The Nest Nursery Pype Hayes

Natural materials, loose parts and an open-plan space give The Nest Nursery Pype Hayes its character. Children share a large open-plan environment, with recycled objects and resources chosen for exploration. For families drawn to imaginative play, the appeal is concrete: materials can be used in different ways rather than having one prescribed purpose.

Based on the Gunter Primary School site in Birmingham, the nursery has 32 places in total and accepts children from three months to 60 months. At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised the support given to children with special educational needs and disabilities. That is a dated assessment, alongside a current offer built around natural resources, outdoor exploration and music.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and experiences support their learning alongside their practical and emotional needs. The Curiosity Approach adds an emphasis on exploration through natural materials, recycled objects and loose parts. Here, that means resources children can investigate and combine, rather than an activity always ending in the same finished object.

Neutral colours and an open-plan layout are part of the physical setting. Children can learn alongside one another, which makes the way staff adapt shared activities to different ages an important consideration. The environment itself is only part of the picture. What each child can understand and contribute matters too.

In April 2022, everyday tasks supplied practical learning opportunities: older children counted the places needed when laying the table, while drinking glasses gave children experience of handling real objects carefully. Books, rhymes and singing also featured in the day, with songs helping children understand changes between activities. These examples connect learning to things children actually do.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted also asked for shared activities to take better account of younger children's understanding and for staff to make the intended learning clearer. Both points matter in an environment where ages mix: participation should have a purpose for the youngest child as well as the oldest.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School, an outdoor learning approach, takes the oldest children beyond the nursery to Plantsbrook Nature Reserve. This gives outdoor exploration a setting beyond the nursery's own provision. The sessions are led by a practitioner trained in Forest School; their frequency should not be confused with the separate weekly music offer.

Music sessions take place each week for children across the nursery. Outdoor time also forms part of the current offer, with opportunities to explore materials and the natural world. In April 2022, an outdoor problem-solving activity involved children trying sticks to retrieve a hoop from a tree. It is a useful example of a task inviting discussion, experimentation and physical effort together.

In April 2022, key-person relationships gave children a familiar adult connection, and staff gathered information about home routines, interests and achievements. Daily exchanges with parents helped connect home and nursery life. For families, the practical value lies in that continuity: a child's routines and interests can inform what happens during the day.

Additional support at that time involved identifying needs, discussing concerns promptly and working with outside agencies. Conversations about brushing teeth and stories involving dental visits also brought health into everyday learning.

Meals are prepared away from the setting by the nursery's own chef. That separates food preparation from the activity taking place in the nursery itself.

The address is Gunter Primary School, Gunter Road, Birmingham, B24 0RU. Pype Hayes enquiries can be made by telephone on 0121 675 4184 or by email to enquirypypehayes@thenestnursery.co.uk.

The nursery operates Monday to Friday across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. That calendar matters for families organising regular childcare around work: the Christmas closure needs to fit the family's own arrangements. Opening-time information needs resolving before an early start is built into those plans.

Sharing a site with Gunter Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority admissions process. The nursery setting and the decision about a school place are separate considerations.

• Younger children in shared activities. In April 2022, some group activities exceeded younger children's understanding, and learning intentions needed greater clarity. During a visit, ask how activities now give babies and older children suitable ways to participate.
• Early opening. There is an unresolved difference between the 7.15am opening time and the 7.30am time in the opening-hours information; both give a 6pm finish. Confirm the start time before planning an early workday around it.
• Childcare costs and booking. Before joining, ask for a written quotation explaining the attendance pattern, any funded-hours arrangements, and how meals and non-food consumables are treated. Those details determine whether the arrangement fits the family budget.
• The school site. The nursery shares Gunter Primary School's site, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Plan the school application separately from the childcare decision.

Pype Hayes suits families who value open-ended play, shared space and outdoor learning, with weekly music and Forest School at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve giving that offer substance. Its year-round weekday calendar will also matter to families seeking regular childcare. The April 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality assessment; the most useful visit discussion is how the shared environment now accommodates younger children and gives activities a clear learning purpose.