The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School

235 Attenborough Lane, Attenborough, Nottingham NG9 6AS
Review Us
10 53 Reviews
  • The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School, Nottingham
The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School provides high-quality childcare within a warm, friendly 'home from home' setting.

They have a team of dedicated and enthusiastic staff who tailor every activity to the development of each individual child. This ensures the development of every child to their full potential through fun and stimulating play, making confident, happy children.

At Secret Garden Attenborough, babies start their journey with the nursery in the Papillon Room, a dedicated space for pre-walkers with its own sheltered play area to the rear, and move to the Mariposa room with direct access to a large garden and play area.

The Butterfly Room for pre-school age children is divided into two sections for younger and older children who have direct access to a covered outdoor play area and garden. All rooms are designed to maximise free flow which promotes children’s choice and easy access to the outdoors.

Each child has a key worker in each room, enabling the staff to form a strong bond with every child and to get to know them extremely well.

Secret Garden Childcare is a small, family-run business with a focus on nature and the environment. They focus on using natural materials and accessing the outdoor environment to maximise learning opportunities.

Extra-curricular activities on both sites include Rockabillies music sessions for the toddlers, while the pre-school children benefit from forest school, regular walks to the Attenborough nature reserve and feeding the ducks, taking full advantage of local opportunities for learning about the world.

No learning opportunity is lost; even a rainy day can make for a fun learning activity, kitted out with wellies, brollies and waterproofs!
Show The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School on the Map

Funding & Fees

Full Day 8am-6pm £71
Half Day 8am-1pm/1-6pm £46.50p,
Full Week £340p (Monday - Friday),
Early start 7:30-8am £3

Food charges on funded sessions are £9 for a morning and £7 for an afternoon

Contact The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School to get a personalised quote.

Contact The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Sarah Whittaker (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 23

Total Places for Children

  • 49

Age Range

  • from 0 years 2 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

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 & Christmas

Parking

  • Parking is available on Attenborough Lane or Shady Lane.

The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School Reviews (53)

