Children 1st @ Sheffield

Breedon House Nurseries, 39 Scotland Street, Sheffield S3 7BS
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9.9 199 Reviews
  • Children 1st @ Sheffield, Sheffield
Children 1st @ Sheffield is judged to be 'Outstanding in all Areas' by Ofsted (February 2018) and is located within easy reach of Sheffield city centre. It has been refurbished to offer a bright and spacious learning environment for children aged from birth to five years.

A dedicated and enthusiastic team of early years staff are fully trained and experienced to support the children's healthy growth and development. The nursery has high staff-to-child ratios to ensure each child receives high-quality care.

The age-appropriate rooms have 'free-flow' access to a spacious outdoor garden which has designed to maximise the potential for outdoor play in all weather conditions.

The nursery also provides plenty of extra learning opportunities including Funky Feet dance classes for children aged between two and five years and a sports skills class with Sheffield Wednesday community coaches.

Children 1st @ Sheffield also operates an 'out of school' club for children up to twelve years of age and offers fully grant funded places for children aged three and four years.

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Care Provided by Children 1st @ Sheffield

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Deborah Thorne (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 38
  • Total Places for Children
  • 148
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Children 1st @ Sheffield Reviews (199)

Total of 199, showing 81-100
9.9

Children 1st @ Sheffield has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.881) out of 10, based on 57 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Children 1st @ Sheffield has 199 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 191
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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 30 September 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Children 1st nursery was recommended to us by a friend and we are really pleased that our daughter is staying here. The staff, from management to care, are really caring, kind, friendly and most professional. Our little one is really excited about her nursery days to go and play with her friends. She
knows everyone by their names. During the covid pandemic, the team very flexible in accommodating our needs and totally understandable. Overall, really happy, as a family, with all the care and service we receive. All our concerns regarding our little one have always been looked after.

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Review from Sweela N (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter joined Children 1st @ Sheffield in January 2020. Before selecting any nursery for my daughter, I visited many nurseries but after visiting Children 1st @ Sheffield I was really impressed with the way they were working with children and I was having very high expectations and hopes. I must
say from day one, my daughter really enjoyed her time in the nursery and every time she has off from nursery she insists to go to nursery. I have seen a big change in her personality. Although she has spent a little time in the nursery due to covid-19. All the staff are well trained, cooperative, friendly and understanding. They offer high-quality food with different varieties. I am very happy as they are delivering what I was expecting from them. I totally recommended this nursery to everyone as its a perfect place for a child's personal growth and learning experience while having some fun at the same time.

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Review from Holly B (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

After visiting 20+ nurseries we finally found Children 1st. A wonderful nursery! Our daughter thoroughly enjoyed her time here. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to others and we’ll certainly be sending our other children.

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Review from Laura A (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son started at the nursery around 7 months and is now nearly 2 years old. The staff are excellent and the nursery itself always looks clean (in fact they’ve been updating a lot of the areas recently although it looked fine before the updates). They are good at keeping in contact or discussing any
concerns you may have. Also, find the app updates useful and fun! And a diary system for the daily updates. They have been very flexible in accommodating needs during COVID, including a phased return, which was appreciated. My son enjoys going and seems to have lots of fun!

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Review from Danielle T (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little boy originally joined the baby room last December and progressed to the toddler room just before lockdown. We were really worried about how he would respond returning after such a long time away but he absolutely loves it and is thriving! We can already see an improvement in his language and
social skills after only a few weeks back. He even asks to go on his days off! The staff are incredibly caring and invested in the children. Their passion for the job is evident and the setting is extremely well managed. Communication is fantastic with daily verbal hand-overs and notes in his diary. I am an early years specialist teacher (with very high standards!) and when looking at nurseries, the most important thing for my husband and I, was to find a setting which prioritised strong, nurturing relationships with the children and was a warm, caring and friendly place for our boy to spend his time. Breedon House has this in abundance - it really is an excellent setting.

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Review from Rami F (Father of Child) published on 14 September 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My first boy joined this nursery in August 2020, he really loved it and so delighted with the way all the staff treated him, so I strongly recommend this perfect nursery for everyone looking for the best for his kids. Hope they keep moving forward just the way they do. Kind regards.

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Review from Rebecca S (Mother of Child) published on 9 July 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our little boy has loved his time at Children 1st and he has developed so much since starting. We were slightly nervous when he started nursery at 17-months because we had just moved city and until that time he was at home with me full time. The staff at Children 1st (particularly those looking after
the Bobtails Red room) were wonderful though and made his settling in experience very positive. I called on his first day and was reassured by his key worker that he was fine. It was good to be able to have direct contact with his key workers if required. After that first day I didn't call to check in on him again, because I was so confident that he would be happy and fine at nursery. I love that the children spend time outside in the morning and afternoon, no matter what the weather is like. Meals are a high standard and provide variety for the childminders in a healthy way. I would definitely be happy to recommend Children 1st to any parent looking for an excellent nursery environment.

