Clowns Day Nursery Butterley Park

Its own woods, a Gruffalo story trail and a garden stretching over half an acre give Clowns Day Nursery Butterley Park a clear outdoor identity. Children can grow ingredients, explore among trees and play on a grassy bank, while preschool children have weekly Forest School sessions involving tools and outdoor activities. This is a setting to consider if time outside matters as much to your family as the indoor rooms.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, recognising a curriculum that built on children's existing knowledge, but finding that some activities moved too quickly to achieve their intended learning. That qualification matters alongside the grade: the quality of an activity depends on the time and support children receive to explore it.

The nursery accepts children from six months to five years at Lesley Crescent in Butterley, Ripley. Its rooms separate babies and younger toddlers, two- to three-year-olds, and preschool children, with different spaces and routines for each stage.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby / Tweenie Room, for children up to two, combines an open layout with resources placed within babies' reach, a sensory corner, creative and construction activities, its own kitchen for bottles and snacks, and a sleep area. For younger children, that brings exploration and rest into the same room arrangement rather than making the day solely about organised activities.

Two connected spaces make up the Toddler Room for ages two to three, with children choosing between books, imaginative play, construction and materials such as sand and water, alongside baking, gardening and songs. Its own wash room supports toilet learning, while an all-day soft play area gives this age group an outdoor space of its own.

For children aged three and above, the Pre-School Room uses two spaces for child-chosen play, individual time with key workers and group activities, with greater emphasis on early literacy, numbers, shapes and sorting. School preparation therefore sits alongside exploration rather than replacing it with a wholly adult-directed day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the expectations for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and adult interaction support language, movement, relationships and early understanding. It is the baseline for the nursery's work. The practical additions here include gardening across the age groups and preschool Forest School, a weekly opportunity to learn outdoors and use tools.

Children help care for flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables in their rooms' pots and planters. The produce goes into kitchen use and creative activities, giving growing a purpose beyond decoration. Watering and tending plants also create reasons to notice change and talk about what living things need.

In November 2021, babies chose books to share with adults, turned pages and joined in animal sounds. Older children practised sharing through car play, while adults used conversation to extend vocabulary. These examples show the learning happening within ordinary play at that time, rather than relying on the curriculum label alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Gruffalo story trail gives the grounds a named link between stories and outdoor play. Mud kitchens, growing beds, a sensory garden and construction spaces provide different reasons to spend time outside; the grounds are used throughout the day and across the seasons.

The woods have two access routes: railway-sleeper steps through a wooden castle, and a laurel arch. Children of all ages explore this area, with den building and natural artwork among the summer activities. Preschool Forest School takes place here too, so the outdoor programme has a setting within the nursery's own grounds.

In November 2021, children explored insects in bug houses they had made, climbed fallen trees and gathered garden produce for the kitchen. Community experiences at that time included a firefighter visit, dental hygiene bags from a local dentist and collecting for a food bank. Those activities connected children's play with safety, health and helping others.

Babies have a sleep area within their room, alongside the kitchen used to prepare bottles and snacks. Resources at a low level allow them to investigate independently, while adults can plan around their interests and next steps. This arrangement gives younger children's care routines a place alongside their play.

Toddler mealtimes include serving themselves and practising manners, with staff helping children use their wash room and develop hygiene routines. These are practical opportunities to become more independent. In preschool, individual time with key workers accompanies group activities and freely chosen play, giving room for both shared experiences and attention to an individual child.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported, including through staff learning Makaton sign language and working with external professionals. These are dated judgements, grounded in staff practice at that visit.

In November 2021, children sought reassurance from adults when they needed it, and staff made time for information exchanges with parents at the beginning and end of the day. Adults spoke to babies during nappy changes and lowered themselves to children's level for conversation. The detail matters: care was expressed through small interactions as well as planned learning.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with closure on Bank Holidays. The nursery operates across the year. The opening window is useful for organising work and family routines, while the attendance arrangement remains a separate decision.

Butterley Park is on Lesley Crescent, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3AD. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01773 747983 or by email to clownsnursery3@yahoo.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers all streams of government funding for children aged nine months to four years, subject to eligibility. Funding participation should be considered separately from the total cost of an attendance arrangement: families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation. The Butterley Park funding page provides the eligibility route.

• Time to explore. In November 2021, some planned activities were rushed, reducing what children learned from them. During a visit, ask how practitioners now give children enough time to pursue an activity and achieve its intended learning.
• Outdoor expectations. Preschool Forest School runs weekly, and outdoor play continues across the seasons. Consider whether this active, weather-inclusive day matches your child's preferences and your family's priorities.
• Attendance and total cost. The weekday opening window extends from 7.30am to 6pm, and government funding is offered from nine months to four years subject to eligibility. Ask which booking arrangement and funding delivery would fit your week, and what the written quotation includes for food and consumables.

Butterley Park suits families who want woodland exploration, gardening and outdoor storytelling to be part of nursery life, with indoor spaces tailored to babies, toddlers and preschool children. Its own woods and weekly preschool Forest School give that preference concrete substance.

The November 2021 Good judgement provides a useful reference point, with the activity-planning concern deserving attention alongside the positive findings. For parents choosing this nursery, the strongest reason is the combination of stage-specific rooms and substantial everyday outdoor provision.