The Railway Children's Day Nursery

A nursery rabbit and an on-site soft-play centre give The Railway Children's Day Nursery a recognisable character: animal care, movement and everyday responsibility featured in its September 2024 routines. This Birmingham setting has capacity for 50 children and accepts children aged 2 to 60 months.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 17 September 2024, finding effective safeguarding and a planned curriculum that built on children's existing knowledge. Two teaching improvements mattered: quieter spaces for listening and more thinking time after questions.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, connecting play and everyday routines with communication and physical activity.

In September 2024, children helped care for the rabbit, fed it apple leftovers and learnt to handle it gently. Discussions about recycling and rubbish connected those small tasks with responsibility for wildlife. Environmental learning had a practical purpose.

Daily outdoor play and daily use of the on-site soft-play centre gave children opportunities to climb, slide, jump and practise throwing and catching. Regular community outings sometimes involved public transport, extending experiences beyond the nursery.

Language activities included basic signing, picture books for communication and words from children's home languages. Stories introduced unfamiliar vocabulary. These were concrete ways of making communication part of the day, although background noise sometimes interfered with listening.

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that tailored settling arrangements and warm staff interactions helped children form close relationships, while communication support benefited children learning English as an additional language.

September 2024 routines included emotional reassurance and cuddles when needed. Staff checked headcounts during movement to the neighbouring soft-play centre, making transitions between spaces an explicit supervision task.

An on-site cook prepared homemade snacks and meals, and children could access fresh drinking water. Handwashing was embedded in daily routines, including after contact with the rabbit.

The address is 3b Ewhurst Avenue, Birmingham, B29 6EY. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

In September 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for two- and three-year-olds. That is a dated account of participation, rather than a promise of a funded place now.

• Listening spaces. In September 2024, busy areas sometimes made stories and focused activities difficult to hear. The suitability of quieter learning spaces deserves attention.
• Time to answer. Some questioning moved too quickly in September 2024, leaving children insufficient time to respond. Patient exchanges matter as much as introducing new vocabulary.
• Funding arrangements. Funded education for two- and three-year-olds formed part of the September 2024 offer. At a visit, what would the current funded package cover, including meals and consumables?

The strongest match is for families who value active play alongside practical learning about animals and the environment. The September 2024 account combines those experiences with warm relationships and specific language-support methods. Its teaching limitations are equally concrete: children need space to hear and time to think. The weekday opening window also merits consideration for families organising care around work.