probably subconsciously dont want to take him anywhere and find fault with em all! i also dont like the fact that everyone can see the kids playing.
congrats on ur little boy learning to read tho! thats cool!

Its a few years ago now but my daughter went to Corner House on Wadsley Lane, staff very friendly and well run.manager is lovely too, i just didnt like the way the rooms were set out and staff smoking outside. preschool rooms were very good and organised.

Its a few years ago now but my daughter went to Corner House on Wadsley Lane, staff very friendly and well run.

I understand from a work colleague of my husband that they are quite full. They tried to get their daughter in there and they couldnt.

yeah sort of agree with that-fumes and nosy people(inc me!) and how annoying r all those cars parked on the path? god sont get me started i have to go on the road to get past and it hacks me off:rant:

Little Winners is a purpose built nursery surrounded by fields on the edge of Middlewood Park, close to a brand new under 5's secure play area and sports court.

Open from 8am til 6pm Monday to Friday all year round, our 30 place nursery is available for little winners from 3 months all the way through to school age.

Fabulous first ofsted report and a dedicated team of carers.Visit the website (http://littlewinners.btik.com) for pricing and further information.

im off for a taster session tomorrow with my bambino! Nursery very nice, safe, clean and nice staff! i was finally impressed by a nursery!:D

:clap: :clap: Have a fabulous time Nat. I will be up there sometime to take some photos of Pudsey, if you see a nutter with a camera dont worry :P

my boy loved it, really happy. Got two settling sessions next week then my boy will be a nursery boy! only one morning a week mind

Thats great Nat, I think I just missed you :P If you have a look at the webby I just posted a CIN picture on the slideshow.. look under meet our little winners.

Im really glad your happy with the setting you are the best ad for our nursery, a happy mum :thumbsup:

Hi,

We're looking for recommendations for Nurseries in the S8 area, or any comments (good or bad) anyone may have.

Looking to start our little one for a few sessions part-time just after Chrismas at 10 months of age to get him used to the idea, then probably 3 days a week April onwards.

Thanks a lot.

Paul

I used Kids Unlimited near Sainsbury's for my little boy 3 years ago and found them to be reasonable and very professional.

It's a smart purpose built nursery and you don't have to mess about giving them nappies, wipes etc as everything is included!!

I visited all the nurseries in the area at the time and found this to be the best one!

ABC at Woodseats was horrendous - I know at least 3 people who advised me not to use them but still went for a look and wasn't impressed at all!

Chantryland was okay but I was told the staff changeover there a lot and are also very young 17/18 years old most of them

Little Angels at Jordanthorpe - found it a bit untidy and smelly - didn't seem to have any structure to it.

Little School House at Woodseats was nice but didn't have any baby places available when I needed one.

As I say have a look around placed for yourself as things can change in 3 years etc

Good Luck

Hi,

We're looking for recommendations for Nurseries in the S8 area, or any comments (good or bad) anyone may have.

Looking to start our little one for a few sessions part-time just after Chrismas at 10 months of age to get him used to the idea, then probably 3 days a week April onwards.

Thanks a lot.

Paul

Can't help right now at 10 months, but can recommend The Merlin Kindergarten for future reference.

Merlin Kindergarten (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/portal/site/Internet/menuitem.7c7b38b14d870c7bb1890a01637046a0/?event=getReport&urn=EY319979&inspectionNumber=164015&providerCategoryID=2&fileName=\\ey\\CB\\INT_EY319979_26072006.xml)

We may have a vacancy depends how far you want to travel.

Thanks all.........guess we'll do some visiting in the next few weeks!

Fox20thc
Relly needs to be S8 or near, Middlewood is the wrong side of the city for us....thanks though.

Our little boy went to ABC on Chantrey Rd from age 6 months to 3 years. It started off very well, then had a worrying dip after a change of ownership. I believe they've had another change of ownership since we left and staff morale is certainly improved, so it would be worth looking at.

A friend of mine has two children at kids unlimeted and is very happy with their service. She previously had her children at Little Schoolhouse, which she was't as impressed with.

Please can anyone recommend a good nursery in the Sheffield 6 area and around for a child of two and a half.

:D

Little Winners (http://www.littlewinners.btik.com) :thumbsup: Have a look at the website

There is a great review from a forummer here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=160228)

I highly recommend The Early Days Centre on Palgrave Road. Its only just outside Sheffield 6 but easy to get to. :thumbsup:

shiregreen young childrens centre on bellhouse road is good

My little boy (about the same age as yours) goes to Bole Hill nursey and he really likes it. The staff there seem really lovely.

A lot of the time on Sheffield Forum, people are eager to report bad things or negative incidents...
Well, I just wanted to let everyone know just how fantastic my daughter's nursery is.
I have just been to her parent's evening. I was already impressed and have been getting more and more impressed with them every year she attends, but I have to say that this has possibly been the absolute peak for me.

Not only did she have a 4 page report that was extremely specific to her, but I was shown a day to day plan of what she has, is and will be doing (not for the whole group, just for her), as identified from watching her and identifying her specific needs. She will be doing deduction exercises and reading. I am stunned that they have identified this in a child of her age (2 and three quarters). I am aware that this is the stage that she is at, but I didnt think that they would see this. They also decided not to move her out of her peer group, but just to spend extra time with her on these things, which I totally agree with. She was offered a place at school for next September, but we have turned it down as she would be 3 and some children in her class would be coming up to 5.

Anyway, could waffle on forever, but if you are undecided about nurseries, then I suggest arranging a visit to Kids Unlimited at Millhouses, just to see for yourself how ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL this nursery and their staff are.

Rant over...

A lot of the time on Sheffield Forum, people are eager to report bad things or negative incidents...
Well, I just wanted to let everyone know just how fantastic my daughter's nursery is.
I have just been to her parent's evening. I was already impressed and have been getting more and more impressed with them every year she attends, but I have to say that this has possibly been the absolute peak for me.

Not only did she have a 4 page report that was extremely specific to her, but I was shown a day to day plan of what she has, is and will be doing (not for the whole group, just for her), as identified from watching her and identifying her specific needs. She will be doing deduction exercises and reading. I am stunned that they have identified this in a child of her age (2 and three quarters). I am aware that this is the stage that she is at, but I didnt think that they would see this. They also decided not to move her out of her peer group, but just to spend extra time with her on these things, which I totally agree with. She was offered a place at school for next September, but we have turned it down as she would be 3 and some children in her class would be coming up to 5.

Anyway, could waffle on forever, but if you are undecided about nurseries, then I suggest arranging a visit to Kids Unlimited at Millhouses, just to see for yourself how ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL this nursery and their staff are.

Rant over...

My friends children go tothat nursery and she's very happy with their service, also.

Hiya,

I have a six months old baby and need a good nursery as I have to go back to work and the uni. I've already seen 6 nurseries and I'm colse to loosing all my faith that there are any good in Sheffield. Please help!!!!!

You might like to look on our parenting section, this thread has already popped up with numerous responses.
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=84

Perhaps a childminder might meet the needs of you and your child more than a nursery, particularly if like us, you think that children learn and develop best from being in a safe, loving, homely and stimulating environment with the added bonus of being able to have the freedom of experiencing the great outdoors rather than the occasional "visit" or "trip" away from their designated "room". www.sheffieldchildminders.co.uk

What has happened in this crazy world. At that age they should be playing and having fun, not being assessed.

I echo that sentiment whole heartedly!

yes, so do I......
Try Broomhall, you can't bet the staff they are the best, no really the absolute best and everyone I speak to says the same and that is from parents of children who are grown up. Can't give them higher praise

My advice is try to find a quality assured, registered childminder who belongs to an Early Years Network, that way your child will "learn" through play indoors and more importantly outdoors without being regulated to the occasional trip or 30 mins in the garden and of course if the childminder delivers Early Years Education then you can use your Nursery Vouchers too!

