Shooting Stars Nurseries at Bromsgrove

A former veterinary practice now houses four nursery base rooms, with a rear garden that gives children space to ride trikes, dig, plant and make a mess. Shooting Stars Nurseries at Bromsgrove combines these practical spaces with parent access to classroom cameras and an electronic learning journey. There is plenty here for families who value seeing how their child's day develops.

At its 11 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a judgement on today's staff team. The current setting has capacity for 80 children, with an accepted age range of 3 to 59 months.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings provide different attendance patterns. The garden, onsite cooking and ways for parents to contribute information are the clearest reasons to consider this branch.

Rooms and Ages

Four base rooms separate babies, toddlers, pre-school one and pre-school two. Their equipment is selected for the developmental stage each room serves, giving children spaces intended for their changing abilities rather than one shared base throughout nursery.

The converted building has bright rooms, an entrance ramp and a lift connecting Reception with the first floor. These are useful physical details for families considering access through a building spread across different levels.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in parent language, play and everyday routines are opportunities to develop communication, movement, relationships and early learning. It is the baseline framework, rather than an extra programme unique to this nursery.

In August 2022, babies explored sand with their hands and feet and experimented with coloured lights that responded to touch; other sensory activities involved dough and flour. Language work changed with children's development, from adults responding to babies' sounds to simple questions for toddlers and conversations about older children's experiences. These examples give a more useful picture of the learning than a curriculum label alone.

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that some activities missed their intended learning purpose and that unfamiliar ideas needed clearer introductions. A seaside activity, for example, assumed experiences some children had not had. The practical lesson for families is to look at how adults explain an activity, as well as the resources they put out.

Outdoor and Community Life

The rear garden combines paved and grass surfaces, climbing structures and space for trikes. A mud kitchen and sand pit support messy play, while the allotment area gives children opportunities to dig and plant. These different surfaces and resources make outdoor time more than a break from the rooms.

Children have opportunities to play outside in different weather. Proximity to the town centre and a local park also supports planned outings, extending experiences beyond the nursery grounds without making trips the whole basis of its outdoor offer.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2022, familiar adults provided reassurance to younger children, and staff gathered information from families to help children settle. Individual routines formed part of the day, including sleep according to children's needs and support with toilet training. For a baby or toddler, continuity between home habits and nursery care matters as much as the activity plan.

Current parent communication includes discussions about children's needs, development and interests at home. The group-wide eyLog electronic learning journey is used at Bromsgrove, and parents can contribute to it. That creates a route for sharing experiences in both directions, rather than leaving nursery staff to build a picture entirely from attendance days.

NurseryCam, the group's parental camera system, also operates here. Parents have encrypted access restricted to rooms their child uses during booked attendance. It provides a way to see part of the day, but should sit alongside conversations with staff about care and learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The entrance ramp and internal lift support wheelchair access through the premises. The branch also requires its qualified staff to complete paediatric first aid training and food hygiene certification; these describe practical arrangements rather than replacing the dated safeguarding judgement.

Meals and snacks are made fresh by the onsite cook, with menus reviewed regularly. Having food prepared within the setting places cooking within the nursery's daily operation, alongside the care and communication arrangements families will use.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, throughout the year apart from bank holidays. Full-day bookings run from 7.30am to 6pm; morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm.

A morning start at 7.30am can be booked in advance for an extra charge. Collection at 6.30pm is another charged option. These extensions matter for working arrangements, but the ordinary opening day and the standard session times remain separate from them.

Fees are spread across equal monthly payments, with payment due in advance at the start of the month. Reserving a place requires a booking fee and a refundable deposit. Bank holidays and children's absences are charged at the normal rate, so the cost of a booking does not simply follow days actually attended. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is 34 Stourbridge Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0AE, close to the town centre. Parking is provided behind the building, with an accessible bay near the entrance.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01527 877666 or by email at bromsgrove@myshootingstars.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts government-funded entitlement of 15 or 30 hours, subject to eligibility, alongside privately paid childcare. Tax Free Childcare is also accepted.

Food during funded sessions is charged separately: the morning charge covers breakfast, a morning snack and lunch, while the afternoon charge covers tea. Families comparing funded and private bookings therefore need to consider the food element alongside any additional paid hours, rather than treating the funded entitlement as the complete booking cost.

• Teaching beyond the resources. The August 2022 improvement points concerned the purpose and explanation of activities. On a personalised tour, ask how staff introduce an unfamiliar idea and adapt it to children's existing experiences.
• The whole booking cost. Food is charged separately during funded sessions, and bank holidays and absences remain chargeable. Ask how funded hours would be distributed across your chosen sessions and what non-food supplies you would need to provide.
• Camera access alongside conversation. NurseryCam access is restricted to the rooms used by your child during booked attendance. A tour is an opportunity to discuss how camera access and direct communication with staff work together for your family.

Shooting Stars at Bromsgrove suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as those booking full days. Its strongest practical assets are the varied rear garden, food cooked onsite and two ways to connect with nursery life: NurseryCam viewing and the eyLog learning journey.

The Good judgement dates to August 2022, when clearer activity explanations and more consistent teaching intentions were still needed. This is a setting to assess through both its physical provision and the adult interactions that turn resources into learning. The funded food charges and year-round booking costs also deserve attention before choosing an attendance pattern.