The Laurels Nursery School

A milk kitchen in the baby room, a refurbished sensory room and a garden with planting areas give The Laurels Nursery School in Queniborough a recognisable character. Practical care spaces sit alongside opportunities to climb, grow vegetables and explore. For families, the appeal is concrete: provision for babies’ routines, space for sensory experiences and outdoor play as children develop.

The nursery has capacity for 84 children aged 3 to 60 months. At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised effective support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Those judgements belong to that date. The improvement priorities were language-related: giving children better opportunities to converse and discouraging dummy use during activities.

Current learning arrangements combine the Hygge Approach and Curiosity Approach with play, exploration and practical experiences. Communication with home includes an app carrying photographs, meal information and learning updates. These are useful ingredients for parents who want to understand both the learning day and its everyday routines.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the required framework for learning and care. At The Laurels, its practical expression includes exploring materials, developing language through play and learning about plants: in May 2023, babies investigated sand, toddlers compared the sizes of toy animals and preschool children painted ladybirds after examining pictures and counting their spots.

The current Hygge Approach and Curiosity Approach are expressed through calm classrooms, neutral décor and carefully selected resources, with learning built around exploration and real experiences. The practical implication is an emphasis on what children can investigate and use. Yoga adds opportunities to practise movement, coordination and flexibility, alongside an emphasis on wellbeing.

In May 2023, children’s interest in ladybirds and worms shaped activities. Books and pictures supported painting, while trowels allowed children to search for worms outside; adults also discussed handling living creatures carefully. It was a useful example of an interest connecting observation, counting, art and care for nature.

Language teaching had an uneven edge at that visit. Children encountered descriptive vocabulary through play, but adults sometimes put several questions to them too quickly, leaving them unsure how to answer. The distinction matters: introducing new words and making room for a child’s response are separate parts of a conversation.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden includes a mud kitchen, climbing equipment and areas for planting. Babies and toddlers have separate outdoor areas, while preschool children can move between their playroom and garden through free-flow access. That arrangement gives outdoor exploration a practical place in the preschool day.

Growing Garden gives children opportunities to tend plants and learn about the environment. Regular outings extend experiences into the local community, including the village and nearby parks. These complement the garden’s opportunities to handle materials, observe growth and explore beyond the playrooms.

Rooms and Ages

Bright playrooms cater for different stages of development. The baby room contains a built-in milk kitchen, placing preparation facilities within the space used for babies’ daily routines. A newly refurbished sensory room provides another space for children’s sensory experiences. These physical details are useful points of reference when considering how an individual child spends the day.

Relationships and Communication

An app shares photographs, meals and significant learning moments with families. It gives parents concrete information to talk about at home and a way to follow experiences that happen while their child is at nursery. Communication also includes working with parents around children’s additional needs.

In May 2023, staff gathered information about children’s experiences at home and used their interests when planning activities. Adults noticed tiredness and responded with comforters and cuddles. Children also practised everyday independence, serving food with supervision and learning to handle cutlery. Care and learning met in ordinary routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes SENCO-trained practitioners who work with parents of children with additional or special educational needs. This provides an identifiable role through which families can discuss support. The sensory room adds a physical space relevant to those conversations, although each child’s arrangements need to be considered individually.

Meals are cooked on site by a chef using guidance from a registered dietician, with menus changing regularly. Dietary requirements are catered for, making food arrangements a relevant discussion for families whose child needs an adapted menu.

Dummy use was a specific concern in May 2023. Children were sometimes encouraged to speak while still using a dummy, and adults did not consistently prompt them to put it away during play. For parents, this is a practical issue about the balance between comfort and opportunities to talk.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1514 Melton Road, Queniborough, Leicester, LE7 3FN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and the Christmas-to-New-Year period. That opening window is useful for planning work and family routines.

Enquiries can be made through the nursery’s online question form, and an online calendar provides visit booking. These give families a direct route to begin the joining process.

Getting There

Syston train station is close to the nursery, which is within walking distance of shops and amenities in Syston and Queniborough. Marks & Spencer on Melton Road is another nearby landmark.

Funding and Paid Extras

In May 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families considering that route should treat the attendance arrangement and the associated costs as separate parts of their decision. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Conversation and comfort. The May 2023 language priorities covered rapid questioning and dummy use during play. During a visit, ask how practitioners now give children time to respond and manage comforters during activities.
• Your child’s spaces. The milk kitchen, sensory room and separate outdoor areas offer concrete points to explore. Ask how your child would use these spaces and how care routines fit around play.
• Attendance and costs. The weekday opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with holiday closures. Ask which booking pattern fits your week and how meals, care products and any funded hours are treated in your quotation.

The Laurels suits families looking for care spanning babyhood and preschool, with garden exploration, calm playrooms and app-based communication. The milk kitchen, sensory room and preschool garden access make the offer tangible. Its May 2023 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, while the language improvement priorities give parents a specific issue to explore. The strongest reason to consider it is the combination of practical care spaces and opportunities for children to investigate their surroundings.