We’re delighted to announce Abbeydale Cottage Nursery as the winner of Nursery of the Year at the My Local Awards 2026 Yorkshire.

This award celebrates nurseries that combine exceptional care, strong community values and a genuine commitment to giving children the very best start in life, and Abbeydale Cottage Nursery is a truly deserving winner. Based in South West Sheffield, this family-run nursery and pre-school cares for more than 200 children, with five classrooms and a dedicated team of 36 staff. Over the past decade, it has built a reputation for being a nurturing, welcoming and high-quality setting where children and families feel supported from day one.

What makes this win especially meaningful is that it comes at a time when the early years sector is under enormous pressure. Against that backdrop, Abbeydale Cottage Nursery has continued to provide a level of care and education that families clearly value deeply. This award is a reflection of hard work, commitment and a nursery community that has gone from strength to strength.

A family-run nursery built on passion and teamwork

Abbeydale Cottage Nursery was founded in 2015 by sisters Amy and Jodi, who brought together the perfect mix of experience to create something special. Amy’s passion for Early Years childcare and Jodi’s background in business gave the nursery strong foundations from the very beginning. Alongside current manager Emily Steele and a fabulous team of staff, past and present, the setting has grown into a much-loved part of the Sheffield community.

In October 2025, the nursery celebrated its 10th birthday, a fantastic milestone and a proud moment for everyone involved. Over those ten years, Abbeydale Cottage Nursery has stayed true to its original vision of being a real home from home, while also going beyond the basic EYFS curriculum to provide children with a richer, more rounded experience.

That balance is a big part of what makes the nursery stand out. It offers the warmth and comfort parents want for their children, while also maintaining high standards in childcare and education. Families know their children are not only safe and happy, but also being encouraged to learn, grow and thrive.

What makes Abbeydale Cottage Nursery different

Abbeydale Cottage Nursery has many strengths, but one of the biggest is the sense that everything has been built around what children and families genuinely need. It is proudly family run, purpose built, and staffed by a team that is more highly qualified than the legal requirement. That investment in people and quality says a lot about the values behind the nursery.

The setting also offers excellent parent partnership, which clearly matters a great deal to the team. Good nurseries do not just care for children well, they build trust with families too, and that strong communication and collaboration is something Abbeydale Cottage Nursery takes real pride in.

The physical environment plays a huge role as well. Children benefit from large outdoor play areas, both within the nursery courtyard and in the nearby sports fields, giving them plenty of opportunities to explore, move and enjoy outdoor learning. Combined with the nursery’s strong charitable and community involvement, it is clear this is a setting that thinks beyond the basics and works hard to create a rich and meaningful experience for every child.

A nursery making a real difference

One of the most powerful parts of the Abbeydale Cottage Nursery story is the impact it has on families. The reviews shared by parents paint a vivid picture of a place where children are genuinely cared for, nurtured and welcomed as individuals.

One parent described how their two children, aged one and two, joined the nursery in September 2024 and were made to feel part of their classes from day one, despite only attending once a week. They praised the team for the incredible care shown to both children and the wide variety of activities on offer. In particular, they highlighted the gentle, thoughtful way staff supported their two-year-old, who had never been in a childcare setting before and initially found separation difficult. Thanks to that patience and care, she was soon arriving without tears and settling in happily.

Another family reflected on seven years of exceptional care, describing a team that is warm, attentive and clearly devoted to the children. They praised everything from the communication and outdoor space to the extra effort the nursery puts into community-building events, such as activity days, walks, sports days, nativities and even care home visits. That kind of feedback says more than any brochure ever could. It shows that Abbeydale Cottage Nursery is not just meeting expectations — it is exceeding them.

Community at the heart of everything

Community is clearly central to life at Abbeydale Cottage Nursery. The team believes that teaching children about their local area, how to care for it and how to give back is an important part of early education, and they put that belief into practice all year round.

The nursery regularly runs charity events for a range of causes, with a special focus on The Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity. This is a cause close to their hearts, and over the years they have gone to huge lengths to support it through bake sales, charity walks, fancy dress days, parties, a Spinathon and many other events. In the last year alone, they have raised over £4,000 for the charity, which is a fantastic achievement.

Their community links go even further. The nursery has a partnership with a local church, where children visit to plant vegetables and flowers in the garden, helping them connect with nature and their local surroundings. They also visit a local nursing home each week to sing songs and play games with residents, creating valuable intergenerational experiences that benefit both the children and the elderly people they spend time with. These are exactly the kinds of meaningful activities that help children learn empathy, kindness and belonging from a young age.

Rising to the challenge

The team at Abbeydale Cottage Nursery have also been open about the wider challenges facing the sector. Like nurseries across the UK, they are operating during a very difficult period for early years providers, with the cost of delivering high-quality childcare rising sharply while government funding rates remain far too low.

They point out that in Sheffield, providers currently receive a base rate of £5.32 per hour for funded places for three- and four-year-olds, around 14% below the national average and among the lowest rates in the country. That funding gap makes it increasingly difficult for settings to cover staffing, food, utilities, insurance and the enhanced activities that nurseries like Abbeydale Cottage deliver every day.

Despite those pressures, the nursery has continued to offer outstanding care and maintain the standards families rely on. That resilience makes this award all the more impressive. It is proof of the team’s dedication and of the value the community places on what they do.

What this award means

When Abbeydale Cottage Nursery learned they had won, the reaction was simple: they were over the moon. Winning not just locally but across the county felt especially meaningful given the challenges they have been navigating.

For the team, this award represents recognition that they are appreciated and valued, and it highlights the strong parent partnerships they have worked so hard to build. It is also a moment to celebrate the staff, whose care, commitment and hard work shape the nursery every single day.

Looking ahead, there is still plenty of ambition too. The team would love to continue growing, perhaps one day opening a second nursery or expanding the current setting further. With the foundations they have built over the last ten years, that certainly feels like an exciting possibility.

Congratulations to Abbeydale Cottage Nursery

At My Local Awards 2026 Yorkshire, we are proud to celebrate businesses and organisations that make a lasting difference in their communities. Abbeydale Cottage Nursery is a brilliant example of that.

From its family-run roots and high standards of childcare to its community spirit, charitable work and deep relationships with families, this is a nursery that has earned its place as one of Yorkshire’s very best. Its win reflects ten years of love, dedication and a team that continues to give children an exceptional start in life.

Congratulations to Abbeydale Cottage Nursery, a highly deserving winner of Nursery of the Year 2026.

And finally, a message from the team: “What else is there to say other than thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”