My First Friends Rubery

Sensory play for younger children and painted self-portraits for older ones give My First Friends Rubery a recognisable starting point: learning through things children can touch, hear and make. Those examples belong to November 2022, rather than a description of today's activities. They show the practical character of the nursery day at that time.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 21 November 2022, finding safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities especially strong. The judgement came with specific improvements around activity choice, uninterrupted learning and information for parents. Families should weigh both parts.

On Ashbrook Drive in Rubery, Rednal, Birmingham, the nursery has capacity for 120 children, accepting ages from two months to five years. That is the whole-setting total, rather than the size of an individual group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this brings learning and everyday care together: play, conversation and growing independence all belong within the nursery day.

In November 2022, younger children explored bubble wrap using their feet and hands, discovering its texture and the sounds it made. Older children examined their reflections and painted portraits, comparing their own appearance with their friends'. These were concrete ways to explore materials and differences between people.

Language work in November 2022 included adults making dinosaur noises during play and encouraging younger children to name objects in books. A screening tool helped staff identify communication concerns and arrange further support. For a family watching a child's speech develop, that combination of everyday interaction and a route for identifying difficulties is useful.

The limitations were equally concrete. In November 2022, some children could not see during group stories, while others had to leave an absorbing story for routine tasks. Morning activities were repeated in the afternoon, resources were sometimes insufficient, and adults did not consistently respond when children became disengaged or needed help. The issue was children's opportunity to participate and direct their own play.

A different example came in summer 2023, when children made pictures to congratulate the newly crowned King and Queen. A thank-you card followed, and the nursery framed it beside an earlier royal letter. This was a completed project, giving children's artwork an audience beyond their immediate nursery group.

In November 2022, children sought comfort from familiar staff, and preschool children helped put toys away while practising consideration for others. These small interactions matter: reassurance and learning to share responsibility were part of ordinary routines.

An experienced special educational needs coordinator worked with families, practitioners and external professionals in November 2022. The mechanism was collaborative support shaped around individual children, rather than expecting everyone to develop at the same pace.

Communication with home needed attention. In November 2022, parents' evenings and curriculum workshops sat alongside a recent move to an app, but the change had left families wanting clearer information about learning and what to practise at home. Daily updates are most useful when they explain a child's next step, as well as what happened that day.

At mealtimes in November 2022, younger children practised feeding themselves, while older children served food and poured drinks. Older children's lunch arrangements could become disorderly when adults left the table, making the organisation of everyday care another point to examine.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with care across the year and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. This gives families a substantial weekday opening window.

Rubery's offer introduced in July 2024 combines places across the year with term-time-only attendance and a flexible approach to sessions. That distinction matters for households whose childcare needs follow school terms and those needing care beyond them.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible families. Under the Rubery offer introduced in July 2024, food and nappies carry no additional charge, including for funded attendance. Current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation, with the attendance pattern and funding arrangements set out together.

Getting There

The address is Ashbrook Drive, Rubery, Rednal, Birmingham, B45 9FP.

• Participation throughout the day. In November 2022, story seating, routine interruptions and repeated activities restricted children's involvement. During a visit, ask how activities now change between morning and afternoon and how adults help a child who loses interest.
• Useful learning updates. The November 2022 move to an app left parents wanting more guidance. Ask to see how a child's next steps are explained and linked to things families can do at home.
• Term-time or year-round attendance. Rubery's July 2024 offer includes both, with flexible sessions. Before joining, ask how your proposed attendance fits the food and nappy arrangements in the written quotation.

My First Friends Rubery suits families considering either term-time attendance or flexible care across the year. Its November 2022 strengths included familiar staff relationships, practical language activities and coordinated individual support. The decision needs equal attention to how the day is organised and how learning is explained to parents. Those details determine whether an engaging activity becomes a sustained experience for each child.