Cotton Tails Too at Rubery

A milk kitchen in the Baby Room, cushions and bean bags for toddlers, and an imagination area for older children give Cotton Tails Too at Rubery a clear progression through the early years. The emphasis changes as children grow: familiar routines first, then exploration, friendships and greater independence. These are practical differences for families comparing care for a baby with provision for a child approaching school age.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found that its curriculum drew on children's interests and development, while identifying improvements needed in younger children's group activities and opportunities to manage meals independently. That balance matters. The positive judgement came with specific teaching points rather than an unqualified endorsement of every part of the day.

The nursery has 49 places in total and accepts children from three months to five years. Its address is 14 Leach Green Lane, Rednal, Birmingham, B45 9BL.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room, labelled for ages 0-1, combines water, paint and jelly activities with a milk kitchen for preparing feeds and snacks and a soft area for rest. For the youngest children, having both active play and somewhere quieter gives the room more than one pace; the key-person arrangement also connects care with routines at home.

Tinie Room, for ages 1-2, uses music and songs to support language, offers water play and early mark making, and has cushions and bean bags for downtime. Movement is part of the arrangement too, with space for developing toddlers to be active. The balance is between exploring with others and taking a break when needed.

Nursery Room, for ages 2-3, brings more structure to the day, encourages confidence and friendships, and includes an imagination area. School Room, for ages 3-5, emphasises listening to others, respect and increasing independence as children prepare for school. Those priorities make the older children's offer about social readiness as well as activities to take home.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, children explore ideas through play and practise skills through activities. It is the common early-years foundation, rather than an additional branded curriculum. School Room activities use that framework alongside the room's emphasis on managing more for themselves.

In April 2023, a seed activity brought several kinds of learning together: children opened fruit and vegetables, talked about where seeds came from and counted what they discovered. A familiar object became something to investigate. Staff planned around themes and children's developing interests, rather than treating an activity as an isolated task.

Reading also received attention in April 2023, with parents involved in supporting communication. Outdoors, children exercised in different weather conditions, and a sport initiative supported physical activity.

Busy Lizzie visits School Room. The useful fact for families is the visiting element alongside its everyday activities, with no fixed frequency attached to those visits.

Relationships and Communication

For babies, continuity starts with the key person and the child's home routine. Keeping that routine familiar gives parents a concrete basis for discussing feeds, rest and the move into nursery care. The Baby Room's milk kitchen supports preparing feeds when needed, while its soft area provides space to relax.

In April 2023, staff used comfort and reassurance in their relationships with children, and the key-person arrangement helped practitioners understand individual learning needs. Parents received progress information through conversations and an app, and attended nursery events. Communication therefore involved both everyday exchanges and a way of following learning beyond the nursery day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities included through suitable interventions and outside support, with good progress. This is a dated judgement about practice, not a blanket promise about every child's future experience.

During April 2023, staff reinforced behaviour in ways matched to children's development, and ordinary routines included handwashing around meals and toileting. The improvement points were equally practical: younger children needed more chances to participate in preparing and serving food, and better support to sustain interest during group activities. For parents of toddlers, those details are more useful than a general claim about independence.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. This makes its calendar relevant to families whose childcare needs continue beyond school terms, while bank holidays require separate planning.

Branch enquiries can be made on 0121 453 3000 or by email to rubery@cottontailsdaynursery.co.uk. The Leach Green Lane address places the nursery in the Rednal area of Birmingham.

Funding and Paid Extras

Cotton Tails Too participates in early-years funding through Birmingham. In April 2023, funded early education covered two-, three- and four-year-old children. Participation and a child's individual entitlement are separate questions; the former does not establish the latter. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

The menu includes lunch and tea, with dishes such as chicken curry with rice and chicken meatballs with pasta; fruit and yoghurt also feature. These examples help families assess the style of food their child would encounter.

• Younger children's participation. In April 2023, opportunities to prepare and serve food and engagement during group activities needed development. On a visit, ask how toddlers now take part in these parts of the day.
• Baby routines. Baby Room combines a key person, a milk kitchen and space to relax. Discuss how your child's feeding and rest routines would work within that arrangement.
• Funding and the total bill. Early-years funding is administered through Birmingham for this branch. What attendance pattern can your entitlement cover, and how are meals and non-food consumables handled within funded and privately paid hours?

Cotton Tails Too at Rubery suits families seeking care from babyhood towards school age, with room arrangements that change as children's needs develop. The milk kitchen, toddler rest spaces and imagination area provide concrete reasons to consider it, rather than relying on broad promises about care.

Its Good judgement from April 2023 gives the review a positive basis, tempered by clear improvement points for younger children. The year-round weekday opening calendar is a practical attraction for families needing continuity across school holidays. For parents of babies and toddlers, the strongest decision points are how familiar routines are maintained and how children gain independence in ordinary daily tasks.