A preschool near Swadlincote that opened less than three years ago has won Pre-school of the Year at the Nursery World Awards 2026, the most prestigious accolades in the nursery and early years sector nationally.

Woodville Preschool, on Moira Road in Woodville, was announced as the winner at a ceremony at The Brewery in London on Saturday 26 September. The award caps a remarkable year for the preschool, part of Derbyshire-headquartered nursery group Storal, which was rated 'Exceptional' by Ofsted in three areas: behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; and inclusion. The result placed it among the very few nurseries in the UK to achieve three top grades under the inspectorate's new framework, with 'Strong' grades in all remaining areas.

Woodville Preschool could add to its trophy cabinet in November, as it is also a finalist for Individual Nursery of the Year at the National NMT Nursery Awards 2026, and Rhiannon Thompson, who is SENCO at the preschool and was recently promoted to pre-school manager, is shortlisted for SENCo of the Year. Storal has been shortlisted in 11 categories in total, including Nursery Group of the Year, a title it has won twice before, in 2023 and 2024.

Woodville Preschool opened in October 2023 to meet a clear need in the local community for term-time, fully funded preschool places. The team of 18, led by Amanda Gadsby and Tammy Mansfield, has 38 places a day for children aged two to four, and the preschool is full with a waiting list. Both rooms run at enhanced staffing ratios, and the team supports families beyond the nursery day, from signposting to food banks and early help services to coordinating visits from health professionals.

Amanda Gadsby, Nursery Manager at Woodville Preschool, said: "When we opened, we wanted this to be a place where every family in Woodville felt welcome, and it means a huge amount that people well beyond the village can now see what our team does every day. The children won't know anything about awards, but they might notice the staff smiling a bit more this week. This belongs to every member of the team and to the families who trust us with their children."

Sarah Mackenzie, CEO of Storal, said: "Amanda, Tammy and the team built this preschool from scratch for a community that needed it, and they have got the little things right from the very first day, from letting families send in packed lunches to making sure every child is part of everything alongside their friends.

"To be named Pre-school of the Year so soon after opening is extraordinary, and with Rhiannon shortlisted in the NMT Awards too, we have another night to look forward to in November. Everyone at Storal is enormously proud of them."

The annual Nursery World Awards recognise the amazing work done by those involved in childcare and education and shine a spotlight on those individuals who make 'a difference'. Winners were selected from those shortlisted by a panel of industry experts.

Download our Nub News App!

- It’s FREE and available now
- Breaking news notifications
- Your Town in Your Pocket

For more information about the Nursery World Awards, visit: https://nurseryworldawards.com/.

For more information about Storal's award-winning family of nurseries, visit: www.storal.com.