Four Brooks Day Nursery & Pre-school

A table of natural objects for early explorers, pretend cooking for toddlers and daily garden play give Four Brooks a recognisable character. This Coventry nursery combines age-specific spaces with learning shaped around children's interests. The progression from babies to preschool is easy to understand, with a separate stage for children beginning to explore more independently.

At its 15 April 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard in achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. These are separate judgements rather than a single overall grade. The main development point concerned making children's involvement in learning more consistent.

On Parkville Highway in Holbrooks, Four Brooks has 84 places in total and accepts children from 2 months to 5 years. Full-day attendance is the main booking model, alongside a conditional term-time option for families using specified funded entitlements.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room, for children up to 12 months, centres on sensory exploration in a cosy space intended to ease the change from home care.

For children aged 1 to 2 years, the First Steps Room has a heuristic play table where natural objects and different textures invite hands-on investigation and independent exploration.

The Toddler Room, for ages 2 to 3 years, uses a role-play area for pretend cooking and household routines, giving children opportunities to practise cooperation and sharing.

Creative activities in the Pre-School Room, for ages 3 to 5 years, follow children's individual interests while developing confidence for the move to primary school.

These stages give parents a useful picture of how the surroundings change with their child. Sensory investigation leads into imaginative play and then increasingly individual creative work, rather than one description being stretched across every age group.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared early-years framework: children's learning and care develop together through play, conversation, physical activity and everyday routines. Four Brooks also uses the group-wide In the Moment learning approach, with activities responding to children's interests and what they can already do. Its preschool creative work makes that emphasis concrete: children's own enthusiasms help shape what they explore.

In April 2026, early maths included sorting cutlery after lunch and singing number songs. Science involved mixing liquids, making bubbles with pipettes and discussing predictions. These examples put learning into familiar actions: children compare, classify and test ideas while doing something that holds their attention.

There was a limitation. In April 2026, some learning opportunities did not involve every child successfully; leaders had planned coaching and training to address this, and the next step was to keep developing and monitoring teaching arrangements. Interest-led learning still needs an adult to notice who is taking part and who needs help to join in.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Garden is used daily, including in wet weather, with tricycles, running and bug hunts among the experiences on offer. Outdoor time therefore belongs to the normal day, giving children opportunities for movement and investigation beyond their rooms.

In April 2026, children constructed obstacle courses outdoors, while younger children used indoor equipment for climbing and balance. External football coaching also supported physical play at that time. The combination brought different kinds of challenge: creating something together, testing balance and practising movement with adult guidance.

Relationships and Communication

Famly is the parent communication app used at Four Brooks to connect families with their child's nursery day. It gives the relationship with staff a channel between face-to-face conversations, rather than limiting communication to the beginning and end of attendance.

In April 2026, key-person relationships included children seeking a familiar practitioner for reassurance and comfort. Staff gathered information about children's existing abilities and spent time getting to know families, making personal knowledge part of the care arrangement. For a parent weighing the transition into nursery, that connection matters as much as the activity list.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its April 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND and other barriers to learning received carefully reviewed individual targets, support agreed with parents and input from outside professionals, helping them make sustained progress. The practical strength was the connection between nursery support and home: families were involved in choosing strategies, rather than receiving a plan after decisions had already been made.

In April 2026, sensory resources and physical reassurance helped children manage emotions, and familiar routines helped them anticipate what would happen next. Older children served their meals, while younger children practised feeding themselves fruit. These everyday tasks gave children opportunities to develop independence alongside their learning.

Four Brooks employs its own Nursery Chef to prepare and cook meals, with menus developed using nutritional guidance. Food is consequently part of the nursery's daily organisation, rather than an activity families must arrange separately for standard paid sessions.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Parkville Highway, Coventry, CV6 4HZ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday, and the Full-Day session uses those same times. The earlier finish matters for working families planning collection.

Children must attend at least two full days each week. A booking of three full days or fewer must include either Monday or Friday, so a pattern built entirely around the middle of the week will not meet that rule. The requirement applies whether attendance is privately paid or supported by funding.

Fees are spread into equal monthly bills using 51 weeks of charges. Bills include bank holidays and a staff development day, so an equal bill should not be read as payment only for days when a child attends. The nursery closes for bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Funding and Paid Extras

Four Brooks accepts 15 hours for children aged 2 years receiving additional support, 15 hours for all 3 & 4-year-olds, and 30 hours childcare for eligible working families. The working-family entitlement covers eligible children aged 9 months and over. Funded hours can be stretched across 51 weeks, with additional paid attendance beyond the entitlement.

A term-time arrangement covering 38 weeks is also offered for the two 15-hour entitlements. Those places follow school terms, exclude holiday care and are allocated in application order. This is a different attendance option from care spread across the year, with its own eligibility and allocation conditions.

Food and snacks are included in standard paid sessions; on funded days, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are charged separately. The difference matters when comparing a funded booking with a private one: funded hours and the food bill are separate parts of the calculation.

Payment is monthly in advance on the first, using Direct Debit, Tax-Free Childcare or a combination of both. A registration charge applies when requesting a place; it becomes non-refundable after acceptance, but is refunded if the required pattern cannot be offered and the family withdraws. An acceptance payment is credited against the first month's bill. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Teaching participation. April 2026 highlighted occasions when children were not all successfully involved in learning. During a visit, ask how coaching has changed the way practitioners include children who need encouragement to participate.
• The weekly pattern. At least two full days are required, and bookings of up to three days must include Monday or Friday. Test that rule against your working week before committing to an attendance pattern.
• Funding and the bill. Stretched funding and the conditional term-time option serve different calendars, and funded meals carry a separate charge. Compare the written quotation for your chosen pattern, including the registration and acceptance terms.
• Your baby's routine. The Baby Room emphasises sensory experiences and the transition from home. On a visit, ask how sleep and feeding would work for your child.

Four Brooks suits families seeking interest-led play in clearly differentiated age groups, with daily garden time and a separate First Steps stage between baby and toddler care. Its April 2026 judgements provide a strong basis for considering it, while the participation point deserves attention rather than being lost beneath the positive findings.

The practical fit is specific: families can use regular full-day bookings across the year, or the conditional term-time pattern attached to the two 15-hour entitlements. The minimum-day rule, Monday-or-Friday condition and 5.45pm finish will decide whether that offer works for your household.