Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Middlewood Nature Nursery

Provider closed
·
4.8(17 parent reviews) ·Middlewood Nature Nursery, 109 Winn Grove, Sheffield, S6 1UN · Sheffield
Number of places
45 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2025
Local authority
Sheffield

About this day nursery

Middlewood Nature Nursery, which has been operating since 2014, offers childcare on non-domestic premises in Sheffield, catering to children aged 1 to 4 years. The nursery operates all year round, open Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

The latest inspection, conducted on 14/07/2025, rated the overall effectiveness as Inadequate. The report highlighted repeated weaknesses in risk assessments, child supervision, hygiene practices, and staff training, supervision, and support, indicating significantly poor leadership.

What it's like

The provision is inadequate. The provider has not taken steps to make, or maintain, the improvements required at the last inspection, leading to repeated weaknesses in risk assessments, child supervision, hygiene practices and staff training, supervision and support. This demonstrates significantly poor leadership and does not support children's safety or well-being. The deployment of staff does not meet children's needs, and leaders fail to understand or deliver a curriculum that ensures children make good progress in their learning, resulting in disengaged children who do not make expected progress. Despite weaknesses, children arrive happily and enjoy warm relationships with staff, who share daily information with parents, giving children confidence to explore.

Warm relationships with staffRoad safety awarenessOutdoor physical development

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm.

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2014

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Middlewood Nature Nursery

Last inspected 14 July 2025

Actions the provider must take

  • provide effective leadership, oversight, supervision and support that ensures staff have the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality care and education and always meet the legal requirements
  • take all reasonable steps to minimise risks to children
  • ensure the deployment of staff meets children's needs and promotes their safety and well-being
  • ensure the premises are suitable, including that they are clean
  • implement effective hygiene practices that promote the good health of children and help to minimise or stop the spread of infection
  • provide staff with supervision, training and support that enables them to understand child development and effective teaching practices
  • provide consistent special educational support, that meets all areas of children's needs, and ensures they make good progress in their learning and development.

What it's like to attend

The provision is inadequate. The provider has not taken steps to make, or maintain, the improvements required at the last inspection, leading to repeated weaknesses in risk assessments, child supervision, hygiene practices and staff training, supervision and support. This demonstrates significantly poor leadership and does not support children's safety or well-being. The deployment of staff does not meet children's needs, and leaders fail to understand or deliver a curriculum that ensures children make good progress in their learning, resulting in disengaged children who do not make expected progress. Despite weaknesses, children arrive happily and enjoy warm relationships with staff, who share daily information with parents, giving children confidence to explore.

Inspector highlights

  • Children generally arrive happily at the setting.
  • Children enjoy warm, positive relationships with staff.
  • Staff share information with parents each day about the activities children have enjoyed and their care routines.
  • Children know to stop and look both ways when crossing a road, checking for cars approaching.
  • Children make marks in the soil with sticks and climb trees, which helps them to develop their physical skills.

Areas to develop

  • 1Repeated failures to meet the legal requirements demonstrates significantly poor leadership of the setting.
  • 2Managers do not receive the training, supervision or support they need from the provider to make and sustain improvements.
  • 3Staff do not consistently implement the setting's risk assessments.
  • 4The deployment of staff does not meet children's needs.
  • 5The setting is visibly dirty throughout.
  • 6Handwashing arrangements are poor.
  • 7Leaders are unable to outline what they want children to learn and be able to do from their time at the setting.
  • 8Educational programmes are not sequenced to ensure children's knowledge builds over time.
  • 9Teaching does not take account of, or prepare children for, the next stage in their education.
  • 10Leaders do not understand the seven areas of learning or how children learn.
  • 11Staff do not provide high-quality interactions that extend children's play or learning.
  • 12Children spend extended amounts of time without any planned or purposeful teaching.
  • 13Support of children's communication and language is poor.
  • 14Staff do not give children time to think or respond to questions.
  • 15Children who are quieter, or who have delays in their communication and language development, spend extended periods without adult interactions.
  • 16Support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not implemented throughout the day.
Inspection #10398004 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff meet with the parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and put in place targeted support plans. However, these plans do not always do enough to ensure children make good progress in all areas of need, and children who need additional support are often left to play for long periods without meaningful adult engagement.

