Forest Friends Day Nursery

A dedicated sleep room for mobile babies and an upstairs Over 2’s Unit give Forest Friends Day Nursery a clear progression from early exploration to greater independence. At Canal House in Coventry’s Canal Basin, the nursery cares for children from three months to five years and has 68 places in total. The room arrangements give families something concrete to weigh: how their child’s movement, rest and daily routine fit together.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support and made good progress. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different ways to use the nursery, rather than a single attendance pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Hedgehogs, for babies aged 3–12 months, combines a black and white area, natural materials, sensory experiences and outdoor activities, while following routines brought from home. Its emphasis is physical development for babies who are not yet mobile. Familiar routines matter here alongside opportunities to explore: the youngest children are not expected to adopt the older rooms’ timetable immediately.

Squirrels, for children aged 12–24 months, encourages mobile babies to investigate their surroundings and has a dedicated sleep room. Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework for children’s learning, development and care, with an emphasis here on communication, physical development and personal relationships. Separating rest from the activity room gives sleep its own space.

Foxes, for children aged 24–36 months, occupies two rooms in the upstairs Over 2’s Unit, with a more organised routine and scheduled opportunities to move between Foxes and Owls. Owls, for children aged three and above, also uses two rooms, concentrating on independent choices and serving food as preparation for school. The shift is towards doing more for themselves, rather than simply following an adult’s instructions.

Learning and Activities

In August 2024, physical activity took several forms: babies practised standing with furniture for support, toddlers used substantial outdoor equipment for balancing and climbing, and preschool children worked with pencils and scissors. These are different stages of the same practical journey, from controlling the whole body to handling smaller tools. Outdoor space also gave children room to run.

Language was woven into play in August 2024. Adults supplied words for babies’ actions, toddlers joined adults over picture books, and older children spoke about their ideas and feelings in groups. That gives the day a useful balance between movement, conversation and increasingly independent participation.

The same visit captured learning about different communities through contributions from families about religious celebrations. Activities drew on that knowledge rather than treating cultural understanding as an isolated topic. The practical value is the connection between children’s home lives and what they encounter at nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who spends more time with them and takes a particular interest in their daily care. This gives parents a regular member of staff with whom to discuss their child, and gives the child a familiar relationship within the wider team. For babies in Hedgehogs, following home routines makes that individual knowledge especially relevant.

In August 2024, staff exchanged information with parents in person and through an online app, covering both the day’s experiences and children’s development. Communication therefore extended beyond a brief account of meals or activities. However, in August 2024, leaders were asked to gather feedback from all parents and help staff recognise when children’s chosen play needed more active adult involvement.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In August 2024, staff worked with parents and outside agencies to respond to individual needs; children with SEND used sensory rooms daily, with resources intended to support their development. Staff also received training related to children’s needs. These are practical mechanisms for support, rather than a general promise that every child will settle or progress in the same way.

Everyday independence was visible across ages in August 2024: babies used flannels before snacks, toddlers received help with toilet training, and preschool children collected cutlery and cleared up after eating. Care and learning overlapped in ordinary routines. For families, that makes the nursery’s approach to independence relevant well before preparation for Reception.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm, and a full day combines both, from 8am to 6pm. The distinction matters: a morning booking includes lunch, while the afternoon booking includes tea, so each offers a different slice of the daily routine.

Attendance runs across the year, with 51 weeks of operation and a one-week Christmas break; bank holidays are also closures. Families whose working arrangements continue through school holidays therefore have an attendance model to consider alongside those choosing shorter sessions. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 02476630885.

Getting There

The address is Canal House, Drapers Fields, Canal Basin, Coventry, CV1 4LG.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes Universal Funding and Extended Entitlement Funding, identified as 15 Hours Funding and 30 Hours Funding Entitlement, alongside funding for eligible two-year-olds. Funding is handled through a stretched arrangement: the entitlement covers 38 weeks, while charges relating to the other 13 weeks are distributed through monthly billing, with the monthly calculation depending on the start date.

Breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner are included in the charges, with the meals supplied according to the booked session. An in-house cook prepares food in a dedicated kitchen using fresh ingredients daily, following a three-week seasonal menu cycle that changes twice a year.

Private childcare is also offered, and the nursery accepts Tax-free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the session and billing structure. A funded entitlement and the cost of attendance across the full operating year are separate parts of the decision.

• Adult involvement in play. In August 2024, some children lost interest when staff did not become sufficiently involved in activities they had chosen. During a visit, ask how practitioners decide when to join play and how that practice is supported across rooms.
• Parents’ influence. Everyday communication was established in August 2024, but leaders needed to include all parents’ views when reviewing provision. Ask how feedback now reaches management and how families hear about resulting changes.
• Funding across the year. The nursery operates for 51 weeks, while the funding calculation uses 38 weeks and spreads charges for the remaining 13 weeks through monthly bills. A written quotation should distinguish the funded entitlement from the attendance being purchased.
• Baby supplies. Hedgehogs follows routines from home, while Squirrels has a separate space for sleep.

Forest Friends suits families considering morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full days across the year, with different room arrangements as children become more mobile and independent. The dedicated sleep room in Squirrels and the linked Foxes and Owls spaces are useful practical details, not just age labels.

The August 2024 Good judgement sits alongside two clear priorities: fuller involvement in children’s play and broader parental feedback. Those points deserve attention when assessing how the nursery’s everyday practice matches the needs of an individual child.