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Review from Marzena J (Mother of Child) published on 12 May 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Children 1st nursery is a great nursery located in Sheffield city centre, which is really convenient for parents working nearby. The nursery staff are really friendly and they take good care of my son. I am informed about his progress throughout a day, including when he slept, used a potty, what he
ate and how did he spend his time. I was really impressed with the support and understanding of our chosen method of potty training which we did back in February. Staff got really on board, especially one from Peter Rabbits, as she even learned how to say a couple of Polish words to help my son using the potty in the nursery.

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Review from Alex K (Mother of Child) published on 17 April 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has attended Children 1st @ Sheffield since he was 6 months old (he is now 19 months old) and when we were viewing nurseries before my return to work, Children 1st really stood head and shoulders above the rest. We have had such an amazing experience from day one, with caring and attentive staff
who have really taken the time to get to know my son, and me and my husband. Since attending, my son has absolutely flourished.
Children 1st would definitely be my first choice, every time, and I recommend them every time.

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Review from Richard K (Father of Child) published on 17 April 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This nursery and the staff are excellent. All the staff are incredibly nice, approachable, and attentive to both the needs of the children and their parents. My son loves going to nursery and his physical, educational, and emotional development has come on leaps and bounds thanks to the dedication of
the staff. I would not hesitate to recommend this nursery to anyone.

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Review from Hannah D (Mother of Child) published on 31 March 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter currently attends the Sheffield branch of Children 1st and I've never regretted sending her here. The level of care and development she receives is second to none and we've always been able to build a strong rapport with key workers.
We get an update every day on how she's doing via a daily
diary and receive regular photos and videos via an app.
There is plenty of play space for the kids and outdoor areas for them to run around in. The recent renovation of the nursery looks amazing too.
The only minor grumbles I have are:
1. If you go on holiday then you still have to pay for nursery days (there's no holiday allowance). Even on a flexible contract they still can be quite funny if you book in for fewer days a week than usual.
2. Whilst they have a lovely wide range of food, the desserts they get can be very sugar-based (e.g. she could have crumble for lunch and then cake for tea as part of her food). Albeit snacks are always fruit-based.

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Review from Laura J (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This is a fantastic nursery.
Lovely setting, great staff and management group.
Very happy with the care given to my child.
Would highly recommend.

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Review from Chelsey H (Mother of Child) published on 30 May 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter started Children 1st Sheffield in January this year. The staff in her Peter Rabbits class are fantastic, they are extremely approachable and they all know her and what she's been up to for the day. My daughter loves her key worker, on a morning she gets a bit anxious and her key worker
picks her up for a while and will show her all the toys and activities she likes while she gets settled. The reception staff and manager are lovely, we have had to ask them a few questions from time to time and they are always happy to help. Our daughter has come on loads since she started there and is communicating better than ever. I would highly recommend.

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Review from Kelly H (Mother of Child) published on 10 May 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot recommend this nursery enough. My daughter has been coming here for a year now and loves it. I was really lucky and she settled straight away. My daughter started when she was 1 and this was mainly due to the fact she was born prematurely. The staff are amazing and each key worker she has had
has gone above and beyond, nothing is ever too much trouble. The staff and managers took her prematurity into account when it came to her development and she stayed longer in the baby room due to this. She is now 2 and thriving and I fully believe nursery has played a big part in that. At nursery there are new learning opportunities every day including activities that you wouldn't necessarily do at home. The daily diary and EYlog ensure that as parents we are kept up to date with her current next steps and her development. I love getting the updates and seeing her playing with all of her friends at nursery. I fully recommend this nursery and wouldn't send my little girl anywhere else.

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Review from Rachel C (Mother of Child) published on 10 May 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This is simply an amazing nursery. My daughter has been going here for just over a year now, having started when she was about 10 months old. I was extremely anxious about returning to work after my first child, particularly as she was exclusively breastfed at the time.
I looked around many nurseries
but as soon as I stepped foot in here, I knew this was 'the one'. The staff are lovely and friendly, whilst remaining very professional and have made the whole process so much easier. They really are committed and endeavour to do lots of activities on a daily basis. My little girl absolutely loves this place and that to me speaks volumes. Highly recommend.

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Review from J (Mother of Child) published on 10 May 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This is a great nursery, very friendly and professionally run. Staff are really communicative, so you feel very much in the loop about your child's development. At the same time, they work hard to ensure your child is happy, well fed, well-slept and attentively looked after - with a good balance between
routine and individual care. My son really enjoys his time at nursery, and always has a varied day of activities with plenty of time outside and lots of creative play.

