Alice Park Nursery

Alice Park gives this nursery its character: open space for running, a track for trikes and bikes, and conker trees that become a setting for stories. Near Larkhall village in Bath, Alice Park Nursery combines that park-based day with three rooms, a conservatory and a garden of its own. Outdoor play has a concrete place here.

Children aged one to five attend, with capacity for 20 children in total. At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. That judgement is dated; the practical appeal today is the combination of indoor space, garden activities and use of the surrounding park.

The day also includes drawing, puzzles, stories and time for sleep. Full-day attendance is offered, with funded childcare stretched across the year and separate charges for food, consumables and activities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning and care: play supports language, physical development and growing independence. Here, the current day includes games, drawing and stories, alongside outdoor exploration. Those experiences give children different ways to join in, from listening to a book to handling materials and moving outdoors.

In May 2022, activities connected with children's experiences and interests. Toddlers revisited a farm outing using pictures and farm toys, while preschool children made postcards for people close to them. These were useful bridges between something children knew and something they could make, describe or explore.

Conversation was part of that learning. In May 2022, staff introduced vocabulary about weather and allowed children time to answer questions rather than rushing their responses. Children also discussed toothbrushing in small groups. The examples show how everyday subjects became opportunities to practise speaking and listening.

There was a limitation alongside this activity planning. In May 2022, some children were not consistently encouraged to explore unfamiliar experiences. Following an existing interest can draw a child into an activity; helping that child discover another interest requires a further step. This remains a useful point for families to explore on a visit.

Outdoor and Community Life

Alice Park is used throughout the seasons. Children collect leaves and twigs for pictures, gather acorns for the nature table and use the park's track with bikes and trikes. Stories beneath the conker trees give outdoor time a quieter dimension alongside racing and running.

The nursery's own garden adds different experiences: children grow organic vegetables and care for small animals. Together with the conservatory and three rooms, it gives the day several settings rather than relying entirely on the park. The practical attraction is the mix of active play, seasonal materials and activities that involve looking after living things.

In May 2022, children used garden equipment for climbing and jumping, alongside running and ball play. Park outings also gave them opportunities to meet people beyond the nursery. Staff supervised these encounters, but children needed more help to understand the risks involved in meeting unfamiliar people. Outdoor confidence and awareness of other people were separate parts of the learning.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and assessed support for children's learning positively, including progress for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language. These are inspection-time findings, rather than a current assurance about individual support.

Daily communication had practical substance in May 2022. Families received feedback, and photograph books from outings could be shared at home. That gave parents something specific to discuss with their child and helped connect experiences across nursery and home.

Independence was practised through ordinary tasks. In May 2022, younger children handed out drinking bottles, while older children served gravy at lunch. Staff also worked with other professionals where needed and monitored learning to support children's move towards school. The emphasis was on manageable responsibilities and preparation for the next stage.

Sleep time forms part of the current nursery day. Home-cooked meals are also offered, while the separate food and consumables charge covers snacks, meals and everyday supplies. Families who opt out provide those items themselves under the nursery's opt-out arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1 Alice Park, Gloucester Road, Bath, BA1 7BL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays. The nursery operates for 50 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and a week at both Easter and Christmas.

Full-day attendance is offered. Funded hours are distributed across the nursery's operating year, and additional attendance beyond a child's funded entitlement is charged privately. Monthly billing spreads the balance across the year, which gives families a consistent invoice rather than a term-by-term funding pattern.

Enquiries can be made on 01225 424971 or by email to childcare@aliceparknursery.co.uk. Families are invited to visit with their children, allowing the visit to include the child's response to the setting as well as an adult conversation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours for eligible working families from nine months, and potential funding for some two-year-olds. Funding starts in the term following eligibility. The nursery accepts children from one year old, so the younger age threshold for an entitlement does not change its entry age.

Meals and snacks are charged separately, as are consumables including nappies, wipes, sun cream and craft materials; this also applies during funded hours. An optional combined daily charge covers those items plus outings, visitors and enrichment activities. Families who decline it must supply food and consumables each day, and their child cannot join certain outings or activities.

Opting out requires parents to read the policy, discuss the decision with the manager and give advance notice under its terms. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Fees remain payable during holidays and absence, and funding requires completed parent declarations; eligibility codes must be reconfirmed every three months where required.

• Trying unfamiliar activities. In May 2022, children were not consistently encouraged to widen their interests. During a visit, explore how staff help a child who repeatedly chooses the same activity to try something different.
• Meeting people beyond nursery. In May 2022, children needed more opportunities to understand risks around unfamiliar people. Ask how that learning now fits into park outings.
• Opting out of extras. Declining the combined charge means supplying daily food and consumables, with some outings or activities excluded. Consider how those conditions would work for your family before choosing that arrangement.
• Settling your child. Visits can include children, and sleep is part of the nursery day. Use the visit to discuss how your child's first days and usual sleep routine would be handled.

Alice Park Nursery suits families seeking full-day attendance with frequent use of outdoor space and a day that includes both active play and quieter activities. The park track, seasonal collecting and nursery garden give that appeal substance. Stretched funding and consistent monthly billing also make the payment structure clear, provided families account for the separate extras.

The May 2022 Good judgement gives a dated quality reference. Its two improvement points, widening children's experiences and developing awareness around unfamiliar people, are concrete questions for a visit. The strongest reason to consider Alice Park is the way the surrounding park and the nursery's own garden contribute to the child's day.