Children 1st Syston Nursery School

1324 Melton Road, Syston, Leicester LE7 2EQ
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9.8 94 Reviews
Children 1st Syston Nursery School is in the heart of the village, making it very accessible to the local community and surrounding areas.

At Syston, the staff liaise closely with parents to ensure children are settled, secure and thriving in their all-round development. With the aim of valuing each child’s individuality and building on this to motivate learning, the staff work hard to provide the kind of bespoke service that every parent wants for their child.

The electronic learning journey system (EY Log) in place at the nursery is appreciated by parents as it provides instant access to the child’s learning journey and parents enjoy adding to it with observations/ achievements from home.

The well-balanced meals prepared on-site by the nursery cook are enjoyed by the growing youngsters. The menu is designed to promote healthy eating and nutritional awareness and Mr. Harvey Bear, the Children 1st healthy eating mascot, is on hand to promote such matters and good table manners.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Kirsty Sadler (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 33

Total Places for Children

  • 131

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Children 1st Syston Nursery School Reviews (94)

Total of 94, showing 61-80
9.8

Children 1st Syston Nursery School has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.775) out of 10, based on 25 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Children 1st Syston Nursery School has 94 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 78
  • 12
  • 3
  • 1
  • 0

Date Published

94
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2
25
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Review from Natalie N (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fabulous nursery. My son started here at ten months and I am very happy about leaving him there. There are lots of rooms for different ages meaning your children can move up to different challenges more regularly than in some nurseries. The staff are happy to use my reusable wipes and nappies and I
get frequent updates on the parents' app. There are so many fun activities going on and I love how much time they spend outside all year round. I also love the variety of food they provide as it makes sure my son doesn't become fussy.

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Review from Dipti P (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Great nursery setting with kind, caring staff. My boy loves going to nursery and I don't have to worry about him whilst at work.

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Review from Faye S (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We moved house and had to change my daughter's nursery just before preschool. The team at Childrens 1st, Syston made the transition so smooth. My little one felt comfortable in no time with help from her key workers. She’s is always surprising me with new things that she has learnt and I feel they are
really helping her prepare for school. The management team are always on hand with any answers to questions I have too. The facilities are amazing. So much space inside and out, with cosy reading areas, focus tables and great areas for role play. I would highly recommend this service. Thanks to the Syston team for the great job you do.

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Review from Claire W (Mother of Child) published on 16 December 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This nursery is a breath of fresh air!! My daughter has hyperactivity and sensory processing issues and likes to be doing lots of different things all of the time. The staff have never failed to keep her entertained and help her settle in when she arrives in the morning. They are very caring. She enjoys
the food very much too! The variety of playrooms are excellent and she particularly likes the treehouse story room and going through the tunnel to the post office! The outdoor space is very good and can be used all year round. I think her favourite is the sandpit slide and water play!! I am so pleased to have found this nursery and would have no reservations in recommending to any other parent either. The staff are always friendly and welcoming. The facilities are very clean at all times. I am particularly impressed by the topics the children get involved in learning and my daughter enjoys then teaching me.

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Review from Scott S (Father of Child) published on 21 November 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am really happy with the nursery and have been since my son started in the summer. He has blossomed so much since starting. There is always a wide range of activities provided and the girls in the room are fantastic. They always go that extra mile and nothing is ever too much to ask. We are always
welcomed with smiles and treated with the best of care. My son adores the girls and runs into them which is comforting as a parent.
Highly recommend the nursery to anybody looking for the perfect place for their child.

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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are very friendly and professional, they have helped my son to settle into his first time at nursery and although he was not sure at first with their help he loves it now. The room has great facilities for my son's age and they go exploring outside every day. There are lots of sensory activities
and a varied programme each day to keep the children active and engaged. They had no issues with catering for dairy-free and my son has lots of choice with food.

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Review from Anna B (Mother of Child) published on 28 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Well, what can I say? No words seem enough. My son started at this nursery in September 2018. Since he has joined Children 1st @ Syston, he has absolutely thrived, their pastoral care is second to none, the staff actually love the job they do and care for the children as if they were their own. The
setting is amazing, magical and has everything the children need for their development. My son is only 2 but already can count to 20, knows his colours and even knows the alphabet and that is down to the dedication of the staff and their commitment to give these children the best start in life. Most importantly though, I feel safe when my son is here, he loves the staff and other children, and he is cared for amazingly. He is turning out to be a kind, caring, confident and lovely boy, and considering he is at the nursery 5 days a week the staff take a lot of credit for the boy he is becoming. Thank you so much for giving my son the best 2nd home and a fantastic start in life.