Bolehill top end of walkley very good don't know if that's too far

If you are looking for childcare in the S6 area Little Winners are now taking applications for the January intake.

All children 3 and over are entitled to a free place.

Little Winners also has vacancies available for sessional care from 3 months old.

For further details and how to apply visit the website: Little Winners (http://www.littlewinners.btik.com)

The Pavilion, 109 Winn Grove, Middlewood, SHEFFIELD S6 1UN tel: 2855005

..

There does seem to be a number of nurseries in the Sheffield Six area. I know that Little Winners, as listed above, is highly thought of.

We have, at the moment, 2 places available at the Merlin Kindergarten from January.

The Merlin Kindergarten is a Steiner Waldorf Kindergarten. We open 38 weeks per year from 9am to 1pm. We will also be offering afternoon care from January.

Ofsted Report (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=cchome&id=EY319979&type=DC)

For more information please pm me with your email address.

http://www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk/education.htm

And I must say thats a cracking ofsted report titian... well done :thumbsup:

There does seem to be a number of nurseries in the Sheffield Six area. I know that Little Winners, as listed above, is highly thought of.

Ah thanks Daniel :D

I know Little Winners is well thought of on this forum, but we are very happy with Elmore Kindergarten on Middlewood Road. We have a 1 year old and a 3 year old who attend there. Its very convenient for me, the children are happy, the littlest gets lots of cuddles and the older one has lots of outdoor play which he loves. When he was poorly he was disappointed he wasnt going to nursery! Another big advantage for me is that all their food is cooked on the premises and included in the price, nappies and wipes are also included ... so no bags to get ready and cart about. I used to hate getting two bags ready and then unpacking them when they went to the Beighton nursery where we used to live.

If I were you I would visit them all and see which you feel most comfortable with.

I would second the recommendation for Elmore Kindergarten, my daughter attends the Elmore Road site, S10, it is very good. She is always very happy to be left and this is reassuring for a parent. They have been very accommodating when I have needed flexible arrangements. The day is very well structured with a balance of activities. Highly recommended.

Raine

I would second the recommendation for Elmore Kindergarten, my daughter attends the Elmore Road site, S10, it is very good. She is always very happy to be left and this is reassuring for a parent. They have been very accommodating when I have needed flexible arrangements. The day is very well structured with a balance of activities. Highly recommended.

Raine

They are very flexible and if your kids already attend, they will take them at short notice in case youre ill, have an emergency or have to go to a funeral like I did a few weeks ago.

My grandson is also a faddy eater (there is a reason for this) and they have been very good at Elmore at accommodating his needs once they understood what was happening.

i know it was a while ago but my eldest went to park on minto road up until she started school 5 yrs ago, the staff are nice and still stop to chat when they see us. lovely place she was really happy there. hope you find one your happy with from all these recomendations:thumbsup:

Why Thank you foxy. We were sprung upon , on the last two days of term.

my son is due to start nursery at mansel but on a quick visit it didn't install much confidance in me for him to go there. I dont know any other parents that do go there so i cant ask anyone what its like?? does anyones children go to mansel nursery, if so what is it like???

Aslo does anyone know what st thomas moore primary school is like????

thanks for any advice it can be hard when you have no one else to talk to with children

hi cheeky my cousin went to mansel nursery she is now in mansel juniors an is doing so well so i would recomend it

thanks for the reply its hard when you dont know much about the schools and i dont know other parents so im finding it hard to know what to do for the best for him. my options on primary schools will be foxhill, meynell, mansel or posibly st thomas moores (not sure if they have critera to get in)

www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/

you can get a general idea of what schools are like from here, but to be fair, you have to take them with a pinch of salt...

Just wondering whether anybody can offer any recommendations for nurseries in Woodseats? Anybody use Chantrey House or The Little School House? Any others? Any to be avoided?

Thanks,
M

Holmhurst pre-school at holmhurst church is the only childcare in woodseats that I would use for my child.
I used to work there and the staff are fantastic and the care and activities are brill. They only take children from 2 years and I dont think they provide full day care like the two private nurseries that you mentioned, but if your wanting just morning or afternoon sessions I would really recommend them. :)

If you don't mind moving down the road a little, I use the Grapevine on Queens/Little London/Chesterfield Road (whichever it is there), just opposite Dunelm Mill at the back.
I can't recommend it enough. They take from 3 months, have excellent staff, great kids, the owner/manager, Liz, is an ex-head teacher, I believe. Play is educational as well as lots of fun. They teach baby signing, give daily written reports, six-monthly or quarterly written reviews on your child's progress, and yearly hour-long one to one Parents meetings. I am constantly amazed and delighted by the social skills, games, and experiences he is getting there.

Want the best recommendation of all? Take my child's. He has been there for 2 days a week for 17 months, and he: stops screaming when I'm putting his coat on in the morning if I tell him we're going to nursery; he abandons me to go play as soon as we get there; he greets me when I pick him up, then runs off again to play some more, and getting him to leave is difficult. He ADORES it.

I am interested in this too as I live in Woodseats and am currently pregnant.
Sall242003 you say Holmhurst preschool is the only childcare in the area you would use. Is there a problem with the others? I have heard good things about Kids Unlimited in Woodseats/Millhouses.

Like the sound of Grapevine Cosywolf. It sounds great!

I wouldnt really like to comment on the others as I dont know enough about them, I just know that if I lived at Woodseats I would be sending my son to Holmhurst because its great! Ive worked in childcare for 10 years and used to do supply work in various nurseries around sheffield and Ive always said that Holmhurst comes out top for me. The other nurseries on Woodseats are privately run and I would always prefer to send my child to a community run organisation, again thats just my preferences from experience of working in various types of nurseries.

My son goes to the nursery that I work at but if he didnt I would definately send him there.

As for Kids Unlimited I have heard not very good reports about the company from nursery nurses that have previously worked there, I believe that they put on a fantastic show for parents but behind the scenes things are not so good and staff to child ratios are not always met, but again this is 2nd hand information so your best to ask around and find out for yourself. :)

Thanks for the info its really helpful
Out of interest why do you prefer community run to private? Is it due to regulations etc? I thought that private would have more money & facilities?
Also re kids unlimited were the staff unhappy about how the company treated them or the children? Though I guess there has to be a correlation.
Sorry dumb questions. Am new to this......:confused:

My friends two daughters go to kids unlimeted and she is very happy with their services.

My son used to go to Chantrey house on Chantrey rd when it was ABC nursery, he was very well lokked after and the staff there are very kind.

Thanks for the info its really helpful
Out of interest why do you prefer community run to private? Is it due to regulations etc? I thought that private would have more money & facilities?
Also re kids unlimited were the staff unhappy about how the company treated them or the children? Though I guess there has to be a correlation.
Sorry dumb questions. Am new to this......:confused:

I prefer Community run nurseries to private owned nurseries for a few reasons.
Firstly private nurseries operate as a business to make a profit therefore they need to keep expenditure low and income high to make profit - the main expenditure of a nursery is salaries so the staff are probably not as well paid as staff within a community nursery and their fee's are likely to be a lot higher in order for them generate income. Nursery staff on low wages are more likely to be just starting out and/or still studying for their NVQ so maybe not as experienced and majority will be fairly young.

A community run nursery puts all income back into the nursery as they are not for profit organisations and in my experience pay a lot higher wages and tend to retain their staff for longer which is better consistancy for the children. yes we do need grants such as Lottery etc but this doesnt mean that facilities are poor (we have recently raised enough money to have our own sensory room built!)
And the managers, senior staff and nursery nurses at community nurseries have a real passion for what they do and as they do not own the company and are not trying to make a profit you know that they are there because that is what they enjoy doing. :)

And just to let you know most Community nurseries now offer full day care 8.00 - 6.00 and take children from 6months old just like private nurseries.

