Cherubs Sutton in Ashfield

Weekly woodland-style exploration and preschool sports give Cherubs Sutton in Ashfield a recognisable rhythm. Explorers brings children into contact with the natural world through building, hiding and discovery, while Sports Coaching introduces activities including cricket and fencing. These are concrete additions to the nursery day, rather than simply more time with indoor toys.

At its August 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement belongs to a dated assessment: the most useful detail beneath it concerns children's enthusiasm for books, growing independence and the ways adults extended their learning.

The nursery has capacity for 60 children aged one month to five years at 1 Douglas Road, Sutton-In-Ashfield, NG17 2EE. Its baby, toddler and preschool environments organise experiences around different stages of development. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit is arranged to encourage early exploration, giving very young children an environment designed around discovering their surroundings. The Toddler Unit combines adult-led activities with physical play, quieter experiences, creative work and role play that children can direct themselves. In Pre-School, an open layout, accessible resources, children serving food for themselves and a more structured routine support independence and preparation for school.

Those differences matter. Toddlers have opportunities both to join an organised activity and to pursue their own interests; preschool children practise making choices within a predictable daily structure. The accessible resources are a practical feature: children can select what they need rather than depend on an adult for every item.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, connecting play with communication, physical development and growing independence. Explorers adds weekly experiences based on Forest School principles, using the nursery or local community for discovering nature, building and exploring with other children. The location can vary; the recurring opportunity to investigate outdoors is the useful constant.

Sports Coaching gives preschool children a weekly introduction to physical activity through sports such as fencing, football and cricket. This adds organised movement alongside the physical play already built into the rooms and garden. It also gives children different ways to participate, rather than treating exercise as a single activity.

In August 2021, books supported learning across the age groups: babies investigated textured pages, toddlers used puppets to act out stories, and preschool children discussed pictures and narratives. The progression was from sensory exploration towards storytelling and conversation. Babies also experimented with balls, ramps and tunnels, following where the balls travelled and combining movement with discovery.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden accommodates climbing, active play and storytelling, with its daily arrangement responding to children's interests. Explorers can take learning beyond that space into the local community, so outdoor experiences have both a regular nursery base and scope for a different setting.

In August 2021, children also took part in growing and gardening, parents visited to explain their work, and letters connected children with other nurseries in the group. These examples brought adult experience and relationships beyond the immediate room into children's learning. They belong to that period rather than constituting a current timetable of visits.

Blossom Educational Software connects families with their child's experiences and learning through a smartphone app. Parents can view updates when convenient and add their own contributions. That two-way arrangement offers a practical route for sharing what a child does at home alongside what happens at nursery.

In August 2021, children showed familiarity and affection with staff, while relationships between staff and parents were strong. Everyday independence was evident in children clearing plates, using cutlery and practising clothing fastenings. These small tasks gave children opportunities to do things for themselves within ordinary routines.

At the August 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that the curriculum supported children's progress and preparation for their next stage, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The improvement points were specific: adults needed to explain the reasons behind behaviour expectations more consistently, help children assess risks for themselves and use conversations to extend toddlers' and preschool children's thinking.

A dedicated on-site chef prepares balanced meals, bringing food preparation into the nursery itself. The group's food arrangements used here include a three-week seasonal menu rotation and Meat Free Monday, with catering for allergies, intolerances and cultural or lifestyle dietary preferences.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas, which makes its closure pattern relevant to families planning work and childcare together.

The nursery's contact form accepts enquiries with a child's age, requested attendance and preferred start date. Tours can also be booked through that route. This gives families a concrete way to discuss how the nursery day would fit their circumstances.

Getting There

The address is 1 Douglas Road, Sutton-In-Ashfield, NG17 2EE. Bus and train connections serve Nottingham and Mansfield, and the location has direct access to the M1, giving commuting families several transport options to weigh against their daily routine.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2021, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, so the attendance pattern and its costs can be considered together.

• Explaining behaviour and stretching thinking. In August 2021, adults did not consistently explain why safety rules mattered, and some interactions needed more challenge for toddlers and preschool children. During a visit, look for how staff explain decisions and develop a child's ideas rather than simply issue instructions.
• Attendance and the full cost. The weekday opening window and Christmas closure provide useful planning anchors. Which booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements fit your family, and how are meals and consumables treated in the written quotation?
• Dietary needs. The nursery caters for allergies and intolerances alongside other dietary requirements. Families affected by allergies should confirm the current preparation and serving arrangements before agreeing a child's food plan.

Cherubs Sutton in Ashfield suits families who value outdoor discovery, organised preschool sport and an electronic link with their child's learning. Explorers, Sports Coaching and Blossom Educational Software give that offer clear substance, while the different room environments allow increasing independence as children develop.

The August 2021 judgement provides a positive assessment of that period, with useful qualifications about behaviour explanations and the challenge offered through adult interactions. For parents, the decision turns on whether those daily experiences and the weekday opening window fit their child and family routine.