Woodlands Pre-School: Comeback story for 'Outstanding' Sheffield nursery six years on from devastating report

Owner Emma Wood took over Woodlands Pre-School from her mum and dad in 2014, 30 years after the couple opened it from a converted barn. It was a rocky start when inspectors graded Woodlands ‘Inadequate’ in their first visit under the new banner in 2016 – but, in the face of a glowing new report, that’s all forgotten now.

After years of upgrading their outdoor play area, focusing on their curriculum and putting in the hard work, the daycare on Myers Grove Lane has now been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas, making it one of the highest rated in the city.

In the flawless report published in early March, the education watchdog wrote: “Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this warm, caring and exciting nursery. They rapidly acquire the confidence to explore the vibrant and tactile environment that they play and learn in.

“Staff constantly model good manners. Children's physical development and appreciation of healthy lifestyles are strongly developed. Children are very physically active throughout the day, and they benefit from the nursery's well-prepared, nutritious meal.”

Inspectors were charmed by day to day life at Woodlands Pre-school. The daycare conducts a forest school with fields and woods for children to play outside, where rope swings and climbing frames are on offer. Children even help feed and raise lambs born on site in their own paddocks.

Other compliments were paid to the children’s love of books and stories. Staff use songs and rhymes to help children play together and inspectors found little ones had “a rich and broad vocabulary”.

Emma Wood told The Star: “It feels amazing to get this rating. It’s a bit surreal, honestly.

“It’s nice to be appreciated. We’ve worked really hard over the last six years since the last inspection. We’ve developed the outside play area and written our own curriculum.

“We have a well established team and all share that same passion and vision for what we need to do for the children. We’ve worked hard, we have amazing parents and just want to give children the best possible start they can get.”