I want to stress that is my personal view on the differences between the two and Im sure their are many privately owned nurseries out there that are doing a fantastic job! Im just passionate about my work and I work within the voluntary community sector! :thumbsup:

My son started at Chantry house @ 8months and now goes full time he's 19months now. Since the new owner has taken over the place has had some major work doen and is a much more pleasant environment, He seems to love it and the staff are great...Clare the deputy manger babysits for us as well. I d definately recommend it , did look at the little school house but didnt get the same friendly feel. I guess you just have to go with your instincts. Good luck choosing, its difficult.

Hi from Little Winners Neighbourhood Nursery.

We are now taking names for 3 and 4 year old children who wish to attend free nursery sessions which are available after the term your child turns three.

(Additional session may be purchased if required.)

Full details of the nursery can be found at www.littlewinners.btik.com (http://www.littlewinners.btik.com) or you may telephone 2855005 for an information pack.

This is a fabulous intimate setting and welcomes you all.


Fox

''And the managers, senior staff and nursery nurses at community nurseries have a real passion for what they do...''

So do the staff in privately run nurseries not have the passion that you do??

''And the managers, senior staff and nursery nurses at community nurseries have a real passion for what they do...''

So do the staff in privately run nurseries not have the passion that you do??

I did state in my post that this is just my personal opinion and that Im sure many private nurseries out there are doing a fantastic job. I expected someone from a private setting to comment before now!
Im not here to critisise people I was just trying to help by outlining certain differences that "I Feel" are present between the two types of nurseries.

Incidently does anyone have any experience of Chancet Wood Nursery as its nearer my house and the only reason i didnt look at it was that they only take them from 2 years old. My neighbours kids went there some years ago but she thought it was very well run at the time.

Personally I would stay clear of the litte winners on winn gardens, went to visit the nursery and was scared by a group of kids walking around with pit bulls and drinking cans of beer. My child now attends at Elmore Kindergarten on Middlewood Road and find it an excellant facility and well run with lovely staff.

hi all i am starting a full time job in april an i need a nursery asap for my 2 kids a boy aged 2 an girl 10 mths they need to go minday to thurs as my mum will av them on fri

Whereabouts? What area?

contact Children's Information Service - they have lists of them all (but can't recommend "good" ones)
their number 2756699

When my youngest hit 3 I decided to take him to a private nursery for 1 session a week like yourself so he could get used to being left with someone other than my mum.

The nursery I chose seemed really nice but he hated it. He was really quiet when I left him and cried when I picked him up. I thought it was because he was clingy and persevered until he started at the school nursery in the September. He absolutely loved 'school' and I never got a second glance when I left.

I now feel really guilty about the times I left him at the private nursery, where he was (on hindsight) really unhappy.

i live near meadowhall

Personally I would stay clear of the litte winners on winn gardens, went to visit the nursery and was scared by a group of kids walking around with pit bulls and drinking cans of beer
How ridiculous! Do you work for Elmore, by any chance? :suspect:

.

Personally I would stay clear of the litte winners on winn gardens, went to visit the nursery and was scared by a group of kids walking around with pit bulls and drinking cans of beer. My child now attends at Elmore Kindergarten on Middlewood Road and find it an excellant facility and well run with lovely staff.
too close to the road and fumes, area covered in litter esp path nr car park. Staff nice but not well run. a teacher friend of mine also visited here and was disgusted they couldnt answer basic questions about child development and key stages. Obviously you an dme wouldnt ask these questions as were just mear parents but staff should be able to talk to fellow education workers on their level.
i suppose every nursery has good and bad points

I would differ with your views on Elmore. Our 4 year old goes every day and our 1 year old 3 times a week. We are very happy and find it suits our children fine. I was happy with the planning when I visited, and the setting. The litter dropped by people walking up from the tram is hardly the problem of the nursery staff. Im not sure where all these cars are either, I only see the ones in the car park. As for it being near a busy road, so are many schools in Sheffield. I wouldnt think that the air in the playground of Elmore differs very much from that in the gardens of WPV or Winn Gardens. If anyone wants an opinion on Elmore, ask someone who actually uses it rather than someone who has visited once or looked over the fence.

Sall, thanks for your reply to my question about community run vs private nurseries. It has really opened my eyes as I think I though that private nurseries would be better because they have more money but it had not ocurred to me that there is a counterargument. I work for the public sector and there are certainly some areas where I would suggest them to be better than the private sector particularly when it comes to ethics and standard/qualifications of staff. The public sector can sometimes have stronger regulations etc. Though of course this is not always the case. Thanks again- I will start looking into the community run services :)

As for the public sector they are loaded! Maintained nurseries dont have to worry about making a profit or raising money through grants so there job must be a lot easier!

As for the public sector they are loaded! Maintained nurseries dont have to worry about making a profit or raising money through grants so there job must be a lot easier!

Mmhm, the money looks after the kids. The rest of them just sit around and natter.:rolleyes:

Never mind the private versus community nursery debate. Look for the place where you will be happy to leave your child and your child will be happy to stay. That's the important thing.

As for it being near a busy road, so are many schools in Sheffield. I wouldnt think that the air in the playground of Elmore differs very much from that in the gardens of WPV or Winn Gardens
lol, you cannot dispute that the outside play area is smack next door to a busy main road, unlike many schools in Sheffield! Also how can you say that the air a mere ten yards from the emission spot i.e. the car exhausts is going to be no less noxious than that on a residential area many hundreds of yards from a busy highway??!!

.

were just mear parents.. able to talk to fellow education workers on their level.. (basic questions about child development and key stages)
Not sure if this was tongue in cheek but remember Natalie you have every right to ask as many questions as you wish about the Nursery's commitment, attitudes and awareness toward the child's key stage learning and developmental stages! :)

.

does any one use teddies nursery?

Not wanting to quote you archie1 as I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of a repost of such bigoted and inflammatory comments.

I think you will find that Middlewood Park is a public park within which people walk dogs.

You are misrepresenting LW, which is a secure building with cctv and electronic door entry systems. Never had any issues with regard to dogs or anti social behaviour and is a very very safe and protective environment for children.

I too have visited elmore and choose not to comment on its grounds, or the fabric of the building I believe that speaks for itself. This thread is about nurseries and the quality of the setting and the care provided not the passers by!

I know you stated it but it surely would make any nursery nurse's (in a private nursery) blood boil, I know I'd find it quite degrading! Just because they don't earn as much money as others surely doesn't mean they don't work just as hard!!
Sorry if I've missed any Y's out of this post, no one in this household will admit to spilling something on the keyboard!

Maybe its my dippy pregnant brain but how is the public sector loaded? I work for the NHS and loaded we are certainly not? :confused:

Not sure if this was tongue in cheek but remember Natalie you have every right to ask as many questions as you wish about the Nursery's commitment, attitudes and awareness toward the child's key stage learning and developmental stages! :)

.

not at all, ive been to loads and the girls at LW seem to know what theyre on about-thankfully! i was saying to fox the other day-well impressed! trust me if i wasnt, hed be out in a flash!
in regards to what the other lady said-when looking fo rnursery for my bundle of "Joy!"-i luckily know lots of nursery staff at diff places(including 2 at Elmore very well) and my sister was an assessor staff(shes now moved up to assess assessors ) so i got the best knowledge i could pos get b4 chosing. but i think if ur bundles are happy and ur then theres no probs-happy babies mean happy mummys!

