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The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-school

Ofsted: Good
(Jul 2021)
·
4.4(5 parent reviews) ·The Strand, Nottingham, NG9 6AS · Nottinghamshire
Number of places
26 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2021
Local authority
Nottinghamshire

About this day nursery

The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery and Pre-School is a family-operated establishment located in Attenborough, near Beeston, offering childcare for children aged 0-5 years. The nursery employs qualified and long-standing staff, focusing on nurturing each child's interests and encouraging imagination through exploration and outdoor play.

They are committed to environmental responsibility and leverage their proximity to Attenborough nature reserve for weekly Forest School sessions for pre-school children during term time, as well as regular outdoor walks and exploration. The nursery operates across two sites and provides freshly prepared, balanced, and nutritious meals.

They have been recognised as a ‘Top 20 Rated Nursery in East Midlands’ and invite prospective families to view testimonials and their photo gallery to learn more about their activities. They also have a sister nursery in West Bridgford.

Our ethos

Our focus is on each child's interests, encouraging every child to learn by exploring and expanding their own imagination, using as much outdoor and natural play as possible, while doing our bit to help the environment too.

What it's like

There is a buzz of excitement as children confidently move around their playroom choosing their play. Children relish playing outside and develop a sense of wonder, engaging in activities such as squirting squeezy bottles, painting, making potions and stirring "witch's soup". Children build good relationships with staff and each other, demonstrating positive attitudes and good behaviour.

Family-runForest SchoolOutdoor play-focusedTop 20 Rated Nursery

Pricing & funding

Fees are charged on a weekly, full day, or half day session basis, valid from April to September 2025. An early start is available on request for an additional charge. Meal fees are billed separately for children attending funded sessions.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)

Good to know

  • Closed for one week between Christmas and New Year and on all Bank Holidays.
  • An early start at 7.30am is available on request for an additional daily fee.
  • Additional fees apply for meals during funded sessions.

Key facts

Food

balanced and nutritious meals freshly prepared on site

Opening hours

Monday - Friday 8am - 6:00pm

Age range

0-5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2018

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-school

Last inspected 13 July 2021 · Jan Hughes

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

There is a buzz of excitement as children confidently move around their playroom choosing their play. Children relish playing outside and develop a sense of wonder, engaging in activities such as squirting squeezy bottles, painting, making potions and stirring "witch's soup". Children build good relationships with staff and each other, demonstrating positive attitudes and good behaviour.

Inspector highlights

  • The management team is strong and reflective, providing a varied and rich curriculum that considers children's individual needs.
  • Staff put time and effort into ensuring all children are nurtured and effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.
  • Staff support children's communication and language development well by engaging in face-to-face conversations, asking relevant questions, and introducing new words.
  • Partnership with parents is a strength, with parents stating that staff are approachable and they receive varied information about their children's day and progress.
  • Staff take part in regular training to support their professional development, recently attending a course to develop children's awareness of their senses.

Areas to develop

  • 1develop staff's interactions with children so that they utilise all opportunities to extend children's thinking skills and deepen their knowledge
  • 2review the deployment of staff during changes in routine, to minimise the time children sit without being occupied, particularly during lunchtime
Inspection #10174850 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

The inspector took account of the views of parents through talking to them by telephone.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language effectively to help them make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator does their best to secure additional support and funding for these children.

Outdoor space

Children relish playing outside and develop a sense of wonder. They squirt squeezy bottles, paint on large pieces of paper, make potions and stir 'witch's soup'. This ignites children's imagination and also helps to develop their small-muscle skills in readiness for early writing.

Parent Reviews of The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-school

4.4
(5)
James Bonella
6 years ago

This is an amazing place to send your children. My son started when he was one. This can be a tough time for new parents. Our son like many cried when left. The staff at Attenborough were amazing. Always putting us at ease and letting us call as many times through the day as we wished. This really helped rather than worrying all day at work. My son did settle and this was due to him forming a strong a real bond with his key worker. The staff at Attenborough know our son really well and can tell when he may be a little under the weather. They always look after him as well as you’d wish. The nursery also put up with us wanting to use reusable nappies. They’re keen to mirror what we do at home as much as possible. Including nap schedules and food preferences. My son has made great developments, has gained confidence and has developed real bonds with many members of staff. The children undertake a range of activities. We love that the children regularly go outside too (every day).

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Catherine Kelly
4 years ago

Lovely staff who provide are really nurturing environment for the children. Placed in a great location with a wide variety of activities available to take part in. Unfortunately, management let the team down with poor communication, lack of transparency surrounding their policies and virtually no working in partnership with parents which resulted in me moving my son away from here. The deposit was also not returned and emails have been ignored.

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Marc Hartley
11 years ago

Just can't take it highly enough great environment for kids to learn & develop

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-school. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

13 July 2021

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

Frequently asked about The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-school

About the setting

The Secret Garden Pre-School (Attenborough) registered in 2018 and is located in Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The pre-school employs 12 members of childcare staff, with one holding a foundation degree in early years and 10 holding relevant early years qualifications at levels 3 and 4. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

URN
EY556296
Registered person
Secret Garden Childcare Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises

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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