Elmdon Day Nursery

Apple and pear trees, a twigwam and a mud kitchen give Elmdon Day Nursery’s outdoor space its character. Fruit gathering brings the seasons into children’s play, while balancing beams and climbing equipment make room for physical activity. These are concrete reasons to look closely at this Sheldon nursery, rather than choosing on opening hours alone.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Elmdon Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The same visit identified two useful points for parents to explore: activities needed better organisation to involve every child, and older babies needed greater challenge before moving into the toddler room.

Elmdon accepts children from three months to five years and has 52 places in total. Separate age-group areas give babies and older children their own spaces. Care runs across the year, with closures for bank holidays and the Christmas period.

Rooms and Ages

Babies (0-2yrs), Twoonies (2-3yrs) and Pre-School are the nursery’s named age-group services. The building has separate areas designed around different ages, rather than treating the whole age range as one group. For parents, the important distinction is how a child’s activities and surroundings change as they move between stages.

In January 2024, babies used a sand tray to exercise coordination and strengthen their muscles. Older babies approaching the toddler stage sometimes lost interest because the activities did not stretch them sufficiently. That makes the move between rooms an educational question as well as a change of space.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care. Here, that means considering development through play and everyday interaction, alongside the next learning steps identified for each child.

In January 2024, staff used observations to establish children’s starting points and plan what came next. Preschool play included a sea-pollution topic: children freed animals tangled in string while adults introduced words about floating and sinking. It connected an environmental idea with practical play and language.

Small-group activities also introduced new vocabulary, but their organisation did not hold every child’s attention. Some children missed the learning those activities were intended to offer. The issue was participation, not simply the choice of topic.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area includes a play chalet, sand pit and ride-on toys, alongside the twigwam and mud kitchen. Apple and pear trees offer shade in summer and fruit to collect in autumn. The mix gives children opportunities for imaginative play, movement and seasonal exploration.

In January 2024, indoor storytelling continued outdoors through house-building with different materials. Vegetables in the mud kitchen became ingredients for pretend cooking, with different-sized bowls bringing measurement into the play. These examples show how outdoor activity could extend an idea rather than interrupt it.

In January 2024, babies responded with laughter to rhymes, expressive faces and gestures from staff. Children shared resources and took turns, while adults used praise and questions to encourage their involvement. Everyday exchanges were an important part of the nursery day.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received support shaped around their needs, with key workers, parents and outside professionals meeting to coordinate their learning. This gives families a concrete support mechanism to discuss, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Daily activity updates kept parents informed in January 2024. School preparation included hand activities supporting later writing, booklets introducing children to their next school, and sharing information about interests and development with teachers. Preparation addressed both practical skills and the uncertainty of change.

All staff have paediatric first-aid training, and the nursery provides in-house training and opportunities for further development. These arrangements are relevant to everyday care; the dated safeguarding judgement remains separate from them.

Sessions and Attendance

Elmdon is at 2353 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3PN. Weekday opening begins at 7.30am or 8am and ends at 6pm. It operates throughout the year, closing on bank holidays and during the week between Christmas and New Year.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 0121 743 8082. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is offered for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Elmdon also accepts nursery vouchers and participates in the Government Taxfree Childcare Scheme. Eligibility remains a condition of the funded offer.

Meals, drinks and snacks are included in prices, with formula milk excluded. Wipes and nappy cream are supplied, while families provide nappies. Those distinctions matter when comparing the nursery’s quotation with the everyday items a family will bring.

• Older babies. In January 2024, children nearing the toddler stage sometimes needed more demanding activities. On a visit, ask how staff adapt play before a child moves rooms.
• Joining group activities. The January 2024 improvement point concerned children losing involvement in planned activities. Ask how quieter or less interested children are helped to participate.
• Attendance arrangements. Weekday opening starts at 7.30am or 8am and finishes at 6pm. Which start time and booking pattern would apply to your child?

Elmdon suits families seeking year-round weekday childcare, separate age-group spaces and substantial outdoor play. Its trees, play structures and mud kitchen give the setting a recognisable character. The January 2024 Good judgement sits alongside specific improvement points that deserve attention, especially for families with an older baby or a child who needs help joining group activities.