Oh and the litter! dont get me started on that area-must really hack the nursery off how scruffy passers by can be-and disrespectful! they should complain to BLOORS to clear it up!!!

KidsUnlimited is a FANTASTIC nursery - you can't say otherwise unless your child has been there and is unhappy

My daughter has been going there five days a week for two years and cries at weekends because wants to be there and see her friends
She has made wonderful friends there and the staff couldn't be nicer - friendly and supportive

All I can say is that it is all down to your own personal experience - you can listen to what others have to say but you will always get conflicting opinions so go and visit and trust your instincts. Also opinions from people who have worked at nurseries and left can sometimes be clouded too.

Before you all start kicking off at me - I'm not saying I am right and you are all wrong - just that everyone has different opinions

good luck - hope your child is as happy at nursery as mine is

I guess there may have been a thread on this already but am just wondering what informed people's choices on which to go for. We are still deciding what we would prefer (though of course this is likely to be affected by availability). We have some pros and cons but would be interested in other peoples views and experiences :)

have since found the answer to this. you were right tinkabel. safety report not good....

We opted for nursery because to our minds there was more equipment and resources, more certainty (it doesn't shut because one or two staff are ill, and they have long core hours), we liked the discipline and educational play strategies at our chosen nursery, and when we came down to it we simply weren't comfortable with leaving him in the charge of one (or two) people (I was and had bad experiences as a child).

We spoke to all our friends who had kids and did one or the other and looked into it first, and just went with what we were comfortable with. There's definitely something to be said for either one. A childminder would have been less expensive, for instance.

My little boy goes to The Little School House and is very happy and settled there. He's been going for well over a year (he's 3.5 now) and I've never had any problems or issues. (one thing Ive noticed is the low turnover of staff - which I imagine is quite a good sign?)

Deciding on who is going to look after your child is a very big decision to make and you always wonder whether you have made the right decision - some people have bad experiences in one place, some good.

I strongly suggest that you make an appointment to visit all of the nursery's and go along with your child. Prepare a list of questions to ask (there are lots of suggestions on the web to help) and decide what is important to you; high discipline, warm and friendly, religious etc, and watch how the staff interact with your child, and vice versa!!

The rest then is down to instinct (like all aspects of parenting!!!):thumbsup:

Agree Elmo - different nurseries suit different children. I have been lucky with the nursery our boy goes to. We opted for a small happy not very pushy on the educational bits ( rather he learnt subconciously via play) but very pro-active on ethic, manners etc. I know others dislike the place because it isn't educationally pushy but that doesn't bother me whilst he's a tot.

thanks cosywolf. Can always count on you to be helpful :) Have started feeling my baby move now and started to feel quite excited after that nervous start :hihi:

We also opted for nursery. I agree with Cosywolf about equipment and resources.

Also a friend of mine got let down by her childminder who one Friday evening annouced she was off to America for 3 weeks, leaving my friend to take unpaid leave off work for the following 3 weeks whilst she tried to get the kids to a more reliable childminder.

Have a look at both and make visits. You will know what makes you feel the most comfortable.

TBH I had a childminder when my sons were little - ironically because there wasn't a local nursery. :rolleyes:

It was okay until there was a problem, be it hers or mine or just a niggle. When you have a child in a setting you have a team looking after your little one and I find it easier for parents to address any concerns as they tend to pick out their own individual staff member to confide in.

My CM jacked it in because she found it too demanding and left me in the lurch.

My boys go to the most wonderful childminder - they go out all the time, to the park, into town or little trips to places like the Butterfly house. The environment is homely and the childminder is very flexible ... if you are stuck in the snow, they will keep the kids as long as you need.
It is the same as anything, there are good and bad childminders - you need to be sure that you can trust them and that you like them.
I wasn't comfortable about sending a five month old to a nursery, wanted the more personal touch, but loads of my friends have been very happy with nursery places.

SamMT, isn't it great when you can feel them? Mind you, it got old quite quickly for me because cosycub never stopped once he started...and I do mean Never, lol. Glad to hear things are going well.xx

It is like anything else, there are good and bad examples of both. Having been a childminder myself for 9 years I am biased in favour of childminders.

Nurseries may have more equipment, (although I doubt it considering how much we used to have :)) but research has shown that a child is better having one person to relate rather than a changing team of staff. Childminders are more able to provide a home like environment, and have a lot less children to look after and hence more time to be with each child. They have usually chosen to be at home with their own children and in my experience are likely to be caring people.

The recent reseach into children's stress levels found that children at childminders had lower stress levels than children in any other childcare setting.

I would personally visit as many different settings as possible , both nurseries and childminders, until I found one that felt right to me. I would be looking for someone who was happy for me to visit with the child on as many ocassions as I thought were needed in order to settle the child in before they were left. When I childminded we had a lady visited us once per week free of charge for 6 months before she left her child with us.

If I were going to choose a childminder, I would also look for two registered childminders who work together as an ideal (there are quite a few husband/wife mother/daughter etc childminding teams) as that means one can be looking after the children while the other cooks meals etc, or one can do any school runs without hauling the children out in the rain.I would also look for them to be members of a co-operative, such as Little Sixers childminding co-operative in Hillsborough. The advantage to this is that they are more likely to have untaken training and quality assurance schemes, and also they can usually get holiday and sickness cover from other childminder in the co-operative, and as they meet up regularly the child would be familiar with the covering minder. I would be looking for someone who did a daily diary of the activities done with the child and I would expect them to be doing some sort of activity (craft, visit out, walk in the park) etc every day.

hope this helps

Both our children went to nursery, and for a while our eldest was in full time. He loved it, and she still does. The boy still remembers the day the fire engine came, the day they all went to a chinese restaurant, the day they went to Magna etc etc.

I think it's obviously a choice that depends on dozens of factors, but I feel that a nursery education has stood him in good stead, and considerably strengthened his immune system. And, to a certain extent, it's good preconditioning for school.

You might like to check out www.sheffieldchildminders.co.uk to see what some child minders have to offer

My daughter has to do work experience next year. She wants to be a teacher eventually. Does anyone know of a private nursery that will take a lovely, polite, willing 15 year old for two weeks work experience?

I know it seems a long way off, but it takes time to sort these things out.

Thanks

you can try old school house at crosspool - they're always on the lookout for cheap (even better free) labour. take kids 6months to 5 years.

Just to update further:

We are now taking bookings for future terms and have places available.

If you are interested in visiting us then please get in touch or come along to our MAY FAYRE on 7th May (1pm to 4pm)

http://www.whatsonbritain.com/Sales-and-Fairs/Charity-Fair/adc71f30-45c8-4619-bfab-8691eb05b3fa?Search_Text=fayre

Titian, can you give me some idea of fees? I'm really intersted to know the ball park figure.

Titian, can you give me some idea of fees? I'm really intersted to know the ball park figure.

Hi Cosy,
Our sessions are 9am to 1pm (4 hours) and we charge £12.50 per session. Of course, if your child is grant eligible then the amount you pay is £4.30 per session.
Hope this helps

Thank you, Titian.

Have you got any links that would direct us to grant eligibility criteria? I can't seem to find it on the link at the top. Or do we need to ring up?

Sorry to be such a pain!

Thank you, Titian.

Have you got any links that would direct us to grant eligibility criteria? I can't seem to find it on the link at the top. Or do we need to ring up?

Sorry to be such a pain!


Children receive the grant from 3 years of age to 5 years. They are no longer eligible the term after their 5th birthday. Saying that though we do have children up to age 7, after their funding ends.