Outdoor space

Children spend time at the local parks each day. When walking there, staff remind them of the rules for keeping safe, teaching road safety. Children make marks in the soil with sticks and climb trees, which helps them to develop their physical skills.

Parent Reviews of Middlewood Nature Nursery

4.8
(17)
Rebecca Gibson
a year ago

Middlewood Nature Nursery is such a lovely place, my little girl has been there for 2 years now and we've always had a positive experience here. The staff are so kind and nurturing and go above and beyond to support not just your child but you as a parent whenever you need it. My little girl has gone from being shy/anxious with other children to thriving and being full of confidence (because of the extra play plans the nursery put in place to support us with this). My little girl always comes home full of stories of their adventures out in the woods that day, she has so much fun here and I love that she's not cooped up indoors. I will always recommend this nursery and will be here for many years to come!

Read on Google
Vicky Peace
a year ago

Since starting at the nursery December 2024 we have found the staff and the setting at Middlewood Nature Nursery to be amazing for our daughter. She is coming on leaps and bounds with her confidence and skills - and we know a massive factor in her development are the nursery setting & staff, particularly her key worker, who has worked so hard to settle her in successfully (and settle our nerves). We had no idea how we were going to cope with our baby going to nursery whilst we returned to work, but we knew we wanted her to attend a forest school setting. Being outdoors is so important to us, it is where our daughter is her happiest and most content. We’ve also found that our baby is hardly ever poorly, and we’re certain this is because she is spending the majority of her time outside! From the very first contact we had with staff at the nursery we found the staff to be so polite and welcoming. As we are a same sex couple we have found the MNN staff and parent community to be super inclusive. We know our daughter has the best days when she is at nursery, she comes home happy and often with new skills or words. Her key worker encourages her signing with Makaton, as we sign with our daughter at home, this helps with consistency and means a lot to us. The nursery staff and cook have also been great about allergies and we are confident our daughter won’t eat wanting she is allergic too whilst she’s there! We’re so happy we chose this nursery and can’t thank them enough for everything so far.

Read on Google
Daisy-Ann Francis
a year ago

A fantastic EY setting! The staff are all well trained and are always looking for chances to expand their knowledge and expertise. There’s a great emphasis on developing independence skills as well as physical, cognitive, communication, and emotional. My little girl loves spending her days in nature. She has fantastic relationships with staff who nurture and encourage her to be her best brave and cheeky self! Couldn’t ask for more from a nursery. Will always recommend.

Read on Google
Jake Pearson
a year ago

Our daughter is 18 months and has attended Middlewood Nature Nursery since she was six months. She completely thrives in the outdoor setting, the holistic approach so closely aligned to our own core family values that she immediately feels at home whenever she arrives at nursery. She and the staff have formed incredibly strong bond, and her development in so many areas, including speech (both verbal and Makaton), confidence, empathy, bravery, kindness, to name but a few, has so exceeded any expectations we could ever have had. Middlewood encourages children to ask questions, to self-assess situations, and ultimately make their own decisions; thinking for themselves. I cannot commend the staff highly enough, constantly ensuring our daughter is safe, happy and incredibly well fed. There is such a family feel about this nursery, it is a wonderful place for children to blossom. I cannot recommend highly enough.

Read on Google
Clare Brady
a year ago

Our daughter Ivy has been attending Middlewood nature nursery for nearly two years, and she loves it! It’s been amazing for her, we’ve found the mixed age groups have really helped her with her speech and language skills, and she has grown in confidence during her time here. We picked the nursery because of the unique opportunity for her to get lots of outdoor based play and learning opportunities, and she loves her days out with her friends in the woods. She’s formed close bonds with her group, and all the wonderful staff. We’ve found the staff looking after Ivy to be kind, caring and nurturing, and they’ve extended this same kindness to us too. We feel certain that she’s in good hands, and having lots of fun when she’s at nursery.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Middlewood Nature Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Ofsted records show this provider has closed and was never graded. There's no inspection history to display.

Frequently asked about Middlewood Nature Nursery

Nearby day nurseries in Sheffield

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Middlewood Nature Nursery.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more