Our story so far
All the way back in 2011, our owners Andy & Anna found themselves running 3 weekly Parent & Toddler groups in the Acomb area of York. The groups were thriving, but talking to the families, it became apparent that there was a real need for great childcare in the area.
At a similar time, they were approached by the owners of a small preschool, who had opened in Poppleton Business Park, but had decided it wasn’t for them. It quickly became the first Muddy Boots, which after a lot of hard work, planning, and preparation, was relocated into our first proper site at the old Manor School in January 2012.
Starting with only a few children, we worked tirelessly to build the nursery up to a full and thriving setting, developing the staff team and striving to keep improving, sometimes against the odds – including a catastrophic overnight fire in 2015.
After 5 fantastic years in the old Manor School, it was time to move on! After a long search for the perfect place, we secured a site on Boroughbridge Road in York, which featured 9 acres of land, an old barn, and stables, all of which were converted into our custom-designed, well-loved Muddy Boots Poppleton site.
With Poppleton continuing to grow and being inundated with enquiries from families searching for high-quality childcare that worked for them and their children, we started exploring the idea of setting number 2. Then, in 2018, the opportunity arose to take on a nearby setting in the grounds of Westfield School in Acomb.
The building had been purpose-built but needed a bit of TLC – and we couldn’t resist. After plenty of renovations, we opened our second Muddy Boots site, including a fantastic Out-of-School Club we called Pioneers.
With a second setting opened and thriving, we again got the urge to expand even further, exploring settings across York and further afield. Whilst on this hunt, we discovered a fantastic setting in the beautiful village of Wilberfoss, which we brought into the Muddy Boots family in September 2021, taking us from two settings to three, with an additional flourishing Pioneers Out of School Club. We have since fully renovated the setting, as well as successfully taking it from a ‘required improvement’ to a ‘good’ Ofsted grading.
With three settings open and flourishing, it was only a matter of time before we got hungry to grow to four. After another search in the York area, we found a setting in the village of Stamford Bridge! Set within old farm buildings, with amazing outdoor spaces and beautiful indoor rooms, all as well as a brilliant reputation in its local community… it was love at first sight!
We moved on to the opportunity, and Muddy Boots Stamford Bridge joined the family in September 2022.
We never stop dreaming into the future of Muddy Boots, as well as keeping our eyes open for settings to join the family – so keep checking back for our next nursery coming soon!
