S4YC, Upton Heath Nursery & OOSC

In September 2025, dough, scissors and garden discoveries gave Upton Heath’s nursery day a practical character: children built skills through small steps, with conversation woven into their play. S4YC, Upton Heath Nursery & OOSC shares the Upton Heath Primary School site in Chester. Its current nursery age range is two to four, with 34 places in total.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at the inspection that began in September 2025, with further evidence gathered in December 2025, and judged safeguarding effective. The useful detail beneath that judgement is a combination of attentive relationships, activities adapted to children’s development and daily outdoor play. There were also clear improvement points concerning staff feedback and everyday routines.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care. For parents, that means a day in which play, communication and growing independence serve educational purposes alongside children’s wellbeing.

In September 2025, activities gave children a gradual route towards more demanding tasks. Dough play exercised their hands before scissors were introduced, first for cutting dough and then paper. That sequence matters: the next task grew from something children had already practised, rather than being an isolated craft activity.

Books were within children’s reach. Younger children explored illustrations, while older children discussed pictures and handled the pages themselves; adults extended those exchanges through shared stories. Reading therefore involved both independent exploration and conversation with staff.

Circle time was organised into smaller groups according to age and development. This gave staff a more manageable setting for tailoring speaking and listening activities to individual children. Communication and movement were central priorities in the planned learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2025, children played outside daily, using climbing and running to practise coordination. During a garden hunt, preschool children identified leaves, twigs and pine cones in preparation for puppet-making. This linked outdoor exploration and naming discoveries with preparation for creative work.

In 2025, the provision included a purpose-built baby room. That observation belongs to the provision inspected in 2025; the current nursery offer is for children aged two to four. For that age group, the most relevant examples are the practical learning sequence, accessible books and garden activities.

In September 2025, children sought comfort from familiar adults, and staff recognised when reassurance was needed. Key-person relationships helped babies settle within the provision inspected, while older children received support to manage more of their own needs. These examples show how care and independence were addressed at different stages.

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adjusted activities for children needing additional help with speaking and listening, but identified occasional variation in education because individual feedback to staff lacked precision. For families, the important distinction is between an activity being adapted for a child and the consistency with which adults deliver that support.

Food communication was practical. In September 2025, parents received guidance on preparing lunch-box food safely, including how to cut it; staff also discussed babies’ changing weaning stages with their families. This connected care at home with care during the nursery day, rather than treating feeding as a separate task.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Upton Heath Primary School, Upton Lane, Upton Heath, CH2 1ED. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The setting operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas, so those closures matter when planning recurring childcare.

Nursery care sits alongside wraparound and holiday-club provision at the same venue. These serve different parts of family life: early-years attendance, care around the school day and school-holiday activities. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01244450938 or by email to uptonheath@s4yc.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2025, the nursery provided government-funded childcare places. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Sharing a site with Upton Heath Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process; choosing nursery care and applying for school are separate decisions.

• Everyday routines. In September 2025, some children carried on playing during tidy-up and snack periods, and expectations were not consistently clear. On a visit, ask how staff now help children understand these transitions.
• Staff feedback. The September 2025 improvement work included making feedback more specific to each practitioner. Ask how coaching now addresses individual practice and checks consistency across activities.
• Planning attendance and costs. The opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with Christmas and bank-holiday closures. Before committing, ask for one written outline covering bookable nursery patterns, funded-hours delivery, meals and non-food consumables.

Upton Heath suits families seeking nursery care for a two- to four-year-old on a primary-school site, with wraparound care or holiday-club provision also relevant to their household. Its strongest inspection examples are concrete: skills built through dough and cutting, books children could explore independently, and a garden hunt identifying natural items in preparation for puppet-making. The September 2025 concerns about routines and staff feedback remain useful questions for a visit. They deserve as much attention as the Good judgement.