Roundabouts Day Nursery Nantwich

A large nature garden and a choice of outdoor spaces give Roundabouts Day Nursery Nantwich a clear practical attraction: children can explore different environments rather than use the same play area throughout the day. The Nantwich setting combines a smaller front garden with an equipment-filled big garden and a large nature garden.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision. The nursery accepts children aged 3 to 60 months and is based at Willaston House Business Centre on Crewe Road, Willaston.

Nantwich opens from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks each year.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing education and everyday care into the same nursery day. At Nantwich, the March 2023 examples included learning to manage feelings, practising independence at meals and tackling physical challenges through play. These are useful illustrations of how learning can happen beyond a planned group activity.

In March 2023, staff used what they knew about individual children to plan the next steps in their learning. Expectations changed as children moved between rooms, including learning further rules. For parents, the important distinction is between simply offering an activity and adapting it to what a child already understands.

Independence also developed through ordinary routines in March 2023. Younger toddlers practised eating with spoons, older toddlers handled cutlery, and preschool children poured drinks for themselves. Such tasks give children a practical role in their own care. Toddlers also helped clear away sand, linking participation with looking after their surroundings.

Outdoor and Community Life

The nature garden, equipment-filled big garden and smaller front garden provide different settings for outdoor play at Nantwich.

Physical challenge was part of the day in March 2023, when children helped construct obstacle courses and practised balancing and climbing. Staff supported manageable risks. This offered opportunities to keep trying when a task became difficult, with an adult helping children judge the challenge.

Community experiences were also evident in March 2023. Children made frequent visits to a nearby residential home and developed relationships with older people. A guide dog visit introduced interaction with working animals, while a swimming club visit addressed water safety. These examples brought people and experiences from beyond the nursery into children's learning; they should be read as activities from that period, rather than a current timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Home routines mattered for babies in March 2023. Staff followed familiar patterns and offered physical comfort as babies settled. For a family starting childcare, that is a useful example of care responding to a baby's existing day, rather than expecting an immediate adjustment to a different routine.

Communication with families took several forms in March 2023, including workshops and evening meetings. Staff discussed children's development and suggested activities parents could use at home. The value was practical continuity: parents had ways to build on nursery experiences beyond a progress update.

Children were also helped to recognise and talk about emotions in March 2023. Staff supported them in expressing happiness and sadness. For children learning English as an additional language, short sentences and visual prompts helped make communication easier to understand.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received effective support through agency working and tools such as a visual timetable, and that their progress was good. The concrete mechanism matters here: a visual timetable can make the sequence of the day easier to follow, while work with other agencies connects nursery support with specialist involvement.

The current Nantwich leadership structure includes a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a Deputy SENDCO role. Those are arrangements families can discuss when explaining their child's needs; the dated safeguarding judgement remains the separate assessment of effectiveness.

There were also two weaknesses in March 2023. Children sometimes spent too long waiting at the table before food arrived, reducing opportunities for learning during transitions. Preschool group sessions could be too large, with teaching beginning before everyone was listening. These are specific questions about how the day is organised, rather than reasons to dismiss the strengths elsewhere.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Nantwich opens on weekdays for 51 weeks each year. Bank holidays and a Christmas closure lasting one week interrupt that schedule; parents are not charged for the Christmas closure. The address is Willaston House Business Centre, Crewe Road, Willaston, Nantwich, CW5 6NE, and enquiries can be made through the branch contact form or by telephone on 01270 650382.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families receive current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Preschool group organisation. In March 2023, some children were not ready to engage when whole-group teaching began. During a visit, ask how those sessions are organised now and how staff bring each child into the activity.
• Waiting between activities. The March 2023 finding about delays before meals makes transitions worth discussing. Ask how staff use the interval between sitting down and eating.
• Funding and attendance. In March 2023, children aged two, three and four could receive funded early education here. Ask which funded attendance arrangements apply now and request a written breakdown of any charges, including meals and non-food consumables.
• Outdoor choice. Nantwich has a front garden, an equipment-filled big garden and a large nature garden. A visit can explore how outdoor access works for your child's age group across the day.

Roundabouts Day Nursery Nantwich suits families seeking weekday childcare with a choice of outdoor environments. Its front garden, equipment-filled big garden and large nature garden give outdoor play a clear place in the setting.

The March 2023 assessment provides a positive foundation, with concrete examples of responsive baby care, practical independence and support for additional needs. The reservations are equally specific: preschool group organisation and waiting before meals deserve attention.