Nursery in Belong

Older neighbours are part of nursery life here: stories, meals, gardening and dance bring children and adults together within Belong Chester. Nursery in Belong’s setting inside a care village gives its intergenerational approach a concrete shape. Relationships extend beyond practitioners and other children, with residents sharing their interests and skills through ordinary daily encounters.

At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective, with children developing exceptional empathy and strong communication skills. That judgement matters because the shared setting is more than an interesting building arrangement: the educational value of those relationships was evident in children’s learning and behaviour.

The nursery accepts children from birth to five years at City House in Chester. Its strongest appeal is the opportunity to grow up around people of different generations, with practical projects and creative work giving those relationships something purposeful to revolve around.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care. In parent language, learning and everyday care belong together: conversation, practical exploration and growing independence are part of education, rather than separate from it. Intergenerational activity adds the nursery’s own character to that shared framework.

In December 2024, children of different ages learnt alongside one another and used shared village spaces, including the garden room and creative studio. A nonverbal puppet production gave them a collaborative creative task. After a London trip involving carol singing at Westminster Abbey, children recreated the building using blocks, taking an experience beyond the nursery and turning it into something they could discuss, remember and construct.

Books had a substantial place in the day. In December 2024, the nursery had its own library, where practitioners and residents read with children; children also created stories and exchanged letters with their older neighbours. A target of taking home and reading 100 books before school made reading a continuing activity between home and nursery. Writing had a real audience, too: a letter was something another person would receive and answer.

The Repair Shop brings children and residents together to mend possessions and make useful objects. In September 2024, workshops used an accessible workbench designed for wheelchair users, with projects extending from repairing toys to upcycling materials for the nursery. This gives practical learning a social purpose: children can work alongside someone with experience, discuss a problem and see the result of their effort.

Outdoor and Community Life

Prambles are shared outings with young children in pushchairs. They remain part of the Chester village’s intergenerational activity, alongside gardening, storytelling and dance. The canal provides a local setting for these encounters, making the surrounding city part of the nursery’s identity as well as its address.

In December 2024, children visited a nearby fruit and vegetable shop weekly to choose fruit, then prepared it themselves. Trying unfamiliar produce and persevering with chopping connected food, decision-making and practical independence. Visitors from the local fire service and a football club brought other adult roles into children’s experience.

Sankofa Songsters is the intergenerational choir involving nursery children, village residents and the wider community. Its December 2024 Westminster Abbey performance was a past occasion, rather than a routine nursery outing. The continuing idea is simpler and more relevant to daily life: making music together gives different generations a shared activity in which children can participate and contribute.

Artist in Focus sits within Living Lives Together, a creative health programme bringing children, residents, families and the wider community together. By May 2025, the programme included workshops spanning six weeks, exploring an artist through different creative media before an exhibition of participants’ work. The sequence gives a project time to develop, rather than treating each creative session as an isolated activity.

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that engagement with parents was exceptionally strong and that staff welcomed differences in children’s backgrounds, including using children’s home languages in songs. These findings connect the nursery’s community ambitions with individual children and their families.

In December 2024, an online system allowed parents and practitioners to exchange information in both directions, with contributions from home influencing learning plans. Parent sessions covered school readiness and mental health, while film nights offered a less formal way for families to spend time together. Communication therefore involved both practical information about children and opportunities for adults to build relationships.

Daily encounters also carried emotional learning. In December 2024, children talked with older neighbours over meals and learnt dances from residents. Practitioners used explanations and coloured cards to help children understand instructions. These were concrete ways of supporting conversation, consideration for others and participation in a shared space.

Meals were eaten with residents in the bistro each day in December 2024; the Chester bistro prepares food on site using seasonal ingredients. For families, the shared table is part of the intergenerational experience, with time to talk as well as eat.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is City House, 36 City Road, Chester, CH1 3AD. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. That annual pattern matters when comparing childcare with a family’s working calendar, especially during the Christmas break.

Nursery enquiries have their own telephone number, 01244 445566. This is the direct route for a children’s place within a village that also provides services for older adults.

Getting There

Chester railway station is a short walking distance from Belong Chester. For motorists, the parking directions use Queens Avenue and the sat-nav postcode CH1 3BG, rather than the nursery’s postal address.

Funding and Paid Extras

In December 2024, the nursery provided early education funding for children from nine months to four years. Current prices should come in a written quotation from the nursery, with the attendance arrangement and any additional charges set out together.

• Shared village life. Children spend time with older residents through everyday activities and organised projects. On a visit, explore how your child would take part in shared experiences while retaining time for their own routines and interests.
• Practical projects. The Repair Shop includes real tools and an accessible workbench. Ask how activities are adapted for your child’s age and how practitioners organise adult help during this work.
• The attendance and cost agreement. The nursery operates across the year with a Christmas closure. Before joining, ask which booking patterns suit your schedule and request one written explanation of funded hours, private hours, meals and non-food consumables.

Nursery in Belong suits families who want relationships across generations to be a substantial part of their child’s early years. Shared reading, repair projects, music and conversation give that approach practical substance, while the December 2024 Outstanding judgement provides a strong inspection position.

The central choice is whether a care village’s shared daily life matches the childhood experience you want. For parents drawn to learning with older neighbours and to creative projects with a real audience and purpose, this Chester nursery has a clear identity.