Playhouse Day Nursery

Sensory play for babies, gardens adjoining the older children’s rooms, and a preschool year that brings letter of the week activities and a Nativity play give Playhouse Day Nursery a recognisable character. This Up Hatherley setting combines indoor exploration with outdoor access, while practical independence becomes more prominent as children approach school age. The progression is concrete: from handling everyday objects to changing for P.E.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and found safeguarding effective. That dated judgement provides useful context alongside the current rooms and attendance arrangements. In February 2023, children encouraged one another when activities proved difficult.

Playhouse has capacity for 29 children and accepts children from four months to five years. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside short days and full days, giving families several ways to organise attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Three playrooms are supported by a sensory room and a separate quiet room; two playrooms connect to enclosed, all-weather outdoor areas with safety surfacing. Child-sized toilets add a practical feature for children learning to manage everyday routines. Outdoor access is attached to the rooms rather than confined to a separate destination within the setting.

The Baby & Toddler room serves the youngest children up to age two, combining texture play and treasure baskets of everyday objects with a low basket for books or rest and access to the sensory room. Painting and sticking sit alongside messy materials such as jelly and beans. These give young children different ways to explore with their hands, rather than relying on one type of toy or activity.

For children aged two to three, the Middles room combines conversation and circle time with cooking, mark making and practice using scissors, plus direct access to its garden. Colours, shapes and numbers form part of this stage. Potty training is supported when the child is ready, keeping a practical developmental step alongside learning activities.

The Pre- school room takes children aged three to five, with letters, numbers and activities that build concentration, plus free movement into its adjoining garden. Preparing for school includes managing clothing and everyday responsibilities, as well as early reading and writing experiences. The emphasis extends to caring for others and behaving considerately.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: here, play and short adult-led activities bring together communication, physical exploration, creativity and early number and literacy experiences. Cooking, music and movement, stories and outdoor play are part of the day. Children can explore freely as well as take part in a more directed activity, allowing different kinds of engagement.

Letter of the week begins in January, with a different letter introduced each week through objects brought from home and shared writing practice. This gives families a specific way to connect home and nursery learning. For summer P.E. lessons, families are asked to provide a kit, with children practising changing their clothes as part of becoming more independent before school.

The preschool year also includes a Nativity play and graduation, where children wear a cap and gown and celebrate together. A daily special helper role gives children a small responsibility, while a monthly star of the month certificate recognises an individual child. These routines add occasions to participate and contribute alongside the room’s learning activities.

In February 2023, younger children explored moving lights and textured materials in the sensory room, while older children searched through flour for letters, made their sounds and attempted to write them. The examples show how physical materials supported different stages of learning at that time. Children also encouraged peers who were finding activities difficult, bringing social interaction into the learning itself.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts before regular attendance, with a key person allocated in advance and introductory visits provided without charge over one or two weeks, according to the child’s needs, age and development. That creates time for the child and practitioner to become familiar with one another.

Daily diaries for the youngest children cover eating, bottles, sleep and nappy changes, with space for messages from home. This is practical communication about the routines that matter most when a baby spends time away from their family. Parents can also telephone for an update, and policies are accessible to parents and carers.

In February 2023, parents contributed information about their children’s developmental starting points during settling. Staff also discussed development with families and offered ways to continue learning at home. These were two-way exchanges, connecting what children did at nursery with what their families knew about them.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified limited two-way communication with children learning English as an additional language and required stronger support so they could express their needs more clearly. This is the material qualification to the positive overall judgement. For multilingual families, the practical issue is how staff help a child understand, respond and ask for what they need throughout the day.

The safeguarding policy is introduced during settling. Medication or treatment requires discussion with parents and their prior written consent, and accidents and treatments are entered in a book for parental acknowledgement. These procedures give families a defined role in decisions and communication about their child’s health.

A separate quiet room provides another space within the nursery. The youngest children’s diaries record sleep times, allowing that part of the day to be shared with home alongside feeding and changing information.

Sessions and Attendance

Playhouse opens Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, throughout the year apart from bank holidays. The Morning Session runs from 8am to 1pm; the Afternoon Session runs from 1pm to 6pm. A Short Day finishes at 3.30pm after an 8am start, while the Full Day covers 8am to 6pm.

There is also a full-time weekly pattern covering Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Before- and after-school care serves children attending Lakeside Primary School. That is a childcare arrangement for school children, rather than a claim about an advantage when applying for a school place.

The nursery is at 287 Hatherley Road, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 6HT. Families can make an enquiry by telephone on 01242 253212 or through the contact form, identifying the care pattern they require.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds alongside private childcare. The fees and contact page sets out the attendance patterns, and current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

A deposit and a booking-related charge form part of the joining terms. The terms also provide for the nursery to give four weeks’ notice when terminating the contract; this should not be read as a statement of the notice parents must give.

• Communication in more than one language. The February 2023 improvement point concerned children learning English as an additional language. During a visit, ask how staff now support conversation and help these children communicate their needs.
• Booking payments. The joining terms describe different combinations of deposit, registration and administration charges. Obtain the applicable written terms, including which payment is credited against fees when the child starts.
• Funded attendance and everyday costs. Funding is offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds, while the nursery sells several session lengths. Ask for one written breakdown covering funded attendance, additional hours, food and non-food supplies for your intended pattern.
• School preparation has practical expectations. Preschool children are encouraged to bring objects for letter of the week, and families are asked to provide a kit for summer P.E. Consider whether these home contributions fit your family’s routine alongside the learning they support.

Playhouse suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as those needing short days or full-day attendance. Its strongest current features are easy to picture: sensory materials for younger children, gardens linked to the older rooms, and school preparation that includes dressing independently and taking responsibility.

The Good judgement from February 2023 adds a positive inspection reference, with children’s behaviour a particular strength at that time. The communication improvement point deserves attention from families whose children are learning English as an additional language. For other families, the main decisions are practical: which session fits, how settling will work for their child, and the applicable booking and funding terms.