Children 1st Birstall Nursery School

Baby spa days give Children 1st Birstall Nursery School a recognisable starting point, while Forest School sessions and cookery broaden the offer for growing children. The dedicated baby unit is a concrete part of that identity. This is a nursery with capacity for 120 children, so families choosing it are considering a substantial setting rather than a small group.

At its 21 February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest examples from that visit concerned everyday independence, children's involvement in decisions and relationships with staff; the improvement point concerned how adults extended conversations. Those findings describe February 2022 practice.

Children aged 2 months to 5 years are accepted at the Park Road setting in Birstall, Leicester. Morning, afternoon and two different day patterns give families several ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday routines support learning alongside practical skills. The additions here include Forest School, an approach to learning outdoors, plus yoga and cookery. These give families concrete activities to weigh alongside the basic framework.

Cookery has a practical shape within the group-wide offer used at Birstall. Children handle ingredients and practise cooking skills, with opportunities to explore growing ingredients and where food comes from. It connects an activity with something children encounter every day: eating. Baby spa days belong to the baby unit's offer, giving the youngest children an activity of their own rather than simply a smaller version of the older children's day.

In February 2022, interests helped shape activities. A story featuring vegetable characters led into craft work about food choices and looking after teeth. Children also anticipated what might happen next in the story. The example brings language and health together through a subject that had already caught their attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden formed part of daily life in February 2022, including outdoor sleep that staff monitored. Preschool children also took part in yoga and understood the need to drink afterwards. These were practical experiences of rest, movement and looking after themselves, rather than health being confined to a discussion.

The children's council in February 2022 gave preschool children a way to discuss what they enjoyed and propose changes. A rota also involved them in checking that areas were tidy. Both made responsibility tangible: children could contribute to the space they used. The nursery promises, expectations about behaviour, supported older toddlers and preschool children in sharing and treating each other kindly.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2022, babies sought out adults for stories and received comfort as they settled to sleep. Toddlers joined familiar action songs, while preschool children worked together in their key groups. These examples show how relationships operated differently across stages, from close physical reassurance to participation with other children.

Parents' information about interests and achievements at home fed into activity planning in February 2022. Games such as lotto were used when children needed help with playing together or taking turns. That made communication with families useful to the child's day, rather than a separate administrative exchange.

Conversation was also the weakness identified in February 2022. Adults sometimes moved through questions too quickly, leaving children insufficient thinking time before answering. The requested improvement was more precise attention to these exchanges. For parents, the meaningful issue is whether an adult follows a child's idea and allows a response, as well as initiating talk.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Everyday independence was visible in February 2022: babies selected toys, toddlers practised managing coats and aprons, and children helped themselves to food with supervision. These are small, useful steps towards doing things for themselves. Support could be directed towards an individual learning need, including confidence in cooperating with peers.

An onsite chef prepares meals; locally sourced ingredients are used where possible. Within the group-wide food arrangements presented for Birstall, menus accommodate different dietary requirements. Food planning therefore belongs alongside care planning for a child whose needs affect mealtimes.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1 Park Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 3AX. Business Days run from 8am to 6pm; Nursery days finish earlier, running from 8am to 5pm. Mornings run from 8am to 1pm, and Afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. The distinction between the two day patterns matters if a family needs the later collection time, while the shorter sessions offer a different attendance pattern altogether.

Attendance runs across the year, with Christmas week and two staff training days as closures. The branch enquiry form provides a direct route to begin the joining process, and nursery tours are offered. Families can obtain current prices in a written quotation from the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children aged 9 months and above can use the 15 Hours or 30 Hours funding offer. Funding is stretched over 51 weeks: the respective weekly amounts are up to 11.18 hours and 22.35 hours. Up to 10 funded hours can be applied in a day during Nursery or Business day sessions, with remaining entitlement usable towards other regular sessions. That links funding to the actual booking patterns rather than a separate attendance timetable.

Private fees include meals and snacks, milk and infant formula. Nappies, wipes, nappy cream and sun cream are also included, together with activities. Funded sessions have a different charge structure: food, health and hygiene consumables, and activities attract separate charges, with no activity charge for children under 2. Additional unfunded hours are charged at the applicable session rate.

A non-refundable registration charge reserves a place, and a deposit is credited against the first invoice. Monthly billing uses the same amount each month. The Birstall fees and funding information explains these arrangements alongside the session choices.

• Choosing the collection time. Business Days end at 6pm, while Nursery days end at 5pm. At a tour, discuss which of these, or the morning and afternoon patterns, fits the family's routine.
• Conversation during play. In February 2022, children sometimes had too little time to answer adults' questions. Ask how staff now extend a child's ideas and allow thinking time.
• Funding and the total bill. Funded sessions carry separate food, consumables and activity charges, while private fees include these items. A written quotation should make the effect of the chosen attendance pattern clear.
• Individual dietary needs. Menus cater for different requirements. Families managing allergies should confirm the current arrangements for their child's meals and snacks.

Children 1st Birstall Nursery School suits families considering morning or afternoon attendance as well as a Nursery day or later-finishing Business Day. The baby unit, cookery and outdoor learning give the choice substance beyond the timetable. Its February 2022 inspection provides a positive dated judgement, with conversation quality the clear improvement point. The financial distinction between private and funded sessions is equally important to the decision: the hours and included items need to work together for the family.