Thurgoland Childcare
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Sheffield for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2000, with 35 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
S35 7ALWhat 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, 7 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and are greeted by enthusiastic leaders and staff, who care for children well. Staff follow children's interests and create a wide range of activities and experiences for children to enjoy. Older children enjoy baking together. Staff organise activities so that all children have an active role. Children follow the recipe cards to identify what ingredients to add to the mixture. Staff are patient, they sit or kneel at children's height so that they are available to support children. Children concentrate and staff challenge them to try new tasks, such as cracking eggs. As a result, children learn to be confident and have a go during real experiences.
Staff focus the curriculum on developing key areas of children's independence, including being healthy, creative, active, exploring the world and preparing for the future. They introduce babies to creative activities so that they can develop fine motor skills, enjoy sensory experiences and get messy. For example, babies manipulate the texture of crispy cereals. Staff have high expectations of children and offer lots of opportunities to develop their independence. Younger children help to tidy up outside and learn to take off their coats and shoes. As a result, children are engaged, interested and make excellent progress.
Staff develop children's literacy skills. They encourage older children to gather together on the mat to share a story. Children are excited and engaged as they vote for a favourite story. They join in with familiar words and phrases. Staff create family photobooks for children. This ignites children's interest in language, communication and oracy. Children relish opportunities to explain about their families and pets.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- explore ways to enhance babies' and very young children's engagement during welcome activities, such as by reducing distractions - support staff to further extend children's understanding and thinking skills, such as by asking more effective questions.
- 7 October 2024Good
- 23 January 2019Good
- 24 August 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Thurgoland Childcare
- 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.