Children 1st @ Chesterfield
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chesterfield for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 2000, with 73 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
S44 5BLWhat 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, 5 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all ages spend a large amount of time playing outdoors. Staff closely supervise children as they use large play equipment. Pre-school children develop their coordination and strength in their legs and arms as they play on tyre swings.
They demonstrate that they understand how to use the weight of their body to make the tyre spin around. Babies have their own garden space where they can safely crawl and walk. They smile and giggle as they shake and bang instruments to create noise. Staff wrap babies up warmly and gently settle them to sleep in prams outside.
Children are creative and use their imaginations as they play together in the mud kitchen. Staff encourage and support them to take turns with baking equipment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure staff provide accurate information in response to children's questions n support staff to deliver the curriculum for mathematics effectively, to enhance children's understanding of number, shape and measure.
- 5 May 2022Good
- 14 August 2013Outstanding
- 5 March 2012Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Children 1st @ Chesterfield
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- 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
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? 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.