Sheffield don't seem to have parent information on the Nursery information funding up and running as yet (the Children's information service will be putting factsheets online soon) I can give you this link though: http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/education/services-to-schools/eyecs/nursery-education-funding
Hope this is useful

Feel free to call me if you wish, though. My number is on the link above

Hi All,

Were currently trying to find a nursery for our 2 year old daughter and its turning into a nightmare.

We have visited 3 nurseries up to now where all we have done is turn around and walked out. Were not snobs but would like the nursery we choose to be clean (I appreciate that Nurseries are difficult places to keep tidy but I think there is a world of difference between untidy and unhygenic) with friendly approachable staff.

We just want to book 1 afternoon session a week so she can have more interaction with other children that doesn't actually cost the earth.

Perhaps we are deluding ourselves that without paying around £100 a month (that we seriously don't have) then it aint gonna happen!

Why not join a parent and toddler group?

She'll get plenty of interaction with other children there and it's cheaper too.:)

Why not join a parent and toddler group?

She'll get plenty of interaction with other children there and it's cheaper too.:)

We have got 3 very close to our home, but vast majority of babies fall into the 0-9 months age range, with the odd couple of 1 year olds. We haven't found any yet with a godo number of kids around the same age!

Little Winners (http://www.littlewinners.btik.com) will take a child for just one session :)

Little Winners (http://www.littlewinners.btik.com) will take a child for just one session :)

The website looks good, and so does the ofsted report, but can you recommend it?

Fox is biased :P

But seriously, Little Winners is recommended by a number of users on this forum. Personally, I sent my son there from age three (he has just started school) and I also work there as supply staff - so I see both sides of the place. And it gets my support :thumbsup:

Visits are welcome, if not encouraged!

.

Fox is biased :P

But seriously, Little Winners is recommended by a number of users on this forum. Personally, I sent my son there from age three (he has just started school) and I also work there as supply staff - so I see both sides of the place. And it gets my support :thumbsup:

Visits are welcome, if not encouraged!

.

I think the name is misleading and potentially harmfull. All the kids cant be winners- some must be losers, and it implies an unhealthily competitive environment. ;)

Which area do you live in?
x

Hi personal, if you follow the link in my signature to the Parenting Group, you will find a few threads there discussing nurseries and similar provision. There are lots of nurseries and playgroups mentioned and plenty of feedback on them, too.

The website looks good, and so does the ofsted report, but can you recommend it?

Of course I can recommend it :D As Henrietta says I am slightly biased but it is a fab nursery too. Like she said, feel free to give them a ring and do a visit, nothing ventured and all that.

Which area do you live in?
x

I live in Hillsborough. So Little Winners would be handy!

Of I am slightly biased but it is a fab nursery too.

Sorry to sound really thick, but why are you biased?

http://www.littleimppreschool.co.uk/

I think the name is misleading and potentially harmfull. All the kids cant be winners- some must be losers, and it implies an unhealthily competitive environment. ;)Half decent attempt at trolling there theripsaw! :P

Fox is slightly biased as she holds a position on the management board for The Pavillion, as I understand - I may be wrong on the detail though

.

Half decent attempt at trolling there theripsaw! :P

Fox is slightly biased as she holds a position on the management board for The Pavillion, as I understand - I may be wrong on the detail though

.

You are correct Henrietta, I am chairperson of the management trustees. :) As we are not for profit and a registered charity I do this in a voluntary capacity.

As ever, I must mention Jellytots, a great social environment for kids and open 3 afternoons a week too!

If you live in Hillsborough why not try P.A.R.K. at the bottom of Minto Road, they take kids of all pre-school ages. I'd recommend them as I've sent both kids there & the staff are friendly.

Always read the Ofsted report of anywhere you are considering sending your children to. They are available on-line and can provide terrific insight which a visit alone would not reveal

.

If you live in Hillsborough why not try P.A.R.K. at the bottom of Minto Road, they take kids of all pre-school ages. I'd recommend them as I've sent both kids there & the staff are friendly.
Having worked there myself for a period of time I would never send my kids there!

Having worked there myself for a period of time I would never send my kids there!

:hihi: I couldn't possibly comment. ;)

Not sure whereabouts you are but my little boy goes to Havercroft House nursery in Handsworth and they are brilliant. You can have just one session pw if you like, thats how we started out.

www.havercrofthouse.co.uk

Hi all,

TheLittleRedWizard is going to be starting somewhere for a couple of days each week from September, when he will be 8 months old.

Has anybody got any recommendations, preferably within a couple of miles of Sharrow/London Road?

Cheers!

Red

I know a lot of people whose children go to the Steiner kindergarten at the Merlin Theatre site, they all seem very happy there.

I also know people who have been very happy with Broomhall nursery.

Hi hp,

The Steiner kindergarten doesn't really fit it with us, not least because we both will be working 9am-4pm ish, and I think they only offer part-day sessions.

Unfortunately, Broomhall is already full for next year.

Red

Hi hp,

The Steiner kindergarten doesn't really fit it with us, not least because we both will be working 9am-4pm ish, and I think they only offer part-day sessions.

Unfortunately, Broomhall is already full for next year.

Red

If you go to a childminder (which personally I would prefer over a full time nursery every time for quality of care) then they could take them to a nursery for part day sessions if that was what you wanted.

Hi all,

TheLittleRedWizard is going to be starting somewhere for a couple of days each week from September, when he will be 8 months old.

Has anybody got any recommendations, preferably within a couple of miles of Sharrow/London Road?

Cheers!

Red

Crescent House - top of Crescent Road, Nether Edge. Great people, happy kids.

I just had someone round today to go over my requirements to set up as a childminder and I shall be registered by September with 1 place available.
It's a 5 - 10 min drive to my place from London Road (just been visiting a friend on Wostenholme and the journey back took 7 mins).
So, if childminding is an option for you, maybe I can help.

Went to havenfield, PARK and Toybox recently as my little one coming up to 2 and ready for private daycare-
havenfield is the one in middle of nowhere nr worrall-looks stunning as u drive up but wasnt overly impressed with the "feel" of the place-heard they are moving to loxley so may check that out in sept/oct
PARK-seemed too busy and all on stairs, but staff seemed nice
Toybox-very friendly and homely, nice set up-pain in the bum to find and nr dodgy upperthorpe but a nice big house and pleasant staff. think ill send hubby to check it out and put it on our list of maybes!

Are we on your list of maybes? :)

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advice. We visited lots of nurseries, some of which have been mentioned here, and finally decided on Hamilton House on Montgomery Road. Our quest was fairly exhaustive and some of the reasons we decided against others (one of two have been mentioned here, but not by anybody involved in their administration/staff):

Over pushy management with very specific personal ethos.

In one case, we stood talking to the manager/staff for about ten minutes whilst a 9-month old was kicking out and trying to get out of his cot. They didn't bat an eyelid at his apparent distress until it was clear we were uncomfortable with it, at which point they responded 'I suppose we'd better get him out now'.

A couple seemed to be generally on the decline - unpainted fences, empty rabbit cages and fish tanks ('they died last year'), photos and pictures on the walls from a few years ago and not more recent.

There were a couple which seemed very good but were quite cramped, with small baby rooms and little outdoor space.

Another which seemed good had very young staff indeed, those apparently responsible for running it whilst we were there seemed little over 18-19, whereby other nurseries had a mix of ages.


The reason why we went for Hamilton House was that the children and staff seemed genuinely happy, interested and excited. The facilities seem excellent. Reports are very good indeed. A lot of time, money, imagination and thought has been put into developing the facilities. In short, it seems like a nursery 'on the up'.

Red (surrounded by Daddy's Day presents and a very special card!)

Are we on your list of maybes? :)He goes to you already and LWs is by far the best baby room ever(and ive been to lots and lots and lots) ill also be sending this bump there when hes old enough!! FAB staff in that room-highly recommended!:D

Are we on your list of maybes? :)

Sorry Fox, should have said - we live in Sharrow and work in Chesterfield and out eastwards, hence why we didn't consider Middlewood, despite recommendations aplenty!

