Treasures Neighbourhood Nursery

Potatoes, pumpkins and muddy growing work give Treasures Neighbourhood Nursery a recognisable character beyond its High Street address. Its allotment partnership with The Edge Ministries takes children through the practical business of planting, tending and harvesting, making outdoor learning something they help create. This is a useful starting point for families who want nature to feature in their child's nursery experience.

At its 5 June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The setting has capacity for 48 children from birth to five, while its daycare offer starts at six weeks. Three named groups organise the early-years experience: Tiny Treasures, Little Gems and Treasure Seekers. Placement takes account of development as well as age, rather than treating a birthday as the only guide to a child's next group.

The strongest current details are practical: a designated key worker, daily baby-care diaries and meals cooked from scratch by an in-house cook. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. The June 2023 findings also identify a clear point to weigh alongside those strengths: planned activities and staff interactions needed greater consistency.

Rooms and Ages

Tiny Treasures caters for children aged zero to two in a room planned for calm, with staff working alongside parents on the transition from home and recording feeds and sleep in a daily diary. That communication gives parents a concrete account of their baby's care, rather than relying solely on a conversation before going home. For children under two, staffing is one adult to three children.

For two- to three-year-olds, Little Gems combines a colourful room with games adapted to children's abilities and individual development. Treasure Seekers, for ages three to four, uses changing themes and creative spaces to support exploration through play. These descriptions point to a progression from close attention to baby routines towards more opportunities for shared activity and discovery.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, exploration and supported activities give children opportunities to practise skills and develop interests. The allotment adds a concrete setting for that work. Children can see what happens to something they plant, rather than encountering growing only as a topic indoors.

In June 2023, books were accessible across the nursery, with babies handling board books and toddlers discussing a caterpillar story. Questions encouraged toddlers to connect the story with what they already knew about butterflies. Other activities included making faces from play dough and using mirrors to examine features, bringing conversation and careful hand movements together.

The limitation was in how activities were carried through. In June 2023, a cardboard modelling task intended to introduce environmental learning concentrated on cutting, leaving its intended discussion unexplored. Staff also sometimes became occupied with routines, reducing the help available to extend children's play. Enjoyment alone was not the issue; the next learning step needed more consistent attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

Treasures Nursery Allotment @ The Edge sits behind the Methodist Church on Chesterfield Road. Through its partnership with The Edge Ministries, the nursery uses the land for hands-on growing, with children involved in tending crops and gathering produce. Potatoes, carrots, green beans and pumpkins give the activity tangible results. Walks to and from the plot also provide opportunities to practise road safety.

In June 2023, outdoor physical activities were adapted for different stages: babies negotiated tunnels and obstacles, toddlers climbed and rolled balls, and preschool children helped assemble a balance beam using crates and a plank. These were different challenges for different levels of confidence, rather than one activity expected to suit everyone.

Relationships and Communication

A designated key worker takes responsibility for each child's assessments and next steps. The arrangement also supports communication between staff and parents, giving families a consistent person through whom to discuss development and care.

For babies, the daily diary covers feeding and sleeping, with spoken feedback at day's end as well. Staff work with parents on the move from home to nursery, making the exchange of everyday information part of settling. These are useful mechanisms for maintaining continuity between two parts of a young child's day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support, including joint work with parents and professionals and sharing individual strategies with schools for transition. Those are dated findings about practice, rather than a promise about every future child's experience.

In June 2023, practical safety teaching included helping older babies use stairs and encouraging children to select sun hats before outdoor play. Mealtimes and tidying also gave children opportunities to manage everyday tasks themselves.

An in-house cook makes meals from scratch each day. The baby diary's record of feeds offers a separate, practical communication channel for the youngest children.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 23 High Street, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3UU. Current opening hours are Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm; the nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Those closures matter when matching childcare with a working calendar.

Daycare starts at six weeks and continues to five years. Children join a group suited to both their age and development, so the room descriptions are best read alongside that placement approach. Telephone enquiries go through 01246 473776, and families can also use the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both private and funded childcare are offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to consider the cost alongside the care arrangement they need.

The allotment and key-worker approach give this setting more character than its opening window alone. For parents comparing nursery routines, the useful distinction is between the hours the building is open and the individual child's pattern of care.

• Learning beyond the activity. In June 2023, some planned learning was lost during delivery, and routine tasks sometimes interrupted staff support for play. During a visit, ask how staff now keep the intended learning and purposeful interaction in view.
• The youngest children's routines. Tiny Treasures combines a daily feed-and-sleep diary with end-of-day conversation. Use a visit to discuss how those arrangements would accommodate your baby's routines and the transition from home.
• The full childcare quotation. Private and funded care are both offered, alongside freshly cooked meals. Ask for a written breakdown covering paid hours, food and non-food consumables so you can assess the complete arrangement.

Treasures suits families seeking weekday nursery care with a practical outdoor strand and regular communication about their child's development. Its allotment partnership is the clearest reason to look closely: children help produce the crops, and the growing work connects nursery learning with the local environment.

For babies, the diary and key-worker arrangements offer concrete ways to keep parents involved. The balance is the June 2023 concern about consistency in activity delivery and staff interaction. A visit should test that point alongside the appeal of the rooms and growing work.