Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school

10 Thornhill Road, (Off Albany Road), Derby DE22 3LX
Review Us
9.9 51 Reviews
  • Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school, Derby
Thornhill Day Nursery in Derby provides outstanding and memorable early years experiences for children aged 0 – 5 years.

Through their award-winning nursery and pre-school in Derby, they offer children a unique way of learning and developing during the crucial years of their early education.

Staff understand the importance of the decision you face when finding the right nursery or pre-school for your child.

Give them a call or get in touch to arrange a visit to Thornhill and discover how they can provide your child with the best start.
Show Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school on the Map

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Rebecca Renolds (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 10

Total Places for Children

  • 74

Age Range

  • from 0 years 1 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • 0-3 Years
    Full Day (7.30am - 6.00pm): £71.00
    Full Week: £340.00


    3+ Years
    Morning (7.30am - 1.00pm): £40.00
    Afternoon (1.00pm - 6.00pm): £38.00
    Full Day (7.30am - 6.00pm): £69.00
    Full Week: £330.0

  • Nursery fees are annualised and billed monthly. Please contact us to find out what your monthly bill would be based on the sessions required.


    Minimum sessions for children aged 0-3 years:
    Children aged 0-3 years may only book full-day sessions. We do not offer half-day sessions to children aged 0-3 years. The minimum number of sessions for children aged 0-3 years is two full days per week. If you book less than three full days, one of those days must be either a Monday or Friday.


    Minimum sessions for children aged 3+ years:
    The minimum number of sessions for children aged 3+ years is three half-day sessions per week or one full-day session plus one half-day session per week. If you book less than three full days, one of those days must be either a Monday or Friday.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school Reviews (51)