Now taking bookings for the next academic year, starting in September.

I know a lot of people whose children go to the Steiner kindergarten at the Merlin Theatre site, they all seem very happy there.
I also know people who have been very happy with Broomhall nursery.


What a lovely recommendation hennypenny! Thank you.
Have we had the conversation before about who we mutually know?

UPDATE: The Merlin Kindergarten is now offering afternoon care up to 3.30pm from September for children who attend a morning session.

What a lovely recommendation hennypenny! Thank you.
Have we had the conversation before about who we mutually know.

I think we have had the conversation before :)

I am slightly out of date now as mine are well past that age, but I have known lots of home educating families who have had kids at the Kindergarten over the years, and kids we have childminded have been there too.

I think we have had the conversation before :)

I am slightly out of date now as mine are well past that age, but I have known lots of home educating families who have had kids at the Kindergarten over the years, and kids we have childminded have been there too.


Ahh yes, it's all coming back to me. I've slept since then....;)

The Hallam University one at collegiate is as good as any of the mainstream ones.
i'll second that one, SIB is very happy there.. even if it is an absolute nightmare getting there sometimes

Just want to say I send my DS to Kidz@work on the Sheffield Airport Business Park and he loves it there. Great facilities, friendly staff and DS is very happy which is the main thing. They also have a webcam if you want to check on your child during the day. Website is www.kidzatwork.co.uk. Hope this helps someone.

Aqua
x

Hi All,

I'm a new dad & the nipper is almost 6mths old!

Just startng to think about childcare as his mum is going to return to work part time in January.

I have read all the various views on here regarding different service providers.

However not much has been mentioned about costs.

Do childcare providers generally charge by the Day or by the Hour?

& any ideas of what an average cost per day or hour might be?

any help much appreciated!

Hi All,

I'm a new dad & the nipper is almost 6mths old!

Just startng to think about childcare as his mum is going to return to work part time in January.

I have read all the various views on here regarding different service providers.

However not much has been mentioned about costs.

Do childcare providers generally charge by the Day or by the Hour?

& any ideas of what an average cost per day or hour might be?

any help much appreciated!

Hiya Zulu Warrior,
different providers have different arrangements - some (often ones that have lots of children from nhs workers) charge by the hour, most charge by the session (8am-1pm,1pm-6pm), some have a discount for full time (5%-10%) children. Costs also vary a fair bit - the ones I looked at were between £16-20 per session - we settled for one that is £170 per week. Child minders are a little cheaper (often).

Hi Zulu warrior,

not sure what experiences the others had, but in mine you are cutting it very fine with finding available places in the nursery of your choice, a lot of them seemed to be booked up very early.

Hope you find a good one though!

I've just registered my little boy for Broomhall Nursey and am thinking of putting his name down for the YMCA one near the Uni. Does anyone have any direct experience of these please?

Hi - just flicking through & wanted to say I was very impressed by Little Winners & I think I saw all of them in the area. It was my favourite. I am not using it as there was a waiting list for the day I needed but would have done.

A friend used Elmore (at the bottom of Wadsley Park Village) & really liked it.

Hi - just flicking through & wanted to say I was very impressed by Little Winners & I think I saw all of them in the area. It was my favourite. I am not using it as there was a waiting list for the day I needed but would have done.

A friend used Elmore (at the bottom of Wadsley Park Village) & really liked it.

:roll: Oh dear I knew we should have built a larger baby room :P victims of our own success. Thanks for such lovely comments though :thumbsup:

Foxy (Little Winners)

Has anyone got any feedback on Corner House? I have heard good & bad. The bad wasn't with regards to quality of care but comments about it being very money orientated.

This is my 2nd choice but to be honest the others all seemed much the same. I didn't dislike any & this is the most convenient to get to. I did like the one at Stannington (forgot the name). It was a little bit remote though especially on an icy morning.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advice. We visited lots of nurseries, some of which have been mentioned here, and finally decided on Hamilton House on Montgomery Road. Our quest was fairly exhaustive and some of the reasons we decided against others (one of two have been mentioned here, but not by anybody involved in their administration/staff):

Over pushy management with very specific personal ethos.

In one case, we stood talking to the manager/staff for about ten minutes whilst a 9-month old was kicking out and trying to get out of his cot. They didn't bat an eyelid at his apparent distress until it was clear we were uncomfortable with it, at which point they responded 'I suppose we'd better get him out now'.

A couple seemed to be generally on the decline - unpainted fences, empty rabbit cages and fish tanks ('they died last year'), photos and pictures on the walls from a few years ago and not more recent.

There were a couple which seemed very good but were quite cramped, with small baby rooms and little outdoor space.

Another which seemed good had very young staff indeed, those apparently responsible for running it whilst we were there seemed little over 18-19, whereby other nurseries had a mix of ages.


The reason why we went for Hamilton House was that the children and staff seemed genuinely happy, interested and excited. The facilities seem excellent. Reports are very good indeed. A lot of time, money, imagination and thought has been put into developing the facilities. In short, it seems like a nursery 'on the up'.

Red (surrounded by Daddy's Day presents and a very special card!)

If this is the one I am thinking of my freind isd the assistant manager here and I can say she spend ages working on projects for the kids to do.

Hi

I'm new to the forum and this is my first posting so pls bear with me if I've posted this thread in the wrong area!!
I'm looking for a childminder in the S8 area - I've got the info pack from CIS but could do with having some recommendations before I book visits. Can anyone help??

My little boy is 3 months old and its going to be hard to go back to work but the bills still need to be paid!

Look forward to hearing from anyone who can offer some advice.

:help:

Hi all :wave:

I have a LO who is 14months old and i am wanting to find the right nursery for her to go to while i start a part time position at Jessops.

There have an in-house nursery located on beech hill road i was just wondering if anyones LO's attend this nursery and if so what is it like?

Also can anyone advice me on tax credits and how these work with childcare?

Any advice Welcome.

Many Thanks

Hi all :wave:

I have a LO who is 14months old and i am wanting to find the right nursery for her to go to while i start a part time position at Jessops.

There have an in-house nursery located on beech hill road i was just wondering if anyones LO's attend this nursery and if so what is it like?

Also can anyone advice me on tax credits and how these work with childcare?

Any advice Welcome.

Many Thanks

Can't help you with the nursery but as for the tax credits: You send in your invoices (or copies of) and you get approx. 75% of it back.
http://www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/support/helpwithchildcarecosts/childtaxcredit/

Hi, i don't know too much about the nhs nursery over that way but i initially sent my daughter the one at NGH as it was much cheaper and she used to only go for about 4 hours a week.

Now i don't want to upset anyone as i know plenty of people who's children are their who are really happy with it but my experience of it was bloody awful, it ran like you would imagine a subsidised NHS nursery might, we would turn up to pick up my daughter and they wouldn't know which one she was and they once called me to tell me she had a temp of nearly 39.0 and when i went to get her she had been stripped to her nappy and was sitting in a cardboard box???!!!

It wasn't the staffs fault they were always way to busy as they had to sort out everything else aswell it seemed. I cried everyday i brought her, but just put it down to all nurseries, i had been naive and not viewed lots. she went for about 3 months and as soon as they changed the rules and i was no longer allowed send her for just the 4 hours i took her out and found the most lovely nursery for her, my 7 month old starts there next week and i can honestly say i have no anxieties about it. My advice would be visit when i went to see the one at NGH they booked me an appointment and i was only allowed go at that time, and they wouldn't let me bring her and stay with her a few times before i had to leave her and she was one and had never stayed with anyone except my in laws occasionally. The nursery she subsequently went to invited me to drop by as often as i like until i was comfortable and even phoned me to let be know she was fine.

