The Little Ripley Day Nursery Withy Hill Road

Fields surround this Withy Hill Road setting, while sensory musical toys, climbing frames and racetracks give its outdoor space a clear purpose: room for children to explore, move and experiment. The Little Ripley Day Nursery Withy Hill Road combines that rural character with capacity for 120 children, accepting ages from 3 to 59 months. This is a sizeable nursery, rather than a small cottage-scale operation.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were well supported, with communication and language a strength. Those findings give families a useful starting point, alongside a specific improvement concerning the purpose of some adult-led learning.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm. Its rooms extend from Baby Room through to Older Pre-School, allowing families to consider care across several stages of early childhood at the same address.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room, Toddlers, Older Toddlers, Little Learners, Younger Pre-School and Older Pre-School make up the room roster. The distinction between younger and older toddler and preschool stages is useful context for parents considering how their child might move through the setting. The whole nursery's 120 places should be read as total capacity, rather than the size of any individual room.

Little Learners is a room name here. It should not be mistaken for a separately described curriculum programme. For families weighing a move between stages, the room structure makes the child's eventual transition an important part of a visit conversation.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play, conversation and practical activities support children's developing skills. In February 2024, stories and singing encouraged younger children to participate, while conversations gave children opportunities to contribute their ideas. Language practice was woven into interactions rather than confined to a single activity.

Practical independence also featured in February 2024. Toddlers practised feeding themselves and managing small self-care tasks, including using a tissue. Children explored paint, crayons and materials with different textures, giving their hands work to do alongside the creative experience. These are concrete examples of learning through ordinary actions.

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified that some adult-led teaching needed a clearer connection to what children should learn next. For parents, the useful distinction is between an activity that holds a child's attention and one whose next learning step staff can explain.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor offer is the strongest physical feature here. Sensory musical toys add sound and exploration, while climbing frames and racetracks support active play. The surrounding fields give the setting its rural character; the equipped outdoor space gives children practical things to do within it.

In February 2024, older children used the garden for imaginative treasure searches and making mud cakes from collected materials. Preschool children rode wheeled toys around a garden track, while toddlers practised negotiating an indoor climbing frame. Movement and imaginative play had different outlets for different stages.

Past branch celebrations add some character. For World Book Day, children at Withy Hill Farm dressed as favourite book characters. Children’s Mental Health Week included sensory activities in Baby Room and yoga and relaxation, with children wearing pyjamas or comfortable clothes. These are examples of activities held here, rather than a promise of a particular future calendar.

Relationships mattered in February 2024: children built connections with their key person, and staff responded to individual needs. Staff modelled behaviour and helped children practise sharing and waiting for a turn. That combination connects emotional support with the small social skills children need in group care.

Support planning was practical at that time. Observations and assessments helped staff identify gaps in learning, and work with parents and other professionals informed plans for individual children. For a family whose child needs additional support, those mechanisms are more useful than a broad assurance about inclusion: they show how information was gathered and used.

An onsite cook prepared meals in February 2024, taking individual dietary needs into account. Handwashing before meals and after using the toilet formed part of the day, and staff followed procedures for administering medication. These are dated examples of care routines, rather than a current menu or allergy policy.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Withy Hill Farm Cottage, Withy Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield, B75 6JS. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with weekends closed; the nursery operates across the year, except bank holidays. That opening window gives working families an early start and an evening collection point.

Families can contact the branch on 0121 378 1027 or use its branch enquiry form. Keeping the enquiry attached to Withy Hill Road matters within a group with several locations.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. This is an inspection-time participation fact, rather than a guarantee of a funded place or a particular attendance arrangement today. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Adult-led learning. In February 2024, the improvement priority concerned making the next learning step clearer in some activities. During a visit, ask staff to explain what a recent activity was intended to teach and how they adapted it for individual children.
• Moving through the rooms. The roster includes Older Toddlers, Little Learners and separate younger and older preschool rooms. Ask how the nursery decides a child is ready to move and how the key-person relationship carries through that change.
• The full attendance cost. The nursery has an all-year opening pattern, and funded education was offered in February 2024. What current booking patterns and funding arrangements apply?

Withy Hill Road suits families who value an equipped outdoor space and a room structure spanning babies through preschool, alongside weekday opening that starts early and ends in the evening. Its rural surroundings are a clear part of its character. The February 2024 findings provide a positive quality baseline, with a precise teaching improvement to keep in view. The strongest reasons to consider it are concrete: active outdoor play, opportunities for conversation and practical independence, and support planning involving families.