Appletree Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Sheffield for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2022. Open since 2008, with 42 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Free Early Learning places for children from the term after they are 9 months old, through to them starting school.
Worth knowing. Eligible children can attend term time only or throughout the year to suit their individual needs. We also offer non-funded places and the flexibility to pick up extra sessions and swap them, subject to availability.
What childcare usually costs in Sheffield
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Sheffield from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
S35 8PRWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 6 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are well cared for by a kind, caring, attentive staff team. Staff focus on supporting children to develop secure bonds with their key person. Children who are new to the nursery and feel unsettled are offered lots of comfort and reassurance. This helps them to begin to feel settled, safe and secure. Children show confidence and behave well as they relate well to the staff team.
Children learn about healthy eating as they plant a range of herbs, fruits and vegetables. They learn where foods come from and, as they have helped to grow them, it also encourages them to try new foods.
Children are supported to develop the fundamental core skills to support their future development. They learn to share and take turns as they are encouraged to interact positively with their peers. Children learn to sit and listen for extended periods of time as they progress through the nursery. Staff help children to learn to vocalise their needs and to recognise and deal appropriately with their emotions.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff who work with children aged two to three years to use simple language and not ask too many questions when building on children's growing vocabulary
- review staff practice more closely to ensure all staff are consistently implementing the planned curriculum so that each experience provided is pitched at the right level to build effectively on children's prior learning.
- 6 September 2022Good
- 5 October 2016Good
- 8 May 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Appletree Nursery
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.