I think they are both managed by the same people and it is very possible they have changed as that was about a year ago but view lots its no cheaper anymore and go with your gut instinct. I haven't meant to offend anyone this is just my experience. I hope it helps.

Can anyone recommend any childcare in Heeley/Meersbrook. I have a 15 month old who attends day nursery, but I found out that it is closing as soon as the owner finds a buyer. i Have looked at another, but something just did not feel right. Any help would be gratefully received.

thats not grapevine is it?

My child is at the Grapevine, oppostie Dunelm Mill, and I can't praise them highly enough. They are fantastic.

My friend little boy goes to Grapevine and its fab , he very bright and enjoys his days there

Grapevine is one I have yet go to and see, I have an appointment Friday...glad to know its going to be a good one to look at

Here is a post I wrote on it...rather a long recommendation, but should give you a good idea of what is so good (in my opinion) about the Grapevine.
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2874044&postcount=4

Thank you for taking time to reply, thats a great recommendation, its good to hear from someone who's child attends, I was recommended when I send her now, but as much as she enjoys it, even if this sale does not go through, I wont feel secure leaving her there now.

tiddlywinks at arbouthorne is good but i think it may have a waiting list

There is a Chilean lady in Meersbrook called Norma, I'm not sure if she has places free but she is worth a try. Pm me for more details

Welcome, tibnsez, good luck finding the childminder, and I hope you enjoy the group and find it useful.

Cosy xx

I use a daycare nursery in the S8 area and would be glad to give you details if you decide to go down this route.

Can anyone recommend any childcare in Heeley/Meersbrook. I have a 15 month old who attends day nursery, but I found out that it is closing as soon as the owner finds a buyer. i Have looked at another, but something just did not feel right. Any help would be gratefully received.

hi there are you looking for a nursary? I live at woodseats s8 and i,m a regiested childminder .What days and hours were you looking for? would you consider a chilminder? if so post me.

Hi all, a quick update, Mia will be starting Grapevine as recommended on the forum, on Tuesday. Thank you to all the help I have received.

lizrandall ... Thank you for your offer, but I had already decided on this nursery when you posted.

Hi all, a quick update, Mia will be starting Grapevine as recommended on the forum, on Tuesday. Thank you to all the help I have received.

lizrandall ... Thank you for your offer, but I had already decided on this nursery when you posted.

Hoorah! I'm sure your little one will love it. Perhaps I'll bump into you some time...cosycub is Thursdays and Fridays.

hello :),
i was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for any good nurserys in woodseats and near by please.
i know there are a few about but as we moved new to the area, i would really like to hear from any parent who knows of any good ones and obviously which to avoid as well. my little boy is 9month old now. thank you,
sarah

Mia will be there upstairs Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and from sometime in Feb Fridays too. She is going to be an all dayer 7.45ish - 5.45ish, which is why I needed somewhere I could feel really safe leaving her.

I have also gone on to speak to some of the other parents who ae still unaware that the nursey we are in at peasent is closing. (I really think its been dealt with the wrong way.) and they are ringing to see if they can get the children into Grapevine as well.

I'll look forward to saying hi if your around at the same time.

Hello and welcome, lukesmum. You might find this thread useful: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=294200

There are a few good nurserys in S8 area i would recomend chancetwood or little angels at norton.
If you are wanting a home enviroment for your baby consider a childminder.

Hi ihave just been reading about the nursery which is closing down if there any parents who still need child care have you considered childminders we are all registared with ofsted and provide high quality care in a home enviroment with flexable hours. For more information post me.

Posts merged.

I use a daycare nursery in the S8 area and would be glad to give you details if you decide to go down this route.

Hi
Could you provide more details?

Thanks

:)

hi there are you looking for a nursary? I live at woodseats s8 and i,m a regiested childminder .What days and hours were you looking for? would you consider a chilminder? if so post me.

Hi
I'm considering both options for childcare.
Am interested in meeting you to discuss options further.
I am looking for 2/3 days starting end of March.

If you are able to offer provision of this nature - please contact me.

Thanks

Or if you are wanting a nanny I am now self emplyed availible a few day aweek





I am a nanny looking for work, , I am presently working for a family where i have been for the last 5 years but the children i care for are 16 and 12, they don't need a nanny full time and have 29 years of nanny work experience from Babies to 17 years old. I would prefer a family with young children and would be able to give a long term commitment. I am currently Police checked as i also work with a local youth club and have employers references which are 100% checkable. I would consider partime or fultime.
I also have some experience with children with learning differculties/Autisium/Aspergers/and down syndrome.
My position before this last job lasted 17 years and the children are now 22,20,18 and 10 and we are all still in touch and very good friends, please Pm me for further information.
Thankyou

Hi
I'm considering both options for childcare.
Am interested in meeting you to discuss options further.
I am looking for 2/3 days starting end of March.

If you are able to offer provision of this nature - please contact me.

Thanks

hi just got your message. When did you send it? Yes that would be great if you want to meet.

hi just got your message. When did you send it? Yes that would be great if you want to meet.


Could meet later this week if thats ok for you? A good time for me would be Friday morning. I would like to meet you in the environment where you look after the children - would that be ok?

:)

i tried to give you my phone number but the forum would allow. I surpose the best thing for us to do is meet in a public place. Do you know the sea shells cafe at abbey lane? Also do you mind small dogs? i have one westie cross she,s old ish coming up for 11. What day,s are you looking for?

i tried to give you my phone number but the forum would allow. I surpose the best thing for us to do is meet in a public place. Do you know the sea shells cafe at abbey lane? Also do you mind small dogs? i have one westie cross she,s old ish coming up for 11. What day,s are you looking for?

Lizrandall, as I explained in my PM to you, we do prefer people not to give personal contact information out in posts - the person you are aiming that post at is only one out of hundreds of people who may read it, and unfortunately they may not all be as nice and principled as we may hope.

To this end, and also to avoid posts becoming cluttered up with people's private arrangements/conversations, etc, there is a system called Private Messaging which you can use to communicate with other Forum members.
You will find a link to your own PMs to the left.
<<<<
You can set it up so that you get a pop up message or an email when you have received a message.

I hope that helps. Please move this conversation about your arrangements to meet to PM. Thank you!

Cosy

Hi there,

I am currently seeking for a childminder who can take care of my 5 months old baby in S8 (Woodseats area). I've been in touch with Sheffield Children's Information Service and a list of registered childminders in my area is on the way. I moved in recently to Sheffield and don't know many people I could ask advice. So any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.:)

hi i live at woodseats and ia,m a regiested childminder i do currently have one place free at the moment. Please post me if you want any more info or other childminders i would recommend. good luck.

I have been meeting lots of childminders in S8 for my baby, also the same age- do I know you!? If you want to PM me I can tell you more

Merged again.

Hey, guys, don't forget the Search facility ;)

hi parky j if you get any work please pm me i could do with filling my spaces pm me.

hi there is anybody looking for holiday care? if so please post me. I,am regiestered childminder and have places for the easter holiday,s.

Hi,
My little boy started school in January at Carfield School and was attending the Meersbrook Park After School Club on a wednesday only.

After a good start it's, unfortunately, gone downhill for him and he is getting very anxious about continuing so an option I'd like to look at is a childminder, where he is in a homely atmosphere with other children his own age (I think he was one of the young ones at ASC and although it doesn't normally bother him I think he felt too insecure).

Can anyone recommend (or offer) a childminding place on Wednesday's (term time) from 3.10 to 5.30pm in this area?

