Kirsty's Little Treasures, Shenstone

A food bank outside the nursery and Dolphins' access to soft play, an animal room and a kitchen cooking area give Kirsty's Little Treasures, Shenstone a character that extends beyond its classrooms. This Bromsgrove setting combines practical family support with play, physical activity and preparation for school. Its current age range is two to five, with capacity for 56 children in total.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 12 February 2025 and judged safeguarding effective. Two improvements remained: helping children listen respectfully to one another, and reducing waits for food. These are useful points to weigh alongside the activities and care arrangements, rather than treating the overall grade as the whole story.

Shenstone serves the older children within Kirsty's Little Treasures: care for under-twos takes place at the separate Redbrick House setting. Full days and morning or afternoon sessions give families different attendance options.

Rooms and Ages

Dolphins, for children aged two to three, occupies a first-floor classroom with spaces for construction, creative work, pretend play, early writing and books, alongside an emphasis on toilet training. Its stated staffing arrangement is one adult to four children, compared with the legal minimum of one to five for two-year-olds. That is a meaningful difference in adult support, although it does not tell parents how many children attend the room on a particular day.

Parrots develops younger three-year-olds' communication, social confidence and independence, while Pre School emphasises confidence, physical skills and preparation for school. These stages make the move towards school a gradual change in what children practise. Parents choosing for a three-year-old should pay attention to how the room allocation fits their child's stage and intended school start.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the required framework for children's learning and care: language, relationships and physical development sit alongside experiences involving books, mathematics, creativity and the wider world. Here, a Learning Journey connects observations and photographs with each child's next steps, giving learning a visible thread rather than leaving parents with only a list of activities.

Dolphins has a daily group gathering for songs and conversation about feelings, recent experiences and the day's weather. Monthly topics shape further activities. The classroom's different play spaces let children practise similar skills in different ways, whether they are building, making marks or acting out familiar situations.

Thursday mornings bring Rugbytots, a coached physical skills class using rugby movements, and Football club, which includes movement, catching and throwing. Leesh Fitness gives Parrots and preschool children dance and fitness sessions on Tuesday mornings, with music from different countries and genres. Kirsty's Little Treasures funds these activities. They add organised movement to the ordinary nursery day, with different ways for children to join in.

There are also concrete examples of learning that takes time. In June 2024, Dolphins released butterflies they had raised from caterpillars. Watching that change unfold gives children something real to connect with conversations about living things; it is an example of past activity, rather than a promise of a repeating programme.

Outdoor and Community Life

Dolphins uses the outdoor spaces when weather allows and also accesses the soft play room, animal room and kitchen cooking area. The indoor alternatives matter for children who enjoy moving and exploring: activity is not confined to their main classroom.

In February 2025, children practised climbing on tyres and using a slide in the garden, while smaller hand movements were exercised through dough and transferring pasta with tweezers. Singing with a parachute brought children together around a shared activity. Story conversations invited them to think ahead about what might happen next, linking enjoyment of books with speaking and reasoning.

In February 2025, family support included a food bank and books families could borrow from the nursery's lending library; children also helped with litter picking. The food bank at Shenstone is accessible outside the setting around the clock. This brings family support into the nursery's daily surroundings, while litter picking gives children a simple, tangible way to contribute to their neighbourhood.

Relationships and Communication

A key person builds a relationship with each child and works with parents and colleagues during changes of room. Transitions generally unfold over a few weeks, with staff from the next room spending time alongside the child and short visits to the new space. Children usually move in small groups with friends. Familiar people and routines make the change more manageable.

The Learning Journey is accessed through the Blossom Parent App and includes observations, photographs and goals. Home Link contributions allow parents to add experiences from home to individual planning. Regular parent evenings and spoken handovers add opportunities to discuss progress and the practical details of eating, drinking and rest.

Settling follows the family's timescale, with the key person taking a lead in care. A familiar comforter can come to nursery. These arrangements give parents concrete ways to preserve continuity while their child gets used to a different place and different adults.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff spotted learning needs promptly, involved parents and other professionals, made referrals and put individual plans into practice; allergy procedures also covered ingredients used in play activities. That is useful detail for families whose child may need additional help or careful food management, although it remains a dated judgement.

Sleep follows children's home routines, with rest supported when needed; Parrots children who need a nap can join Dolphins after lunch. Toilet training also follows the child's pace and home routine. For children managing these changes, coordination between home and nursery is more useful than imposing the same timetable on everyone.

Hot lunches come from cupcakes catering, while a kitchen coordinator prepares the other meals; the menu changes quarterly. The nursery's allergy policy asks families to disclose requirements so meals and snacks can be adapted, including alternative lunches from the caterer.

Preparation for school includes sharing a progress profile with the receiving school. In February 2025, children also practised using cutlery, washing hands before eating and making early writing movements on whiteboards and in sensory trays. These are everyday skills that help children take greater responsibility for themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 4 Shenstone Close, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 1PG. Opening hours run from 7.30am until 6pm on weekdays, and the nursery operates throughout the year apart from bank holidays.

A standard full day runs from 8am to 5.30pm, with an extended day from 7.30am to 6pm. Standard morning sessions are 8am to 12.30pm and standard afternoons 1pm to 5.30pm; extended mornings begin at 7.30am and extended afternoons finish at 6pm. Term-time-only attendance is also catered for; additional holiday sessions are subject to space and an extra session charge.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07864 539 014 or by email to kirstyslittletreasures@gmail.com. The nursery requests one month's notice when leaving. A sickness or diarrhoea episode requires children to remain away for 48 hours after the final symptom, an important practical consideration when planning working days.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for eligible two- and three-year-olds; the stated 15 or 30 weekly hours apply to eligible three-year-olds. Proof of eligibility and termly paperwork are required. Funded attendance carries a separate service charge for activities and resources, so funding and the final bill need to be considered separately.

Meals are charged separately, while drinks and snacks are included whether or not families choose nursery catering; parents can instead send meals from home or combine the two arrangements. Families provide nappies, wipes and nappy cream, while nursery sun lotion carries a separate charge or parents can supply their own.

There is a one-off registration charge when a child starts. Invoices cover the coming month and payment is due in advance by its first day. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the funding and fees page explains the charge structure. Uniform is optional.

• Listening and mealtimes. In February 2025, some children were interrupted when speaking, and food service sometimes left children waiting long enough to become restless. During a visit, ask how turn-taking is supported and how serving routines have changed.
• The right room. Shenstone serves two- to five-year-olds, with Dolphins followed by stages aimed at greater independence and school preparation. Ask how the transition into Parrots or Pre School is decided for your child, and how familiar staff support that move.
• Funding and extras. Funded places carry an activities-and-resources charge, with meals and some supplies treated separately. Request a written breakdown for your chosen session pattern, including the treatment of funded hours and sun lotion.
• Food allergies. The nursery plans adapted meals and snacks, including alternatives from its external lunch caterer. Families managing allergies should confirm current arrangements for both eating and food-based play before joining.

Shenstone suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions for children aged two to five. Dolphins' stated staffing arrangement, practical room transitions and the Learning Journey offer specific reasons to consider it, while Rugbytots and dance sessions add variety to physical play.

The February 2025 concerns deserve attention because they affect ordinary daily experiences: being heard and waiting comfortably for lunch. For parents who value regular communication, growing independence and practical community support, this is a useful nursery to assess against their child's needs and their preferred attendance pattern.