9.9

Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.894) out of 10, based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school has 51 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 48
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Date Published
  • 51
  • 2
  • 8
  • 19
  • 32
Reviewer Connection to Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
  • 46
  • 3
  • 2
Total of 51, showing 1-20
Review from Kelly H (Mother of Child) published on 4 December 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little one has been attending Thornhill since Feb 2025 and is absolutely thriving. She took a little while to settle when she first started but the staff were so patient and caring and gave her as many settling-in days as she needed. Now, many months later she loves it and I can see that her speech
and other areas of development have come on leaps and bounds. We get updates and pictures every day which I love and she's always smiling and doing something new and exciting. All the activities provided definitely aid in her development and she always looks like shes having so much fun. The staff are so caring and I never worry when she's in their care. Staff are always quick to reply if I send a message on the app. My little one loves all the staff and even says all their names before bedtime. :) Thank you to everyone at Thornhill.
Reply from Becky Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for sharing this lovely review. It's great to hear how well your little one has settled since February and how much she's grown in confidence and development. Those early weeks can…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Miriam H (Mother of Child) published on 27 October 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff at Thornhill have been brilliant with my little boy. I receive regular updates with photos, what he's eating, how he's sleeping and what he's been up to.
He's only been going a few weeks but has settled in really quickly and seems to be having a great time!
Reply from Becky Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you for your kind words. We're so pleased to hear how quickly your little one has settled into life at Thornhill - it's always lovely to see children growing in confidence so soon after joining.…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Chloe H (Mother of Child) published on 20 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little girl started at the beginning of May 2025. We had numerous settle in sessions, all of which were worked around our lives as well as the baby rooms ratios.
Since our girl has started, she has loved every minute of being at nursery. She comes home each day, so so happy and we have already
seen her progress with her development. She is much more aware of social surroundings, and has come on leaps and bounds with sitting independently.
The baby room staff are so lovely, and have really made us feel at ease with this new change. We couldn't be more pleased with the care they give our little one. The manager has also been super responsive to any questions we have had.
Thank you to each of the staff members that look after our baby. You are stars!!
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you for sharing such kind words about your experience so far. We're so glad your daughter is settling in well and already making such wonderful progress. The baby room team work incredibly hard…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Stefana S (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Such an amazing place!
My son loves to go and enjoys his stay with the ladies in baby room! Two staff members in particular are amazing!
They keep me updated with what he does and any concerns.
Signing up was fast and easy and my son had settling sessions and he loved every minute, the nursery manager
has answered any question I have and is fast and efficient and responding.
I could not recommend a better place!
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're thrilled to hear how much your son enjoys his time in the baby room - the team will be so pleased to know their care and updates are making a difference…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from R S (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one loves her nursery and all the staff. The activities they do are so fun. She learns so many things that we are surprised ourselves of how much she's learned at nursery. Its helped her reach her milestones and we are very very happy with Thornhill.
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
A huge thank you for writing us such a lovely review, I am thrilled that you are happy with the care and early education your child is receiving. The practitioners here are really passionate about…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from K B (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter is flourishing and it's all because of the support from staff and her little friends. I had my concerns as a first time Mum (like so many parents) but she's been loving it. The staff are very accommodating and have made the experience less nerve-wracking! Thank you all!
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review for us, starting your child at nursery for the first time can be a very emotional time and I am really pleased to hear that the practitioners…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from M S (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our experience has been fantastic so far, we are particularly pleased with the staff, management, and facilities. We think that our baby is very well looked after, and we are happy with the way that the nursery handles things and the fact that we see in great detail what happened in the day. A big shout
out to the staff again who are very kind, passionate and put a lot of effort into their jobs. There is one area that I recommend improvement to, and this is the food. I suggest healthier and tastier options, under no circumstances I would give ham or fish fingers at home, to a baby, however, the other options seem to be fine. The facility is amazing, very welcoming, positive, cosy, and overall a great place for our baby. Thank you.
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review, we really appreciate the feedback from our families. I am thrilled you are happy with the team and that you recognise their hard work and passion…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Lauren C (Mother of Child) published on 3 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one loves the time he spends at Thornhill and has built lovely bonds with the staff which is so nice to see! He struggled at first with settling in as starting nursery can be such a big change, but the staff were so kind and patient, they always kept me updated and reassured me along the way.
We chose Thornhill as all the staff have been so friendly as well as professional, everything is very well presented, modern and clean with a great variety of activities even at baby stage and beyond. Cannot thank the staff enough for all they do and for making my little one and us as parents feel so welcome and settled, my son is developing well and picking up lots of new skills every week and Thornhill has been a big contributor to that. We are updated via the app most days on what my son has eaten, nappies and sleep etc which is good. Would very much recommend Thornhill for anyone looking for a fabulous nursery in the area.
Reply from Rebecca Renolds, Nursery Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your lovely review of Thornhill Day Nursery. We are so happy to have your son with us and have the pleasure of watching him grow and flourish throughout…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from J J (Mother of Child) published on 27 August 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The carers are amazing. Nothing is too much trouble. My child loves going to nursery and playing all day. He is a different child since going.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from L M (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves going to nursery here and has recently transitioned from toddlers into preschool. During his time in toddlers he made lovely relationships with the staff, especially one staff member in particular, who always goes above and beyond. She celebrates every success of the children she supports
and the children adore her! Even now my son gets excited when he sees her, a testament to the strong connections staff build with the children in their care. A great nursery with a wonderful team of staff!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from K M (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been here since April 2023. She has flourished very well under the care of the preschool team. They helped us with potty training. They supported us during a very turbulent time and I'm so grateful for the support of the staff. I trust the staff with my child and very rarely have issues.
The focus week is very helpful as it allows me to catch up with the progress of my daughter in the time she is at Thornhill. Thank you to the team.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from A J (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have a wonderful experience with Thornhill Day Nursery. The settling-in was amazing, their staff were all well supportive. My little one is in preschool now, she really enjoys all the activities and the transition/getting ready for school. The preparation the nursery offers is wonderful. The nursery
offers a safe learning environment, and the staff overall are well-trained to meet the educational standards required for the early years. Very pleased with the nursery and will recommend it to any parent!
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review. We are so pleased to hear that you are so happy with the care and early years experiences we offer. It has been a pleasure to have your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from C G (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending this nursery for almost 2 years. She really enjoys the preschool room and finds it a safe and fun environment, where she has made some lovely friends. She is very fond the the staff and always speaks very fondly of them.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review. We are so pleased to hear that you are so happy with the care and early years experiences we offer. It has been a pleasure to have your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from N R (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing nursery. Very caring. My daughter loves coming here and tells me all about her day. Very professional and kind staff, also very clean all the time.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review. We are so pleased to hear that you are so happy with the care and early years experiences we offer. It has been a pleasure to have your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from R W (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are friendly and caring. The staff take an interest in my daughter's life and her development. They always go above and beyond.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review. We are so pleased to hear that you are so happy with the care and early years experiences we offer. It has been a pleasure to have your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Nadine T (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little girl started at Thornhill Day Nursery last September at the age of 9 months. We loved the settling sessions and appreciated that our little girl could have as many as she needed to feel comfortable and happy to attend a full day. Although the nursery doesn't use the term Montessori, the approach
they are taking and the toys and activities are very similar. The children are well looked after, for little ones they offer a lot of motor skills and sensory activities. We could definitely tell how these activities helped our daughter in her progression and growth.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thanks very much for your wonderful review of Thornhill Day Nursery. We are so pleased to hear that you found the settling-in process to be so beneficial and that your daughter is settled and really…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from O Z (Mother of Child) published on 19 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery have been amazing. Great communication and updates from the staff. My daughter has learnt new skills since starting and is always happy and excited to attend nursery.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review. We are so pleased to hear that you are so happy with the care and early years experiences we offer. It has been a pleasure to have your…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from L W (Mother of Child) published on 19 February 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are very friendly they help with stuff like potty training and help my girl learn new things.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Neethi R (Mother of Child) published on 21 December 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very pleased with the care offered and the developmental assessments. Staff are friendly and helpful. My child is enjoying his time and has improved his vocabulary and communication skills. Overall, excellent service with activities and resources.
There is a provision for improvement in snacks.
Reply from Aimee Miller, Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school
Dear Neethi, thank you so much for taking the time to write your lovely review of Thornhill Day Nursery.
We are so pleased to hear that you're so happy with the care we offer here at the nursery and…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Ozana R (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are absolutely amazing and always reassuring with a smile on their faces. As a first-time mum, I was very anxious about my little girl starting nursery but the lovely ladies looking after my daughter always send me updates via the app. Great nursery, would highly recommend. Thank you for all
your hard work ladies.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.894)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.894) out of 10 for Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 19 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 19 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.894 for Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school is calculated as follows: ( (203 Excellents x 5) + (22 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 226 Ratings = 4.894
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school is based on 19 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 74 number of registered child places is 14.8, which has been reached with 19 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

