JoJo's Day Nursery

A pre-school council gives children a say in their day, while a mud kitchen turns outdoor play into hands-on experimentation. These were two of the memorable features of JoJo's Day Nursery in January 2025. Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 10 January 2025.

Based at Crewe House in Crewe, the nursery has 79 places in total. Children attending in January 2025 were aged 0 to 4; that age range belongs to the inspection-time picture.

In January 2025, learning followed children's interests, with staff introducing new skills through familiar routines. The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and everyday tasks provided opportunities to practise those skills.

The pre-school council involved voting and making decisions during the day. It gave children practical experience of expressing a preference and taking part in shared choices. Outdoors, children could run in an enclosed play area and experiment in the mud kitchen. Staff helped them attempt challenges and learn to judge risks, giving physical play a purpose beyond exercise.

At lunchtime in January 2025, children helped themselves to food, poured water and washed their plates. A display about foods from different countries prompted conversation. These ordinary tasks made independence something children could practise, rather than simply hear about.

Language teaching needed greater consistency. In January 2025, staff named animals during small-world play and encouraged children to repeat the words, but their questions did not consistently give children enough opportunity to develop considered answers. The improvement action centred on how staff supported vocabulary and thinking.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities supported through individual plans and collaboration with external professionals.

In January 2025, the key-worker arrangement helped staff understand individual children and support them with their feelings. For children learning English alongside another language, staff worked with families to learn words used at home; talking tins also supported the exchange of words between home and nursery.

Communication in January 2025 combined an app with daily conversations. Take-home bags addressed bereavement, toilet training and biting, giving families practical support for situations that could affect life both at home and in nursery. Staff also received supervision and support, with leaders paying attention to their wellbeing.

The address is Crewe House, 4 Oak street, Crewe, CW2 7BX. In January 2025, opening hours ran from 7am until 7pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year.

Government-funded childcare was offered in January 2025. This is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise about a particular family's entitlement or attendance arrangement.

• Language development. The January 2025 improvement action concerned consistency in staff questioning and support for thinking. During a visit, ask how practitioners now give children time to explain their ideas.
• Planning attendance. The January 2025 opening window was substantial. What booking patterns, funded-hour arrangements and charges for food or consumables would apply to your child's attendance now?
• Children's choices. The pre-school council involved votes and decisions in January 2025. A visit is an opportunity to explore how younger children also communicate their preferences.

JoJo's merits consideration for families who value children's participation, practical independence and communication between home and nursery. Its January 2025 picture included decision-making through the pre-school council, outdoor experimentation and useful family support. The counterweight is specific: staff needed a more consistent approach to developing children's language and thinking. Those priorities give families a clear basis for assessing the nursery.