Kingswood Day Nursery & Preschool

Twigs become painting tools, caterpillars become butterflies, and everyday independence gets deliberate attention at Kingswood Day Nursery & Preschool on Furniss Avenue in Sheffield. Community walks and natural materials give this nursery a recognisable character: children bring things back from outdoors and put them to work in their play. There is a practical thread running through the activities, from talking about sun protection to preparing older children to dress themselves.

At its 16 June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Kingswood Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying uneven staff knowledge of individual children’s learning as the improvement priority. That judgement belongs to 2022. The nursery has capacity for 60 children, with an accepted age range of 2 to 60 months.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room activities in September 2024 used mirrors, personal All About Me booklets and songs about body parts to help children explore themselves. The Toddler Room’s June 2026 activities included caring for caterpillars and observing their transformation, giving children something living to follow over time. In the same month, Pre-School children collected leaves, pebbles and twigs on walks, then used them for pictures and water play.

These examples show different ways into learning rather than a single activity repeated across age groups. For the youngest children, the starting point was their own reflection and familiar body parts; older children could collect, compare and repurpose objects. The materials were simple. Their uses were varied.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care; in everyday terms, play and ordinary routines provide opportunities to develop language, physical skills and independence. In September 2024, Kingswood’s All About Me theme connected start-of-term activities with children’s identities and supported settling. In September 2024, looking through personal booklets and pointing to features in mirrors made that theme concrete for babies.

In June 2022, language work included a word of the month, with chosen vocabulary revisited through movement, songs and conversations about texture. Books also had a physical place in each room, with both factual titles and stories accessible to children. Story sessions used puppets and visual aids, helping children take part rather than simply listen.

Choice had a tangible form in June 2022: children used cubes to vote for an activity, and staff explained how the winning choice was decided. This made a group decision visible. Alongside it, babies selected their own toys, while older children served themselves at lunch, bringing independence into small parts of the day.

Outdoor and Community Life

A woodland area opposite the building supported nature walks in September 2024. Collected sticks became tools for painting, while other finds were added to playdough and explored through conversations about texture. Finds from the walks became resources for indoor painting and sensory play.

June 2026 brought further walks and the collection of loose parts for creative work and water play. Children in the Toddler and Pre-School rooms also watched caterpillars develop before releasing the butterflies. These are concrete opportunities to notice change and use objects in more than one way.

Celebrations bring books and family participation into the programme too. In March 2025, World Book Day included character costumes, favourite books brought from home and activities developed around the stories. A sponsored listen/read at home supported new book purchases, with Usbourne Books involved. Costumes were part of the celebration, so families who enjoy joining in have a clear role beyond supplying a book.

Relationships and Communication

In June 2022, settling sessions gathered information from parents to help staff respond to children’s needs. Communication included daily conversations, progress updates, newsletters and meetings with parents. The practical value was continuity: information from home informed the start of nursery life, and conversations continued after the initial settling period.

Parent workshops provide a more hands-on connection. Every term includes a couple of workshops; the October 2025 Pre-School event used an autumn theme, with pumpkin painting and chocolate sparkler making. Families could participate in activities alongside their children, giving them a concrete view of how play was organised.

In September 2024, support also extended to resources families could borrow. Parent Information Packs covered New Baby, Toothbrushing, Ditching the Dummy, Sleep Times and Potty Training. These concentrated on familiar changes and routines at home, making the parent relationship about practical help as well as updates on activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2026, sun-safety learning covered shade breaks, drinking water, hats and sunscreen. Makaton was used to help communicate those messages, adding another way to explain the routines. This is a specific communication practice, rather than a general assurance about support for additional needs.

Preparation for school in June 2026 emphasised dressing, toileting and confidence in separating from grown-ups. These are useful everyday skills for the next stage. The emphasis is on helping children manage familiar tasks themselves.

The June 2022 inspection’s learning concern deserves equal attention: some staff could not describe individual gaps confidently enough to plan the next steps securely. For parents, the useful distinction is between an engaging activity and an activity chosen because it addresses what their particular child needs next.

Kingswood’s address is Furniss Avenue, Sheffield, S17 3QP. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0114 235 3322, or through the contact form by selecting Kingswood Day Nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, across the year. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day are closure days. The broad opening window is useful for families whose working day starts early or finishes late; it describes the hours the nursery opens.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation statement, separate from the current attendance arrangements a family will agree.

• Individual learning. The June 2022 improvement priority concerned staff understanding of each child’s development. At a visit, ask how practitioners identify your child’s next steps and explain the purpose of planned activities.
• Funding and everyday costs. Funded education was provided in June 2022. Before agreeing attendance, ask which current entitlements Kingswood accepts and how meals, nappies, wipes and other consumables are handled within your proposed arrangement.
• Family participation. Termly workshops and World Book Day activities create opportunities to join in. Consider whether the workshop timetable and costume occasions fit your family’s routine.

Kingswood suits families who value natural materials, community walks and practical independence, with an opening window that can accommodate early starts and later finishes. Its recent activities connect outdoor discoveries with creative play, while workshops give families concrete ways to participate; in September 2024, borrowable parent packs added practical support for home routines.

The Good judgement dates to June 2022, and the accompanying concern about individual learning remains an important question for a visit. The strongest decision rests on both parts: the appeal of the activities and how clearly staff can explain what those activities will do for your child.