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Review from M H (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A great nursery that delivers a varied experience for my child. My daughter has grown in confidence and is nurtured by the staff. The staff are professional and work hard to get the best out of my child.

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Review from Badour A (Mother of Child) published on 16 April 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Best nursery in Sheffield. My kid has been at this nursery since 2017. He is now 3 and this is the last year for us here. He loved it so much and of course, he will miss it. All the staff are friendly and care.


I strongly recommend this nursery to all my friends here in Sheffield.


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Review from Anood A S (Mother of Child) published on 16 April 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are friendly. The place is clean. There is a noticeable progress, you will notice in your child due to the various and interactive activities they do in the nursery. I really like the curriculum and the teaching staff are well-equipt with ways to deal with kids and their problems.

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Review from Grey C (Father of Child) published on 12 April 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Children 1st organisation at Sheffield is tremendous, my son attends 2 days per week and absolutely loves his time there. This is due to thoroughly committed, professional and caring staff at every level of the service. You cannot put a price on feeling and knowing that your child is loved and cared
for in a supportive, safe and effective learning environment. In my experience, the reassuring feeling and knowledge of this being the case, has come as standard at Children 1st Sheffield.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.881)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.881) out of 10 for Children 1st @ Sheffield is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 57 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 56 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.881 for Children 1st @ Sheffield is calculated as follows: ( (639 Excellents x 5) + (27 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) + (12 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 681 Ratings = 4.881

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Children 1st @ Sheffield is based on 56 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 148 number of registered child places is 29.6, which has been reached with 56 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Meet the Team (1)

Deborah

Deborah Thorne

Job Title: Manager - Early Years

Joined: 1993

My Name is Deborah Thorne and I am the Early Years Nursery Manager for Children 1st @ Sheffield.


I have been working with children since the age of 16. I qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1993 gaining my N.N.E.B Diploma in Nursery Nursing.


I then worked as a nanny for almost 2 years having sole charge of two boys Edward and Thomas who are now 19 and 21.


I started work for Children 1st Day Nurseries in May 1996 when they purchased the nursery that I was currently working in. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to grow with the Nursery right from day one and have gained a vast amount of experience. I have worked my way up from Nursery Nurse opening the baby unit, to Room Leader then to Deputy Manager and finally on to Nursery Manager in 2000. I have worked with all ages of children and enjoy the challenges that working with different aged children bring but I especially love the Early Years age group and this has been my area of specialism for a number of years.


While I have been with Children 1st I have managed the Newark Nursery for 6 months working with the team and the new Nursery Manager to build up occupancy levels. I then managed St Peters and St Paul Nursery for 2 1/2 years which I really enjoyed as this took me out of my comfort zone and I grew in confidence and was able to develop my own skills. I then came back to the Sheffield Nursery (home) in May 2009 were I have resumed my role as Nursery Manager for the Peter Rabbits and Early Years.


Through my role as Nursery Manager I have worked with diverse cultures and families with different needs and expectations, this has given me the tools to enable me to meet their different needs and make a real difference to children's lives, one of my passions is to be able to offer high quality childcare for ALL children regardless of their status.


My role as Nursery Manager also enables me to work with children with Special Education Needs (SEN) and become a linchpin with families and other members of my Nursery Team, giving our children the best start to their nursery education regardless of their abilities or needs.


I have also built a strong team who I work very closely with and feel I am a good role model to all staff members. I am a qualified NVQ Assessor and gained my Level 4 in Childcare and Education, I enjoy this very much and hope to continue to support all the trainee Nursery Nurses that train with us.


I became a Nursery Manager by chance as I had no desire to become one, I was more than happy being a Nursery Nurse and enjoyed the role as key worker to my children but through a passion for my work and the investment of Margaret I was encouraged to move up the ladder. I enjoy the challenges that being a Nursery Manager brings and feel that over the last 15 years that I have worked for Children 1st Day Nurseries I have gained so much and been able to give so much back.


I believe in the ethos of Children 1st Day Nurseries and am fully committed to our mission statement of: ‘Leading the way, shaping the future’ and providing high quality day care and education, my role as a Nursery Manager enables me to ensure that the children who use our setting are receiving the very best and I can ensure the quality is there all of the time this is why I have stayed with Children 1st Day Nurseries and will continue to stay until I am old and grey (if you let me)


I like lots of things about Children 1st Day Nurseries - the dedication to our small babies that we insist on, the quality environments, the sleeping outside in proper prams, the play experiences that the teams offer, the drive and passion of our teams and the on going commitment that we have to achieving the best that we can be.


I always feel proud when I attend outside training events as I know that out provision is up there with the best.


I hope I inspire other Nursery Nurses to be passionate and proud of the work that we do, and encourage new families to make that brave first step of bringing their children to nursery for the first time to start the education of their children.


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