Station House
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Rotherham for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1994, with 24 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 Barnsley
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Barnsley 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
S63 0BXWhat 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, 18 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The setting is warm and inviting. Children eagerly walk through the door, ready to start their day. They are greeted with smiles as staff ask how they are. This enables children to develop an understanding of their own emotions. They wash their hands as they arrive, ready for breakfast. This helps children to understand good hygiene routines. Children practise their independence skills as they scoop out cereal and pour their own milk for breakfast.
Children's level of engagement is extremely good. They can concentrate for long periods of time, try hard and persevere. They spend time exploring different-sized bears. As they match the bear to the corresponding cup, staff provide encouragement and praise. This allows children to develop high levels of selfesteem. They develop their understanding of the world as they play with farm animals. Staff support them by offering comments, questions and praise when they use new words, such as 'star'. This enables children to further develop their communication and language skills. Children make marks on paper using differentcoloured pencils. This helps to develop their early writing. Once finished, children proudly show their finished product to others.
The outdoor space is well designed to ensure children learn a range of skills. They practise gross movements as they ride bikes, explore climbing equipment and run freely. Staff support children in taking risks as they walk along balance beams together. This helps to build children's confidence in trying new experiences.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide more opportunities for children to choose what and how they play and learn to further develop their independence skills n ensure activities are consistently well adapted to appropriately challenge children of varying ages and stages of development.
- 18 January 2023Good
- 7 June 2017Good
- 4 January 2017Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Station House
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.