Cathedral View Childcare, Merivale Way

A house adapted for early years, with capacity for 21 children across the whole setting, gives Cathedral View Childcare, Merivale Way its clearest identity. This Ely nursery keeps the domestic character of its building rather than adopting the scale of a larger day nursery. For families weighing the feel of a house against nursery provision, that is a useful starting point.

Children are accepted from birth to five. At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The everyday examples from that visit give the judgement substance: songs supported communication, outdoor equipment encouraged physical exploration, and snack preparation gave children opportunities to practise independence.

The house-like setting combines planned activities with opportunities that arise during the day. Its whole-setting capacity matters here: 21 places is a measure of the nursery's overall size, rather than the number of children sharing an activity or an individual room.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent terms, this connects play and everyday routines with learning to communicate, move confidently, build relationships and become more independent. The May 2023 examples make those connections easy to understand.

During May 2023, babies and toddlers explored songs and rhymes with props, while familiar books encouraged children to anticipate repeated language and join in. These were opportunities to participate, rather than simply listen. Staff planned around children's interests and assessed their existing knowledge, although the next steps in learning needed clearer connections.

Outside, the May 2023 activities included sending tyres down slopes, experimenting with bubbles, using climbing equipment and testing balance on beams. Mud play added imaginative possibilities. Physical practice also connected with smaller movements indoors: children used the strength and coordination developed through climbing when tackling threading activities. The value lay in the relationship between these experiences, rather than in equipment alone.

Sharing had practical support too. In May 2023, older children used sand timers to help distribute turns fairly. Children also selected snacks and prepared fruit or vegetables with safety knives, practising both choice and careful handling of tools.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with additional needs or disabilities made good progress from their starting points, supported by appropriate professional referrals, effective use of additional funding and early identification through the progress check at two. This gives families a dated account of how support worked, with concrete mechanisms behind the judgement.

In May 2023, staff helped children recognise emotions and practise kindness, while predictable routines made expectations easier to understand. Gentle reminders supported turn-taking. Together, these examples show how relationships and daily habits were used to teach children how to manage themselves alongside others.

Communication with families in May 2023 included information about supporting learning at home. Transition work extended beyond the nursery: staff passed information to the teachers children would move on to, helping the next setting understand their learning. That is continuity of information, rather than a claim about securing a school place.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 90 Merivale Way, Ely, CB7 4GQ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. That window gives working families a clear measure of the operating day; it should be distinguished from the attendance arrangement agreed for an individual child.

The nursery enquiry form includes Merivale Way as a setting choice and asks for requested weekdays, a preferred start date and relevant medical or SEND information. This lets families identify the correct branch and describe the attendance they are seeking from the outset. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

In May 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact, rather than a statement of today's entitlement or attendance terms.

• Curriculum connections. In May 2023, learning needed a clearer sequence built around each child's next steps. At a visit, ask how staff now connect an individual child's existing knowledge with subsequent activities.
• Time to think. The May 2023 improvement priorities included giving children longer to consider questions and formulate replies. Ask how practitioners allow that thinking time during stories and conversations.
• A small whole setting. Capacity is 21 children across the nursery, and the building retains a house-like feel. Ask how children of different ages use the space during the attendance pattern you are considering.

Merivale Way suits families seeking a smaller, house-like nursery for children from birth to five, with a weekday operating window extending from early morning into the evening. Its May 2023 account offers tangible examples of independence, physical play and communication. The curriculum's sequencing and children's thinking time deserve attention alongside those strengths. The most useful visit will explore how that small-setting character works in practice and how those learning priorities have been addressed.