Little Scallywags Day Nursery Hodge Hill

A preschool room divided between books, building, imaginative play, messy activities and meals gives Little Scallywags Day Nursery Hodge Hill a clear practical character. There is space for different kinds of play to happen alongside each other. The Bucklands End Lane setting has capacity for 67 children, a whole-nursery figure rather than the size of an individual group.

At its December 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, inclusion and children's welfare and wellbeing to be Strong standard, with curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines at Expected standard. The important qualification concerns adult interactions: children needed more consistent help to deepen their understanding, including during babies' sensory activities.

Children attending in December 2025 were aged 1 to 4. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: the day combines play, communication, physical activity and growing independence. In December 2025, staff used observations of children's development to plan their next learning steps, adapting activities to their age and needs. Language received close attention, with adults introducing words and demonstrating pronunciation during play.

Books had a social role too. In December 2025, children shared stories with friends and talked about what had happened in them; babies and younger children asked for songs and rhymes they enjoyed. These are concrete opportunities to practise listening, remembering and joining a conversation. Mathematical language and problem-solving also featured in play, connecting ideas about number and relationships with things children were doing.

There was an important unevenness in the teaching. In December 2025, adults did not consistently develop babies' sensory play further or adjust it to sustain their interest. The next step was to make adult interactions more consistently effective across the nursery. For parents choosing care for a younger child, the useful distinction is between providing an activity and helping a child discover more through it.

Rooms and Ages

The spacious preschool room brings together a reading area, role play, construction, messy play and a dining room, giving older children different spaces for stories, making and meals. Natural materials are used across the rooms. This provides resources children can explore in different ways, rather than limiting the day to one type of toy or activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

In December 2025, outdoor play included puddles for babies and balance beams for older children, while obstacle courses gave children opportunities to practise coordination. Children also practised dressing themselves for outdoor play, including managing coats and wellington boots. Physical play and practical self-care were connected.

Animal encounters added another kind of experience. In December 2025, visiting ponies and hamsters gave children opportunities to learn about caring for living creatures. These visits brought something tangible to children's learning about the world; they were more than pictures in a book.

Relationships and Communication

Settling sessions give staff time to get to know children before their nursery routine becomes established. That is a useful starting point for families who want the adults caring for their child to understand their interests and habits.

In December 2025, staff and families worked together on toilet training, linking practice at home and nursery. Regular discussions with parents and additional support agencies also helped organise support for children who needed it. This matters because care plans need to connect the child's experiences across different adults and places.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that safeguarding standards were met and that SEND support combined parents' knowledge, work with other professionals and individual plans, with strong progress in children's communication. Practical adaptations included different painting tools and carefully positioned furniture, helping children participate in activities alongside their peers.

In December 2025, a sensory space offered children a calmer place to engage with activities and manage their feelings. Staff also sent dual-language books home and used words from children's home languages during stories. Support extended beyond the nursery day, giving families another way to share language and books together.

Everyday care involved practice as well as adult help. In December 2025, children washed their hands before food and after using the toilet, and lunchtime routines encouraged them to cut food and feed themselves. These small tasks made independence part of ordinary nursery life.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 34 Bucklands End Lane, Birmingham, B34 6BP. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with an all-year opening schedule. Families can contact the Hodge Hill team by telephone on 0121 688 7141 or email at hodgehill@littlescallywagsdaynursery.co.uk.

• Babies' sensory learning. In December 2025, adult help during sensory activities was inconsistent. On a visit, ask staff to demonstrate how they extend a younger child's exploration and respond when interest fades.
• The preschool layout. Books, construction and messy activities share a large room with dining space. Look at how quieter play works alongside busier activities and how children use the different areas.
• Attendance and total cost. The opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Which booking patterns and funded arrangements would fit your week, and how would meals and consumables affect the total cost?

Hodge Hill suits families who value practical independence, language-rich play and a preschool space with clearly different activity areas. In December 2025, strengths in inclusion, welfare and achievement sat alongside uneven adult interactions. That balance matters. The strongest reasons to consider it are concrete: individual support, shared books and everyday opportunities for children to do more for themselves. Parents of younger children should give the quality of adult interaction during sensory play close attention on a visit.