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Review from Rebecca B (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My little girl has been with you since she was around 11 months old and she settled very quickly. I have seen her development and speech come on in leaps and bounds and her confidence grow. When I drop her off in the morning she shows no sign of anxiety and the staff are always welcoming and friendly
to her.
The activities during the day that she does always sound great and I am safe in the knowledge she is being well looked after.
Feedback at the end of the day is done well and the time is taken to explain what her day has looked like. I love getting the feedback and photos on eylog as well.

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Review from Kryatal H (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child seems to be very happy in his new classroom. The connection he has with some of the nursery nurses are very on point. He is coming home everyday speaking more and more. The staff are also very lovely and not forgetting the facilities they have on site for the children. They really have pushed
the boat out on this nursery.

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Review from Anna S (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery.
The staff are all friendly and welcoming. Nothing is ever too much trouble. They have taken time to get to know my children and ensure that their needs are always met. Staff greet them every morning and ensure that they settle down and have a good day.
Always get lovely feedback
from staff when I pick the children up.
It’s lovely to see their progress and learning on the EyLog which is regularly updated.

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Review from Kellie P (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

The Children 1st @ Syston room staff and management have gone above and beyond to ensure my daughter is settled.
Me and my husband both feel secure that our daughter is being well looked after and is happy whilst she is not in our care.
Staff are friendly and approachable and our daughter has always
willingly been handed over, sometimes too willingly.

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Review from Emma H (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All of the staff are amazing and have really helped my little girl with her speech, toilet training and have boosted her confidence massively. She loves going to nursery, she always comes home speaking about the members of staff in her room. They do a variety of different activities, they also have
a lovely garden! My daughter also used to be a bit of a fussy eater, with the help of nursery she now eats mostly everything! I couldn’t fault this nursery one bit, I will be sad when she has to leave for school!

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Review from Hannah B (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at the nursery for nearly a year now. Lovely nursery, and seeing the refurb come together has been great. Great environment and a fantastic choice of toys/activities. All the staff are so caring and friendly with my little girl. They have also been so supportive with her toilet
training. The garden is so lovely too!
My daughter is always coming home talking about the staff member and has a great relationship with them all.

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Review from Alpa S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I only have good things to say about this nursery and all the staff. I feel comfortable and very confident to leave my little boy at Children 1st at Syston. The staff are extremely friendly and accommodating to our needs.
The environment is clean, safe and engaging. My son is always excited to go
to nursery and never wants to come home. He’s always learning new things and has become so independent.
There is so much inclusion and so many amazing resources available to the children, it’s amazing. They have amazing parent involvement such as having parents spend time at nursery on special days.
I cannot thank the girls enough for the way they look after my little boy and cannot express how good they all are. They always make time to speak with parents giving reassurance and guidance when needed. Such a happy and friendly bunch. Thank you Children 1st @ Syston.

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Review from Cassandra T (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot recommend this nursery enough. My son absolutely loves attending and has done since he started at nine months old. He is now three and all members of staff he has had have been amazing. He is a very bright little boy and it’s all thanks to the care and support the staff here give him.
I am
never worried about dropping him off and more often than not struggle to get him to go home at the end of the day, he loves it so much.
Staff are always friendly and professional. Everyone you see every day is quick to say Hello and have a good day. I could not ask for better care for my son.
The renovations they have been doing are fantastic and my son especially loves the construction part.

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Review from Stacey M (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter attends the holiday club at the Syston nursery. The staff are lovely and friendly and always welcoming. My daughter enjoys going and often comes out of the nursery talking about all the different activities she has done. Also, she enjoys telling me about all the staff and their names. It’s
nice to know although my daughter only attends the holiday club she is made to feel welcome by all staff and made to feel comfortable in each area of the nursery.
It’s nice to know that I can drop my daughter off and not have to worry about her for the day.
The facilities they have put in since doing the refurb are outstanding. I couldn’t think of anything else they would need. It looks AMAZING!

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Review from Kelly E (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I can only say good things about the care that my daughter receives. My daughter started at a very early age. She is happy to attend and always happy when I collect her. She has been super cared for by the staff in the baby room. Communication is always thorough upon collection and it always feels personal
when discussing the child.


I appreciate that changes are being made within the nursery and these are being done for the better to improve the facilities. The staff do their utmost to utilize the resources that they have and make the best out of a situation.