10

The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 10 (9.955) out of 10, based on 26 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School has 53 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 50
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
Date Published
  • 53
  • 8
  • 10
  • 26
  • 27
Reviewer Connection to The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School
  • 42
  • 11
Total of 53, showing 21-40
Review from K F (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The Secret Garden Nursery has been nothing short of incredible! My daughter started 8 months ago after moving back to the U.K. She had a speech developmental language delay and since starting the nursery has improved her speech and communication skills so much!
She is happy and looks forward to coming
to the nursery daily.
We're so happy with her care and service provided by the staff here.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Dan S (Father of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are lovely and always there to help. One of the ladies also kindly offered her time when we were expecting our second. We could not be happier with our children attending this nursery and will always recommend it to others!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Beth P (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started at Secret Garden Attenborough in January 2024 when she was 13 months old. Transitions are always difficult for babies but the nursery were so supportive, kind and understanding (to me and my daughter). They made it as forward as possible. Fast forward nearly three months and she
is so happy and settled here. We had to go and collect something that I'd left behind on a day she doesn't go and when I didn't drop her off she was upset! It was proof to me that she really loves it and enjoys her time here. The staff are really warm, kind and seem genuinely concerned for and interested in her. I also really like the app they use because it means I can get a sense of what she is up to during the day and how she is getting on. Communication is really good. Additionally, we use re-useable/washable nappies and the nursery has adapted this with no word of complaint, which I really appreciate must have been quite an adjustment. I highly recommend this nursery.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from H F (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started in the nursery in September 2023 just before he turned one. He settled in very quickly and has developed lovely bonds with the staff in the baby room. They do lots of varied and interesting activities to help the children develop different skills and it is fair to say my son is absolutely
thriving at the Secret Garden. He is getting ready to move up to the toddler room and there have been lots of transition sessions to make sure he does this without any issues. I completely trust the staff and love the daily updates we get, especially seeing how much of his dinner he has eaten. Knowing my son is enjoying himself in such a nurturing, caring and stimulating environment is a weight off my mind.
  • 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 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All the staff at the nursery are brilliant! The moment we arrived for our visit they were professional and welcomed you with a warmth that you can tell the nursery is family orientated. The staff that showed us around were brilliant and very knowledgeable. We loved the ethos of allowing the children
to have a lot of outdoor fun and activities which includes forest school. This has been perfect for my child and has developed her skills in so many ways. Every morning and pick up they have been friendly and always know what's going on with my child. There is nothing too much and they are great at putting development goals in place and helping your child to hit the goals set through play. They have a chef that cooks all the meals which is great to know your child's getting nutritious food daily. I would highly recommend this nursery to everyone as they really go the extra mile and nothing is too much for them. My child loves it and loves going to nursery.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Jessica L (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been attending The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery since September 2023 and he has thrived during this time! My partner and I are incredibly happy with every aspect of the nursery. The staff are wonderful and we feel like they have become another family to us. They cannot do enough
for us or our child. The meals provided are healthy, nutritious and appropriate to each child’s needs. The activities are engaging and age-appropriate and there is always something new to do! We love that we get regular updates throughout the day via the app which include what he has eaten, when he has slept and had a nappy change. We receive some lovely photos at the end of each day which gives us the reassurance he has had a good day! We’re always informed if our child is unwell or has had even the slightest injury and we know we can trust the staff to take the best care of him. We often recommend the nursery to other parents we know and can’t thank them enough for all they do!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Lucy B (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I can not recommend this nursery enough! My daughter was really unsettled at another nursery, but the team at Attenborough have been amazing! My daughter is shy and quiet, yet she is never ignored, and the team know her well and give her all the comfort she needs. She has come out of herself in ways
I could never have imagined. I am so very grateful to all of the team and know that my daughter is cared for in the best way.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Becky S (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We could not rate The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School highly enough. Our son has been attending for around 18 months now and absolutely loves it. He will come home chatting all about his day and what him and his friends have been up to. We are kept consistently informed about what
activities the children have been doing that day via the app and the nursery consistently offers a wide variety of different activities every day.
But aside from all of that, for us, the staff are what make the nursery outstanding. Everyone seems to genuinely care about our son's well-being and everyone is so friendly, kind and supportive. On a number of occasions we have had to last minute request additional days for our son or change the rota of his attendance and management is always so understanding and accommodating.
Thank you to everyone at Secret Garden - you really make it such a special place for the children!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from N E (Father of Child) published on 12 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have always been extremely impressed with the team at Secret Garden. We get regular, detailed feedback on how our son is getting on, and the whole team take a real interest in his well-being. The nursery also provides a whole range of different opportunities for the kids - our son particularly enjoys
the weekly music sessions! Thoroughly recommend.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from M B (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy has been attending since he was 10 months old and is now nearly 2. He loves being there and it's clear that the staff know him well and care about him and all the children! There's a huge range of activities they do together, a great variety in home-cooked food, and opportunities to be
inside and out. The staff are really lovely and communicative, we always hear straight away about any accidents and see lots of pictures and information about what they've been up to every day through the app. They also do lots of extra things for special occasions like Pancake Day or Children in Need which we hear about well in advance. We're really happy to have sent him here and baby no 2 will be joining before long as well. He's really thriving there and is clearly picking up lots of language and social skills from all the interaction he gets. Would 100% recommend it to anyone, particularly if looking for a small, family-feel setting.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Kate H (Mother of Child) published on 22 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am so pleased we made the decision to keep my daughter at Secret Garden even when we moved out of the area. She is absolutely thriving at the preschool and learning so much. She thoroughly enjoys her time there often asking to go at the weekend. The staff have been incredible at supporting both her
