Shardlow Hall Day Nursery

Eight acres, a horse yard and woodland trails give Shardlow Hall Day Nursery a clear identity: outdoor exploration is woven into the ordinary nursery day. Children collect eggs, visit animals and explore the grounds, while babies take pushchair outings into the village. For families who want nature to be part of early childhood rather than an occasional outing, there is plenty of substance here.

At its February 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard for achievement and inclusion, Expected standard for curriculum and teaching, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. That is a mixed assessment with clear strengths, rather than an overall grade. The practical reservations concern consistency: staff interactions needed strengthening, and younger children's care needs sometimes received a slow response during meals and snacks.

The nursery accepts children from one month, with rooms progressing from younger babies to preschool. Its address is 83 London Road, Shardlow, Derby, DE72 2GP. Alongside early years care, Acorns provides before-school and after-school provision for older children.

Rooms and Ages

Snowdrops introduces the youngest babies to nursery through sensory exploration and movement, with children usually moving on at around 14 to 18 months according to their readiness and confidence on their feet. This makes the transition about the child as well as their age. The emphasis is on settling before expecting a baby to manage a more active room.

Bluebells, for older babies up to around 24 months, combines outdoor movement with signing, baking, mark making, dance and sensory experiences, giving emerging communication several ways to develop. Buttercups follows Bluebells and takes children up to around three years, with sharing and friendships supported through an attached outdoor classroom, grounds walks and visits to the horse yard.

Willows also follows Bluebells, for children up to around 32 months, and combines gardening club, animal visits, Spanish and mindfulness with an emphasis on social confidence, perseverance and solving problems. These overlapping toddler descriptions make the choice of room an important conversation for families. The child's next stage should be understood as an individual move rather than assumed from the room names alone.

Blossoms prepares preschool children for primary school through outdoor learning and practical independence, including managing coats, preparing snacks and tackling problems. Blossoms Plus extends the preschool provision with an emphasis on school preparation. The useful thread is everyday capability: children practise tasks they will need beyond nursery, rather than school readiness being reduced to early formal work.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the required framework: children develop language, movement, relationships, early literacy and mathematics through play and planned experiences, with observations informing their next steps. Shardlow builds its own curriculum alongside that framework, drawing on its grounds, animals and Forest School. Its curriculum information connects learning with children's interests and the opportunities available on site.

Forest School means practical learning outdoors here, including shelter building, nature crafts, supervised tool exploration and cooking at a fire pit. Sessions take place in the nursery grounds, including an area created by extending the back garden. Those activities give children concrete problems to work through: how to make a shelter, handle a tool carefully or prepare something to eat.

Preschool swimming lessons take place at a local leisure centre as part of the weekly routine. The opportunity takes learning beyond the nursery and introduces water safety alongside a new physical skill. Willows adds Spanish sessions, while Bluebells introduces basic signing; both complement learning within the EYFS framework.

In February 2026, older children discussed food choices and used ingredient measurements during pizza making. Younger children explored oats by touch and warm water with their feet. These examples show how ordinary materials can carry learning: cooking brings conversation and early mathematics together, while sensory exploration gives babies something immediate to investigate and communicate about.

Outdoor and Community Life

The grounds include fields, woodland and nature trails. Babies also explore Shardlow in pushchairs, stopping to watch boats and feed ducks. That broadens outdoor time beyond a single garden and gives staff real things to talk about with children, from movement on the water to animals in the surrounding farmland.

Animal care has practical content. Children feed the nursery animals, gather eggs and visit the horse yard; chickens, horses and an office-based dog are part of the setting. Caring tasks offer repeated opportunities to notice what another living thing needs, rather than animals serving only as something to look at.

Weekly visits to Shardlow Manor, a care home, bring children together with residents for singing, puzzles, colouring and play dough. This is a recognisable community connection with activities children can share across generations. It gives social learning a setting beyond their own age group.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who follows their development, responds to their needs and shares information with parents. Observations help staff plan what comes next. Famly, the nursery's interactive app, supports planning and progress tracking and can be used by parents on a phone, tablet or computer, giving families a continuing connection with learning between conversations.

In February 2026, settling arrangements were adapted to children's ages and individual needs. Room moves could include continuing activities in the previous room, with parents involved in decisions. That is a useful detail for children who find change difficult: moving forward did not require an abrupt break from familiar people and experiences.

Leadership and management roles sit alongside room leaders, and staff have continuing training and development opportunities. The key question is how that training translates into everyday interaction. In February 2026, leaders recognised that some practitioners needed further support, while the improvement priorities called for more consistent teaching exchanges and better support during routine care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND and other learning barriers made rapid progress, supported by individual plans, work with parents and professionals, and adjustments such as targeted help during group activities. This gives families a concrete picture of support: needs were assessed, strategies reviewed and provision changed as children's circumstances developed.

Care routines deserve equal attention. In February 2026, staff generally supported comfortable, safe sleep and respected children's privacy during personal care, but younger children sometimes became upset at snack and lunch because practitioners were occupied with other duties and did not respond promptly. The distinction matters for parents of babies: an engaging curriculum does not remove the need for attentive care at the busiest points of the day.

Nursery cooks make food fresh on site each day, serving breakfast, a morning snack, lunch and a light tea. Menus follow Eat Better Start Better guidance, and the nursery has a special diet policy addressing individual dietary requirements.

Mindfulness has a practical place in the routine through breathing exercises, yoga, sensory activities and quiet reflection. These offer quieter experiences alongside outdoor movement and exploration. They should be understood as activities children take part in, rather than a promise about any individual child's wellbeing.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. This gives families an opening window to compare with working hours, while the precise nursery booking arrangement belongs in the joining conversation.

Acorns serves children aged four to 11. Before-school care runs Monday to Friday and after-school care Tuesday to Thursday, within the stated 7.30am to 6pm operating window; school runs serve Aston-on-Trent Primary School and Weston-on-Trent Primary School. These transport arrangements are useful for families coordinating siblings' days and are separate from any school admissions position.

Getting There

The address is 83 London Road, Shardlow, Derby, DE72 2GP. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01332 799523. The form invites families to describe their enquiry in detail, allowing the first exchange to be about their particular childcare needs.

• Busy care routines. In February 2026, younger children sometimes waited for a response during snacks and lunch, and teaching interactions varied in quality. During a visit, ask what has changed in staff deployment and how leaders now monitor these parts of the day.
• The toddler room move. Buttercups and Willows both follow Bluebells, with different age descriptions and activities. Ask which route would suit your child and how familiar relationships are maintained during the move.
• Attendance and total cost. Compare your intended nursery attendance with the opening window and Acorns' different weekday patterns. What booking options and funded arrangements would apply, and what would the written quotation include for food and non-food consumables?
• Animals and dietary needs. Feeding animals and preparing food are part of the experience. Families managing allergies or other health needs should discuss current dietary practice and how their child's needs would be handled during these activities.

Shardlow Hall suits families who want an outdoor childhood with real tasks and connections: feeding animals, exploring woodland, building shelters and visiting Shardlow Manor. It also serves families combining early years care with before-school or after-school arrangements, although Acorns' weekday coverage differs between the two.

The February 2026 assessment gives inclusion and achievement clear weight, but the concerns about routine care and teaching consistency remain material to the decision. The strongest match is a family drawn to the grounds and practical learning who also gives close attention to how their child will be supported during meals, transitions and other busy moments.