I am very confident in allowing the girls to care for my little precious during the day and to have total piece of mind on her care is important. All I can say is good things about the girls who care for my daughter.


I can only thank the staff in the baby room for looking after my little lady and being a part of her learning journey in her early years.

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Review from Madeline S (Mother of Child) published on 12 February 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

I feel that some staff are exceptional, whilst others, quite frankly are pretty poor. My son flourishes with those who make the effort, make him secure, greet him on arrival and meets his needs. Fortunately, those staff appear to be in the majority. Some staff seem indifferent and barely seem to move
from their seats.

Reply from Catherine Griffin, Director at Children 1st Syston Nursery School

I am pleased to note that the majority of staff meet your expectations. We have high expectations of all our staff and Children 1st has its own training academy that staff take part in. There is a rigorous system of professional development and all staff are closely monitored. As Children 1st's expectations become embedded within nursery practice there will be consistency in all staff performance. We are closely monitoring staff and will address any poor performance.


Thank you

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Review from Natalie F (Mother of Child) published on 12 February 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

I can only say positive things about the nursery since Children 1st @ Syston have taken over. I can see that the impacted it has had on the place is amazing and the new manager is lovely as well as the existing staff team. The only negative that springs to mind is I wish they would reconsider the time
they serve the tea. I personally think 3 pm is an unrealistic time to have your tea especially when some children don't wake from their nap until 2.30-3pm. Children at home probably wouldn't eat so early on a normal day and for the parents that work late, they would need to rush when they get home to feed them again before bedtime. I think 4 til 4.30pm would be better.

Reply from Catherine Griffin, Director at Children 1st Syston Nursery School

Thank you for your review, we welcome all feedback and appreciate your comments regarding the impact Children 1st is having on the quality of provision at Syston. With the nursery refurbishment about to commence, there are even better things to come. Your observations on tea-time will be discussed and looked into.


Many Thanks

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Review from Sarah (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Overall happy, but think the security needs looking into. My mum went to collect my daughter once and nobody even challenged her as to who she was, she was just let in and walked straight into her room. Quite a lot of times nobody in office and people coming and going and letting people in and out.
Not sure what the answer could be though? Certainly feels like things have changed in the last few months.

Reply from Catherine Griffin, Director at Children 1st Syston Nursery School

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today and discuss your review. We welcome all feedback and appreciated your clarification today. Having discussed the security measures in place and proposed new refurbishment plans, I am pleased that you are now reassured.


Many Thanks


Catherine Griffin

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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.775)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.775) out of 10 for Children 1st Syston Nursery School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 25 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 24 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.859 for Children 1st Syston Nursery School is calculated as follows: ( (262 Excellents x 5) + (30 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 298 Ratings = 4.859

  • b) 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 4.916 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Children 1st Syston Nursery School is based on 24 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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 131 number of registered child places is 26.2. 24 Positive Reviews ÷ 26.2 = 0.916

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Awards / Recognitions (4)

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2023

Recipient: Storal

Date: Friday 28 Apr 2023 More details

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2022

Recipient: Storal

Date: Friday 29 Apr 2022 More details

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2020

Recipient: Storal

Date: Tuesday 31 Mar 2020 More details

Meet the Team (1)

Kirsty

Kirsty Sadler

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2019

Hello, my name is Kirsty Sadler and I joined Children 1st in 2019. I began my career as a Nursery Nurse, passionate about supporting young children’s development and giving them the best possible start. Over time, I wanted a new challenge — a space where I could showcase my skills and continue to grow.

That determination led to my promotion to Senior Nursery Nurse, where I took on additional responsibilities and began mentoring others. I then progressed to Deputy Manager, gaining valuable experience in leadership and operational support. In 2024, I took the biggest step in my journey and became Nursery Manager.

Every stage of my career has taught me something new, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve had along the way. I’m excited for what’s to come and remain committed to creating environments where children, families, and teams can thrive.

I hold a Level 3 qualification in Early Years and am proud of the experiences that have shaped my practice.

One of the things I love most about my role is working closely with individual families and their children. Every child is unique, and every family brings something special — no two days are ever the same. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of those early moments, whether it’s a child’s first steps into nursery or helping a parent feel confident and reassured.

I’m especially passionate about providing high-quality childcare for all, creating inclusive environments, and supporting families. For me, this work isn’t just about routines and milestones — it’s about relationships, trust, and watching children grow into confident, curious individuals.
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