and us as a family with her allergies and I feel confident leaving her knowing she is in safe hands. Staff communication is excellent and I feel kept in the loop with what is happening, they will contact me to check things out and ensure my daughter has what she needs. The activities my daughter takes part in are varied and have supported her language development, communication skills and independence. We couldn’t ask for more.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 8 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am thrilled that my daughter goes to secret garden. As most parents, I was very apprehensive at first and my daughter took a while to settle in. The staff were so patient and supportive to both my daughter and I during this transition. She is now thriving there and I am so confident in the care she
receives. The nursery are outstanding in their communication, I love getting updates throughout the day on the app. They call and let me know if there has been a bump or anything of concern. We loved going to the nursery for a parent's evening and learning more about how they support her learning milestones. We feel that our daughter’s learning and development is really invested in here. My daughter loves the food and it makes me happy knowing it is homemade and nutritious, especially because she eats here but not at home. The care, attention and incredible staff at the secret garden mean I have no regrets on choosing them.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Sarah S (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have two children currently at the Nursery and Pre-school. We’ve always been very happy with the level of care they’ve received, both children always go in and come home happy and smiling. Our pre-schooler often talks of her time there which I view as a positive. We’ve always felt the standard of
care is high and the activities offered are varied and age-appropriate. We also feel we can talk to the staff regarding their care and any issues get quickly resolved.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from M N (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery is absolutely fantastic. The care and attention they pay to each individual child is amazing. You can really tell they know the children and know their likes and dislikes. My daughter was at another nursery prior to moving her here and there was such a change in dropping her off and picking
her up, no tears, happily walking in and her confidence is growing every month she is there. They have listened to all of our requests and put things in place to support our daughter straight away. We absolutely couldn’t recommend this nursery enough. Thank you for everything you do!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Glen H (Father of Child) published on 24 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We were both extremely anxious about leaving our daughter, especially around her allergies. The team at Secret Garden could not have been more accommodating, the communication is fantastic and it’s great how it’s such a small family feel to the nursery. There were the normal worries of ‘what if she
hates nursery?’ but we never had to worry about that, she loves it and loves the other children and staff which is a testament to what a fantastic job you all do. After a serious health scare more recently, we couldn’t have praised the nursery staff anymore, professional and caring. Thank you.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from S C (Mother of Child) published on 20 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff at The Secret Garden Attenborough were amazing at supporting our autistic daughter. They helped with the diagnosis process and took a personal approach to her needs and interests. They made learning fun, provided an autism-friendly diet, and understood her sensory needs - we couldn’t have
asked for more!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Laxshmi L (Mother of Child) published on 20 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter absolutely loves going to the nursery and spending time with both the children but also the staff. She tells me all about her experiences with the staff when she gets home which to me demonstrates their compassion and dedication to the children. We ultimately chose this nursery over others
we visited (when my daughter first started nursery) and now I am so glad we did! I love the daily updates we get detailing what the children have been up to and the photos make my day! Having the app, I feel has really improved my experience as a parent but I also feel it showcases the great work the staff do every day. Thank you so much to all the staff.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Catherine L (Mother of Child) published on 17 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I cannot rate The Secret Garden enough. My daughter absolutely loves going and the staff are wonderful with her. The range of activities they get through even in just one day is amazing and they are always so varied. I feel like the staff really take an interest in my daughter and her likes and dislikes
and tailor activities for her. She runs in every day with a huge smile on her face!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Patrick B (Father of Child) published on 17 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I currently have a child at nursery here, and cannot rate the staff higher. I am extremely happy with the level of care they give, and I can see how much the children enjoy their time in the rooms. There is always something for the children to engage with and I have seen my child develop really well
under their care. The staff seem really geared towards supporting each child in their individual needs and the small setting has really encouraged my child to make some good friends.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Catherine B (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely lovely nursery. We have had two children there for over five years now, with the second finishing this summer.
Both children have been very happy and well looked after; they've been encouraged to develop as much as possible and have always come home happy. They love all the staff and we
will be very sad when we have to say goodbye in the summer! Literally, the only thing I wish they had is bigger outside space at pre-school, but only because I have a very boisterous little boy!
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.955)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.955) out of 10 for The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 26 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 26 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 4.955 for The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (297 Excellents x 5) + (14 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 311 Ratings = 4.955
  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 The Secret Garden Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School is based on 26 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 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 49 number of registered child places is 9.8, which has been reached with 26 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 (0)

Meet the Team (1)

Sarah

Sarah Whittaker

Job Title: Area Manager Joined: 2011

Sarah Has worked at Attenborough Day Nursery since we first opened in 2011. She started as Manager and is now Area Manager overseeing both the Attenborough and Westbridgford sites.


Sarah has a Level 4 qualification and holds a teaching qualification from when she was a childcare Assessor and Trainer.


Sarah is very passionate about Early years and providing high quality childcare for the families.


"Children's early years are so important and I believe in providing an environment that is nurturing and engaging to help children learn and develop. It's really important to me that the nurseries are a homely environment and work closely with the children's families putting each child at the heart of everything we do.


We like to offer the children a wide variety of opportunities such as forest school sessions, music session, tennis session as well as making use of the beautiful nature reserve next door."

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