Orchard Private Day Nursery, 104 Derby Road

Babies and toddlers have a single-storey setting of their own at 104 Derby Road, with sensory play in Blossoms, music and messy play in Buds, and growing independence in Pippins. The emphasis is on the youngest children: a separate sleep environment sits alongside opportunities to investigate, move and communicate. This is the Chellaston day nursery, rather than the group's nursery school at a different address.

There are 55 places in total for children from birth to three years. At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That assessment provides a dated quality benchmark; a later regulatory finding also matters to the decision and is covered below.

Rooms and Ages

Blossoms, for babies aged zero to one, gives children sensory experiences to investigate their surroundings; Buds, for ages one to two, combines messy play with instruments, singing and stories; Pippins, labelled for children aged two and a half, emphasises communication, physical development and doing more for themselves.

The separate sleep environment is a useful physical distinction for families choosing baby care. Non-mobile babies use cots or a sleep coracle, while mobile babies and toddlers use beds with clean bedding. Sleep is monitored by staff. It gives rest its own space rather than making it simply another activity within the play environment.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday experiences support their development. Here, the room descriptions make those experiences concrete. Buds introduces instruments and stories alongside messy play, so language and movement have several routes into the toddler day.

Pippins adds wake and shake sessions for movement, disco dough time as another physical activity, and finger gyms to exercise small hand muscles. These are different scales of physical practice: moving the body and developing the hand control needed for smaller tasks. Favourite stories, child-selected songs, dressing up and imaginative play give language another setting beyond a structured activity.

In July 2023, everyday materials also carried learning. Children counted ingredients during pretend cake-making in sand, and used water and brushes to make shapes on the ground. Those examples connect early number and mark-making with play children were already pursuing, rather than treating them as separate lessons.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play forms part of Pippins' physical activity. In July 2023, toddlers practised lifting and rolling tyres, while other children experimented with pouring water into jugs. The activities asked children to persist, coordinate movements and explore what materials could do. They also show why uninterrupted time matters: a child absorbed in solving a physical problem needs the chance to continue.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2023, babies sought cuddles and play with familiar staff, while older children explored feelings through stories and conversation. Practitioners used information from parents, their observations and assessments to plan children's next learning steps. Care and learning were connected through knowledge of the individual child.

Parent meetings in July 2023 included assessment reports, discussion of next steps and ideas for continuing activities at home. That is a useful form of communication: parents receive something they can act on, rather than simply an account of what happened during the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In July 2023, a special educational needs coordinator helped staff deliver and review individual and small-group communication activities. Additional funding supported individual attention for some children. These were specific mechanisms for responding to speech and language needs, rather than a general promise of support.

Self-care had an uneven picture in July 2023. Babies practised feeding themselves and wiping their hands and faces, but older children did not consistently get opportunities to serve or cut their food. Some routines also interrupted activities that children were absorbed in. Both points matter for families who want independence and sustained play to develop alongside the nursery's timetable.

In its outcome dated 2 July 2026, Ofsted found that some requirements were not being met following regulatory calls in June, while recording additional safeguarding and whistleblowing training and staff discussions about keeping hazardous items out of childcare rooms. These steps are material, but the outcome does not establish that every requirement had subsequently been met. The nursery remained registered at that point.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 104 Derby Road, Chellaston, Derby, DE73 6RF. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except bank holidays. For parents, that is a substantial operating window, with bank holidays requiring a separate care arrangement.

General enquiries can be made by email to Admin@orcharddaynurseries.co.uk or through the contact form. Use the 104 Derby Road identity when making contact: the group has separate nursery addresses, and the youngest children's rooms described here belong to this setting.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2023, the nursery received funding for free early education for two-year-old children. That is a dated participation fact, rather than a statement about a family's present entitlement. The cost question to take forward is set out below.

• The July 2026 regulatory outcome. The finding concerned requirements that were not being met, alongside steps already taken. Ask how the additional training and hazardous-item precautions now operate in daily practice.
• Time to finish play. In July 2023, routines sometimes pulled children away from activities they were enjoying. On a visit, ask how staff protect an engaged child's play while managing meals and other routines.
• Independence in Pippins. The room's activities include feeding, tidying and toilet learning, but older children's self-care opportunities were inconsistent in July 2023. Ask to see how those skills are encouraged now, including at mealtimes.
• The complete childcare cost. Opening throughout the year and the dated two-year-old funding offer make attendance and charges worth considering together. Request a current written quotation covering your booking pattern, funded hours, meals, consumables and any joining charges.

This setting suits families seeking care centred on babies and toddlers, with sensory exploration, music, movement and a separate space for sleep. Blossoms, Buds and Pippins give that offer a clear progression from investigating surroundings towards communication and self-care.

The latest overall inspection judgement was Good on 27 July 2023. The regulatory outcome dated 2 July 2026 also matters to a present-day decision, alongside uninterrupted play, independence and the additional safeguarding training.