Building Blocks Nursery, Kingstanding

A baby room that can be divided into smaller spaces, a separate sleep area and an emphasis on exploratory play give Building Blocks Nursery, Kingstanding a clear character. This Birmingham setting combines provision for the youngest children with rooms where toddlers practise emerging skills and preschool children make choices about their learning. Its approach favours a calm interior over bright walls and plastic furniture.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes. That assessment is a useful strength, especially for parents who value independence and cooperation, but it sits alongside a specific improvement point about developing children's conversations.

The nursery accepts children aged 3 to 60 months and has 41 places in total. Attendance is term-time only. The age range describes the whole setting; the individual rooms have their own age bands and capacities.

Rooms and Ages

BABIES accommodates up to 9 children aged 3 months to 2 years in a divisible open-plan space, with separate areas for sleep and nappy changing. The room's cap deserves attention: it describes the maximum for this particular room, rather than the number of children attending together on any given day. Separating sleep from the main play space also gives rest its own place within the baby provision.

Tweenies accommodates 16 children aged 2 to 3 years, with play dough, water, sand and role play supporting developing movement, speech and imagination. These are practical ways to exercise newly acquired skills: handling materials, experimenting and using pretend situations to communicate.

Preschool accommodates 16 children aged 3 to 4 years, with an emphasis on choosing, experimenting and hands-on exploration. The progression between these older rooms is clear. Toddlers have opportunities to practise emerging abilities; preschool children are encouraged to decide how they use them.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In July 2023, this meant practising communication through songs and stories, developing physical skills through handling dough and jumping, and learning about emotions through conversations about feelings. Alongside it, the branch is working towards The Curiosity Approach, an emphasis on exploration in a calm, natural setting. This approach complements the early years foundation stage through the environment and children's experiences.

In July 2023, exploratory activities used materials children could handle and investigate in different ways. An indoor digging patch prompted interest in insects, and a child brought a caterpillar from home to share. The appeal was concrete: something discovered during play could become something to discuss with other children.

Other July 2023 examples included toddlers pressing dough into a bowl with mint and dried orange peel, and children dispensing paint from reused soap containers to mix their own colours. These experiences put decisions into children's hands. They could explore texture and scent or control how much paint they used.

Outdoor play continued in wet weather in July 2023, with children putting on coats to go outside. They also practised jumping from crates at different heights. Both examples show how physical exploration fitted into the nursery day at that time.

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described targeted support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, involving an inclusion support manager, key persons and external agencies. A communication passport brought together information about an individual child's needs so that different staff could use it. For families whose child struggles to express those needs, that shared information is a practical mechanism to discuss.

In July 2023, staff talked with children about emotions and provided a quiet area where they could pause and settle themselves. Adults reminded children about this space during activities, helping them recognise an option they could choose independently. Emotional support was therefore connected to everyday routines, rather than confined to a separate activity.

Independence also ran through the July 2023 mealtime arrangements. Children poured drinks and washed their plates, while staggered eating times created opportunities to socialise. Snack timing allowed children to continue an activity before stopping to eat.

Parents received regular information about learning and progress in July 2023 and could contribute ideas about how the nursery operated. Staff also worked with families on continuing learning at home. These exchanges connected the child's experiences across the two settings.

Developing conversation was the key improvement priority in July 2023. In July 2023, staff used songs, stories, signing and language interventions, but sometimes missed chances to extend children's conversation and thinking. The improvement action called for closer monitoring of teaching so that adults made fuller use of those moments.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 28 Rough Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 0UY. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays. Families whose working arrangements continue through those holidays need to weigh that calendar alongside the daily opening window.

For the 30-hour funded offer for children aged 3 and 4, Kingstanding usually allocates attendance across three full days in term time. This is a funding attendance pattern, rather than a requirement stated for every child. Enquiries can be made through the branch's contact form or by telephone on 0121 355 6175.

Funding and Paid Extras

Kingstanding offers 30 Hour Funding (3 and 4 Year Olds), subject to eligibility, with the usual three-day, term-time arrangement described above. Meals and consumables carry a separate contribution for these funded places. Families should therefore distinguish the funded childcare hours from those additional costs when comparing the arrangement with their budget.

• Term-time calendar. The nursery closes during school holidays. Consider how that fits your family's annual childcare needs, especially if work continues throughout those breaks.
• Baby-room arrangements. BABIES has a cap of 9 and a space that can be divided, alongside a separate sleep area. During a visit, ask how the room is organised for children with different sleep and play routines.
• Conversation during play. The July 2023 improvement point concerned missed opportunities to extend children's language and thinking. Ask how staff now develop conversations during activities such as sensory play and experimentation.
• Funded attendance and extras. The 30-hour offer usually spans three full term-time days, with contributions for meals and consumables. Discuss that particular pattern and its charge structure before committing.

Building Blocks Nursery, Kingstanding suits families seeking term-time care, including those whose eligible funded attendance can fit its usual three-full-day arrangement. Its strongest practical features are the divisible baby space, separate sleeping provision and clearly differentiated older rooms. The exploratory approach gives children opportunities to handle materials, experiment and make choices.

The July 2023 assessment provides a positive judgement, with behaviour a particular strength. The conversation improvement point deserves equal attention: interesting materials matter most when adults use them to extend children's ideas. For parents choosing this setting, the combination of room arrangements, term-time calendar and language practice is more useful than the grade alone.