Call us on: 0115 981 7837

Email: info@secret-garden-childcare.co.uk

The Secret Garden is owned by Secret Garden Childcare Limited, a family business which is run by Director Sylvia Dobson. The company owns another nursery, based in the beautiful conservation area of Attenborough and close to the nature reserve. You can find more details about Attenborough Day Nursery & Pre-School via our website www.attenboroughdn.co.uk .

Sylvia was the manager of the Secret Garden for a number of years, but has handed over to our very capable and highly qualified manager Laura Richmond. Nonetheless, Sylvia remains very hands on with both nurseries, and believes in being actively involved in the day to day management of both sites. 

We took over the nursery in 2005, and are committed to providing the very best childcare. We have made significant changes and improvements to the facilities and service we have offered over the years, and continue to regularly assess and improve our performance to provide the very best to our parents and children. Our determination to provide the very best standards of care are reflected in our most recent Ofsted report which can be accessed by clicking here.

We pride ourselves on the excellent quality of childcare provided by our team of highly qualified staff, whose dedicated and enthusiastic approach ensures that we have a nursery full of safe, happy children.

Sylvia - by her daughter Julie

Mum has always been passionate about childcare, and as a mother of two quite demanding children she has had plenty of experience of dealing with all the up’s and down’s that parenting can bring with it! This was only a prelude, however, to the Early Years Foundation Degree which she undertook after becoming the proud owner of the Secret Garden. Her skills and talent with children are a great advantage to parents and when teaching and assisting more junior members of staff as they learn and develop their own skills as childcare assistants. One of the things which has always amazed me is that children are naturally drawn to her and she has an ability to hold a child’s attention with wonderment as she reads or plays in a way which feeds the child’s imagination. In addition, her background in managing teams of staff makes her a good nursery director, firm but fair, and very particular about the standards of care and education throughout the nursery.