Loading

Loading Loading

Loading

Loading

Awards / Recognitions (15)

Meet the Team (2)

Rebecca

Rebecca Renolds

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2024

Hello,


I’m Becky and I am delighted to be the Nursery Manager here at Thornhill Day Nursery.


I have been working in childcare for 16+ years and have a breadth of knowledge within the sector. I have a BA (Honours) degree in Childhood and Youth studies, as well as a range of other qualifications, including a Level 3 in both Speech & Language support, and Special Educational Needs (SEN).


I understand how important the beginning of a child’s educational journey is, and I strive to make this the best it can be, by ensuring that we meet each child’s individual needs. I have completed lots of work on enabling environments and creating communication-friendly spaces and strongly believe that anything implemented should make a positive impact for the children.


I am extremely passionate about the Early Years and find this job the most rewarding role. I love watching and nourishing all the little personalities of the children develop and see them proudly achieve their goals.


I am thrilled to be a part of the Tommies Childcare family as I believe that our vision and values are in line with one another, which enables me to manage my team effectively to ensure that the children build a solid foundation to grow and flourish.


I would love to show you what Thornhill Nursery has to offer and introduce you to my wonderful team, so why not book a visit?

Sharna

Sharna Dale

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2021

Hello,


My name is Sharna and I am the Deputy Manager at Thornhill Day Nursery.


I have always had a passion for working with children even from school age where I started gaining my first pieces of knowledge through my child development classes. From that I point, I carried on into college where I completed my BTEC National diploma in child care.


I then went onto university where I gained a qualification in Primary Education with a special focus in the Early Years. Since that point I have worked in a range of different settings ranging from schools, a Montessori nursery, after school settings and then finally Thornhill.


You will see me most days in Preschool having fun with the children and helping them become school ready.


Why not come and see the nursery for yourself by arranging a visit?

Frequently Asked Questions about Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school

What is the Age Range of Children that Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school accepts?

Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school accepts Children aged from 0 years 1 month to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school Open?

Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school have capacity for?

Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school has capacity for a total of 74 Children.

How far is Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school to the centre of Derby?

1.1 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Thornhill Day Nursery & Pre-school has an Enhanced Service - more info.