Cherubs South Normanton

Weekly Explorers sessions and preschool sports give Cherubs South Normanton a clear emphasis on movement and discovery. Outdoor learning sits alongside practical independence: preschool children serve themselves at mealtimes and choose resources positioned within reach. These are useful details for families who want children to take an active part in their day.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and praised the individual support given to children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is a dated judgement, rather than a promise about every child's experience today.

The nursery has 55 places in total and accepts children aged 1 to 60 months. Its address is 23 Hilcote Street, South Normanton, Derbyshire, DE55 2BQ. Babies, toddlers and preschool children have separate stages of provision, allowing the environment and activities to change as children grow.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit has a domestic feel, with its surroundings arranged to encourage early exploration. Very young children are encouraged to explore the world around them.

Within the Toddler Unit, adult-led activities sit alongside physical play, quieter periods, creative work and role play directed by children's interests. That balance gives toddlers opportunities both to join an activity and to pursue their own ideas.

Pre-School occupies an open, spacious environment, combining a more organised daily rhythm with accessible resources, group activities and self-service meals to practise independence before school. The practical details matter: children are encouraged to do things for themselves, rather than independence being left as an abstract ambition.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning and care, with play supporting communication, physical development and growing independence. Cherubs also uses a group-wide blended approach drawing on Montessori, Hygge, Reggio and Forest School; these influences shape the organisation of the day and the nursery environment.

Explorers makes the outdoor element concrete. These weekly sessions use Forest School principles, giving children opportunities to investigate natural surroundings through building, hiding and exploratory play, either at the nursery or in the local community. The setting can therefore use its own environment as well as experiences beyond it, rather than relying solely on indoor activities.

Sports Coaching runs weekly for preschool children. Football, fencing and cricket provide different introductions to physical activity, with sessions adapted to their age. It adds an organised sporting element alongside everyday movement and outdoor play.

In July 2023, conversation ran through play and meals, while preschool children explored the day's menu with an adult and discussed books and their characters. Story sacks also brought reading into family life at home. These examples show how ordinary routines became opportunities to use language, rather than learning being confined to a separate activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Garden is arranged each day around children's current interests, with opportunities for climbing, active play and listening to stories. It serves different purposes across the day: somewhere to move energetically, but also somewhere to share a quieter activity.

In July 2023, children collected wood during a forest school activity, recalled fire-safety vocabulary and talked about smoke and popcorn. Elsewhere outdoors, children examined moss and attempted balancing tasks with adult help. Those were hands-on experiences, bringing movement, observation and conversation together.

Blossom Educational Software gives parents access to their child's learning record through a smartphone app, with the ability to add contributions of their own. That creates a practical connection between home and nursery: parents can follow experiences and share information that helps staff understand their child.

In July 2023, staff used parents' knowledge alongside observations of children to plan experiences around individual interests and needs. Activities linked to St. David's Day responded to one family's heritage. The example matters because it shows family information influencing the programme, rather than simply being collected.

Babies' feeding and sleeping routines received individual attention in July 2023, and sleeping children were monitored carefully. Staff also used distraction and alternative activities when children became overexcited. These are specific examples of the care and behaviour practices at that time.

An on-site chef prepares meals, with menus changing through a three-week seasonal cycle. The group-wide Meat Free Monday routine reduces meat consumption, and arrangements cater for dietary preferences, intolerances and allergies.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Families planning regular childcare need to account for those closure periods as well as the weekday opening window.

Enquiries can be made directly on 01773 580164. A tour-booking form provides a route to arrange a visit and share the child's age, intended start date and requested attendance.

Getting There

The Hilcote Street address has bus connections across Derbyshire and access to the M1. Those connections make the location relevant to both nearby families and parents travelling beyond South Normanton for work.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2023, the nursery received early-education funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. This establishes its participation at that date; the choice of attendance and the cost of any additional care still need to fit the family's circumstances.

Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation. Treat the total cost alongside the attendance arrangement, rather than judging the nursery on its opening hours alone.

• Everyday problem-solving. In July 2023, children used counting and comparison language, but staff did not consistently take daily activities further into solving problems. During a visit, ask for an example of how staff now extend this aspect of learning.
• Funding and the total bill. The July 2023 funding position covered two-, three- and four-year-olds. What would your proposed attendance cost, including the funded-hours arrangement, meals and non-food supplies?
• Christmas cover. The nursery closes for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Families relying on year-round childcare should build those breaks into their plans.

Cherubs South Normanton suits families looking for weekday childcare across the year, with outdoor exploration and organised preschool sport alongside practical independence. Explorers, Sports Coaching and accessible preschool resources give the offer substance. The July 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection reference, while the improvement point on problem-solving is a useful subject for a visit. Parents of babies should also give individual feeding and sleep arrangements close attention when deciding whether the nursery fits their child.