Prime Time 2 Day Nursery

Story-led learning gives Prime Time 2 Day Nursery its clearest character: in April 2023, a caterpillar story became a starting point for exploring insects, patterns and healthy eating. Books connected several parts of the nursery day, rather than being confined to story time.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in activity planning and children's understanding of numbers. That is a positive assessment with specific reservations about how learning was extended.

Based in Great Barr, Birmingham, the nursery has 50 places in total and accepts children aged 2 to 60 months. Its address is 68 Greenholm Road, B44 8HL. This is a whole-nursery capacity, rather than the size of any baby or preschool group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: it brings learning and everyday care together, with activities helping children develop language, movement and social skills. The nursery's April 2023 practice gives concrete examples of how that worked across different ages.

In April 2023, planning drew on The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Children explored insect life cycles, symmetry and healthy eating through the story. Linking those ideas to a familiar book gave activities a shared thread, with opportunities to connect what children heard to what they explored.

Books also served different purposes for different ages that April. Babies handled books themselves and examined the pictures; preschool children listened to expressive storytelling and joined in with familiar passages. The contrast matters: independent exploration and participation in a group story were both part of the day.

Precision was the weakness. In April 2023, some activities lacked sufficiently clear intentions for the new skills children would acquire or existing skills they would practise. Mathematical vocabulary featured in everyday conversation, and children sorted colours and shapes, but counting was not consistently connected to actual quantities. Counting fruit, for example, did not always lead to understanding how many pieces were there.

Outdoor and Community Life

During April 2023, preschool children used a large parachute outdoors, coordinating their movements to raise and lower it together. Babies explored balls indoors by grasping and rolling them. These were different physical experiences for different stages, rather than one activity applied to everyone.

Eid celebrations that April included traditional clothing and food brought by parents. This connected children's learning to family participation and gave them a practical introduction to a celebration within their community.

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, with staff applying relevant training to individual children's needs. That finding concerns the support observed at that time.

In April 2023, staff helped children understand everyday expectations, reminding younger children about sharing and kindness and guiding preschool children during group stories. The emphasis was on explaining how to take part alongside others.

Communication that April combined an online system with newsletters and notices about forthcoming events. Parents received information about both daily experiences and development, giving them more than a brief account of what their child had done.

Healthy habits were woven into the April 2023 day: staff supported toothbrushing and discussed fruit and exercise. Children had snacks and lunch, with drinking water accessible through the day. Food therefore sat alongside practical routines for looking after themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. For parents arranging work and childcare, the weekday opening window and holiday closures are the concrete starting points for planning.

The nursery is at 68 Greenholm Road, Great Barr, Birmingham B44 8HL. Its branch enquiry route provides a way to make initial contact.

Funding and Paid Extras

In April 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of participation, rather than a promise about a family's present entitlement or attendance arrangement. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Learning beyond the activity. April 2023 brought a request for clearer planning around children's next steps. When visiting, ask how staff decide what an activity should teach and how they recognise that learning.
• Numbers with meaning. In April 2023, counting did not consistently connect to quantities. Practical examples involving actual objects would help families assess how this aspect of learning now works.
• Attendance and settling. The nursery opens across the year and closes for Christmas and bank holidays. Which booking pattern and settling arrangement would work for your child within those opening hours?

Prime Time 2 suits families seeking childcare across the year, with an April 2023 picture of story-led activities, physical play and communication about children's development. The strongest examples connect books, movement and family celebrations to learning. The counterweight is equally specific: activity planning and the meaning of numbers needed more attention. Those are useful priorities for a visit, rather than reasons to overlook the broader Good judgement.