Mazehill Nursery

Two buildings give Mazehill Nursery a clear division between its youngest children and preschool life: children up to three use the main nursery, while those aged three to five have a separate building, each with its own outdoor area. This Chapeltown setting combines that physical separation with an emphasis on investigation and discovery. Its accepted nursery ages run from three months to five years.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged Mazehill Good, found safeguarding effective and praised the prompt identification and support of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, while asking staff to stretch children's thinking and give them greater creative freedom. Later welfare action makes the date of that judgement important: the June 2026 follow-up described improvements, alongside temporary toileting arrangements and staff supervision still being introduced.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different attendance patterns. Meals and snacks are included in session fees.

Rooms and Ages

Babies, from three months to two years, have sensory exploration in the baby unit; Toddlers, aged two to three, move towards practical investigations; Pre-School, for three- to five-year-olds, combines more complex exploration with preparation for school. These are different emphases within the nursery's discovery approach, rather than a single description applied to every age.

The separate preschool building gives the older group its own setting for this next stage. Both buildings have outdoor play areas, so outdoor provision belongs to each part of the nursery rather than being confined to the older children. Dedicated baby rooms and opportunities to move between activities add to the physical picture.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, learning sits alongside play, communication, physical development and relationships. Mazehill adds Discovery Learning, its name for practical exploration and investigation activities. Science & Nature brings STEM activities and exploration of the natural world, while Technology Integration uses technology suited to children's ages. Creative Exploration adds imaginative play and opportunities to express ideas.

In October 2022, babies played instruments alongside familiar songs, and older children discussed what might happen next in stories. Staff watched children's play and used it to plan their next learning steps. Those examples show how everyday play could support language and thinking, but the same visit identified occasions when teaching stopped short of extending children's ideas.

Creative choice was another weakness in October 2022. Some craft work followed an adult's intended result, leaving children less room to decide what to make or how it should look. For parents, the useful distinction is between children completing a planned product and children making their own creative decisions.

Outdoor and Community Life

During October 2022, outdoor apparatus gave children opportunities to practise climbing and balancing. Road safety week included a visit from a crossing patrol worker and practice crossing safely, connecting a nursery activity with a practical skill beyond it. The All about me theme explored families, identity and different jobs. These are dated examples of the nursery day, rather than promises about the current activity calendar.

In October 2022, settling involved time getting to know families and giving new children affection and reassurance. Older children served food and poured water for themselves, bringing independence into lunchtime routines. Parents could join morning stay-and-play opportunities, and communication combined conversations with daily written diaries and ideas for learning at home.

The current deputy manager has undertaken SEN training. That is a concrete staff-development detail; families choosing care for a child with additional needs should consider the individual arrangements their child will use rather than treating training alone as an assurance.

Ofsted's June 2026 complaint outcome recorded a welfare requirements notice following the 11 June visit, with actions covering hazards, risk assessment, hygiene, fire safety, toileting privacy and supervision, and described improvements at the 30 June follow-up, when toileting privacy still relied on temporary measures and supervision arrangements were beginning. Fire routes had been cleared and replacement extinguishers installed; staff understanding of risk assessment had also been strengthened.

This later position deserves weight alongside the older Good judgement. The June actions followed environmental hazards and weaknesses in risk assessment addressed in November 2024, making the recurrence relevant to families. The latest June outcome described progress, but it did not explicitly confirm that every action had been completed. That calls for specific scrutiny of the arrangements children now use.

Sessions and Attendance

Mazehill operates at 61-65 Burncross Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield, S35 1RX, opening Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 8am to 6pm. An early start from 7.45am carries a separate charge, as does additional time beyond a booked session.

Attendance is across the year, with bank holidays and a week at Christmas closed. For older siblings, the Out of School Club provides care before and after school during term time and holiday care for children aged five to twelve. Its holiday provision also covers school breaks and inset days; this is separate from the nursery-age booking choices.

Enquiries can go to Mazehill.Nursery@1stsafari.com or 01757 210333, option 4. An initial application is followed by a fuller registration pack before a child starts.

Funding and Paid Extras

Mazehill accepts 15-30 funded hours, subject to eligibility, with funded attendance confined to 8am to 6pm and no top-up fees. Its branch application includes funded options for three- and four-year-olds and for eligible two-year-olds, alongside private childcare. Time outside the funded window is a separate paid arrangement.

Meals and snacks are included in session fees, including funded sessions. Activities and daily updates are also included in the fee structure. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the Mazehill fees page sets out the session and additional-hours structure.

• June welfare action. At the 30 June 2026 follow-up, toileting privacy depended on temporary arrangements and staff supervision was being introduced. On a visit, ask to see the completed privacy arrangements and how supervision and safety checks now operate.
• Children's own ideas. In October 2022, some teaching missed opportunities to extend thinking, and some crafts were too directed by adults. Ask how today's investigations and creative activities let children make decisions and pursue their own ideas.
• The early-start boundary. The 7.45am start is separately charged, while funded hours begin at 8am. Families needing that earlier start should include it in their written quotation and clarify what personal care supplies they need to bring.

Mazehill suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon care or full-day attendance, with a separate preschool building and an investigation-led offer that changes with children's ages. Included meals and clearly separated early-start charges help explain the practical arrangement.

The decision needs more than the October 2022 Good judgement. June 2026 welfare action, recurring environmental concerns and the temporary arrangements described at the follow-up warrant close attention. The nursery's physical layout and session choices give parents concrete reasons to consider it; completion and sustained operation of the welfare measures should carry substantial weight in choosing it.