Thanks

Hello ,

we are looking for an au pair/ nanny/ childminder for our little boy who has just turned 11 month as i am planning on going back to work soon.We are looking for a happy, confident, experienced, easy going woman who will keep our little boy entertained and happy .

we will probably need help with childcare for about 15-20hours a week which would be from about 8.00-13.00ish. 3 days a week in our home in woodseats. i will work nights so would be in the house as well, if there should be a problem at all. Our son attends 3 playgroups during the week and we would like for him to continue this. Also we would like some help with light house work like hoovering, dusting...(nothing major and only if there is time)
if this sounds intresting to you please feel free to get in touch. please state expectation of wage, age and other relavant info
thank you very much,
sarah

hi there iam a childminder and also live in woodseats would you consider a childminder for your son? if you change your mind i have vaiqciences free at the moment. We do visits to toddler groups etc everyday pm me if your intreasted. liz.

woops just checked my spelling i ment vaciences.

hi i am a childminder who lives in the s8 area and i have vacancies at the moment i go to different toodler groups and i am out and about alot if you would consider a childminder to look after your little boy then please post me for more details

hi there did you find a childminder?

thanks for all the response.
We are sorted now x

I have two children who go to Elmore Kindergarten in Broomhill. They are really happy, and the staff are excellent

Nope, had 1 pm which I'll look into (not had chance due to hols)...do you know anyone?

There's one behind the Hallamshire - I forget what it's called (Beech Hill Nursery, perhaps), but I liked it when I looked around there. It's walkable from uni.

Think it's called sunshine day nursery, yeah i agree it looked lovely when we looked round there. Hopefully thats where Joe will be going when im back at work xx

My 8.5 moth old baby has just started going this week. she seems to be fine I think. but she doesnt eat all her food what they give her. I know it is all different kind of food.
I really need her to be eating whst shes given. I know she has just started eating lumpier food. but she struggles. we keep trying it out.
what is your baby eating at the moment.?

Some random thoughts....

Is she at nursery for full days? - because while she would ideally eat all her "meals" - if she's there only part of the day then perhaps its enough that she has plenty before and after she's at nursery? And it sounds like she's eating some of what is offered to her at nursery anyway.

Also presumably she's still having plenty of milk, so she won't starve.

When my little one was at nursery (at a similar age) we used to take in food that we'd cooked and they heated it up for her to have there. Maybe thats an option? Maybe she just doesn't like what they have given her - for example - my daughter was about 3 before she would entertain bread of any kind!

Also - if its only her first week, it will all be a bit strange for her - maybe the staff don't feed her in quite the same way that you would / there will be lots of new stuff going on that could be distracting for a little one / etc etc. Give her a few weeks to settle....

Don't panic about it all! The staff at the nursery will have lots of experience - and I'm sure she'll be fine.

I'd echo what rachelg said. I used to work in a Children's Centre, and it takes a while to settle into the environment. Some babies and children cry, others display differences in their behaviour, including what and how they eat. Food is such an emotive subject for everyone, including babies. Rachelg mentioned that it is likely that your little one will make up any loss of food in the day when with you.

Best wishes, Beth :)

Hi,

I posted a couple of weeks ago about childcare as I had a job interview, well I've been offered a job! They can only offer me 3 days which is more than I wanted as I really wanted 2. I'm supposed to feel happy but I just feel sick at the thought of leaving my little boy. 3 days seems like such a lot.

I still don't know exact hours or days but I am now seriously thinking about childcare. I'm hoping a family member can have him for 1 day so I need childcare for 2 days. Can anyone recommend either nurseries or childminders within a short distance of S8? I really want to send him somewhere that other people have good experiences of. If you can recommend somewhere can you also give me an idea of the cost for 2 days. I want to make sure it will be worthwhile going!

Thanks.

Mine changed how they served food: they used to put it all in the middle so they could help themselves after the first serving. Cosycub ate his and then everything that was left. Now I believe they control servings, lol.

YMCA, I would highly recommend, currently my 9 month old goes there and we are perfectly happy with the choice. We looked recently at all options in the area can advise on what we thought on others if you PM i can pass on a phone num if needed, may save you some time/effort.

I used Elmore, for 3 years, and thought it was great. I think the franchise or chain of Elmore nurseries has expanded now, it used to be very cosy, home-from-home when my daughter was there.

Hi Corbyn, my little one went to The Little School House and we both loved it. He went from about 20 months to 41/2 and was very happy there. The staff are young but very good with young babies as well as the toddlers. Now he's at school he stilll wants to go to nursery as he misses his 'Annie'.
P.S. I'm still looking for childminder to collect from Carfield School on a Wed

i am looking for a childminder for my friend who has a child of 3. I would like the childminder to be in the woodhouse area and be able to pick her up from her day nursery at brunwick nursery. if any1 has any ideas please mail bk thank xx

My 2 yr old goes to a local nursery and has been doing so for a year now. He generally seems to enjoy it on the two days he goes but there's one thing that leaves me gobsmacked. You can see Tesco deliveries once or twice a week and they're full of Tesco value products. Even the bread is from the value range and they give it to six month old kids (value bread has unrefined flour in it that clogs up digestion). The pasta sauce (v. high in sugar and salt), eggs, bisciuts, it's all from the cheap range. Then, last week, i went to pick him up and they were having a snack of vegetables and dips. This was actually thin slices a cucumber that the kids and my lad were scooping into the dip, which is fair enougth, except the dip was actually Tesco value mayo!!!!

It shocks me that with the push for healthy eating in schools that babies and toddlers are being fed worse crap than even older kids would eat, or even choose to. Although I do buy some organic food and free-range eggs, etc, I'm not a food snob and understand why these places have to budget. But this! Is this the norm for nurseries?

Anyhow, this isn't just a moan. I'm going to take him out of the nursery. I don't want him eating this garbage for another 3 years. Can anyone recommend any nurseries around S11.

Many thanks . . .

I am a Parent Involvement Worker and am based in Hillsborough Children’s Centre (which has not yet opened but is based in Hillsborough school), the centre will not provide Child Care but will be a HUB of outreach services (antenatal drop in/ toddler group/ family learning workshops/ etc) which will also be rolled out into the surrounding area (Hillsborough/ Wisewood/ middlewood/Winn Gardens/ etc).
As we are beginning to 'bring it all together' i would like suggestions from local parents/ families for the types of things you would like to see on offer/ where you would like to see it (if not in the children's centre), when, etc. This will be your centre so we want to ensure we are providing the services you want.
Thank you

I'm not sure of around S11 but where I live many of he nurseries have an on site cook and everything is freshly home made "wholesome" food! I'm sure if you ring around nurseries will be able to tell you what they provide and may send you a sample menu

Hi,

I would feel the same. At babybells nurseries one of their selling points is food. They use organic ingredients whenever possible & only have organic milk.

Its not near S11 though but I would ring round & ask them about menu's & where they get their ingredients.

The Sunshine Day Nursery is the Hallamshire Hospital one for NHS staff.
The other one behind the hospital is Beech Hill Nursery.
My boy went to Sunshine on the 2 days I worked and when he was older went to Broomhall which was great. He had one to one due to his autism but all the other staff were great too! Well worth going to look around it.

Thanks for all your responses!

After seemingly infinite visits we settled on the Sheffield Hallam nursery, though we liked quite a few others. My wife works at Sheffield Uni, so the fact that the Sheffield Hallam nursery gives contracts based on term times was a massive bonus for us, because at all the other nurseries we would have to pay for summer, easter, etc holidays when my wife will be at home anyway.

Oh and they've got wicked outdoor facilities for the kids! Makes me wish I was that age again!

Hello

Can anyone recommend nurseries for my 9 month old daughter in S6? Also any to avoid?

Thanks