Our Monkey Club, Belvedere Road, Burton-on-Trent

In August 2024, boat experiments, fruit preparation and garden bikes gave Belvedere Road a practical, hands-on character, with children encouraged to make choices and do things independently. Opposite Queens Hospital, this Burton-on-Trent nursery has a dedicated space for its youngest children.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The setting has capacity for 70 children, with an early-years age range of 2 to 60 months. That is a whole-setting total, rather than the number sharing a particular play space.

Opening hours run from 6.45am to 6.15pm on weekdays, and funded-only attendance includes both term-time and stretched arrangements. The hospital location and extended opening window are useful practical considerations for families whose working day starts early or ends late.

Rooms and Ages

A dedicated under-two area at Belvedere Road serves children aged 9 to 24 months. Its spacious layout and resources selected for this age group give younger children their own place to explore.

In August 2024, the indoor environment included a substantial home corner, creative materials children could choose independently, and a comfortable place for looking at books. These offered different ways to spend time: pretend play, making things and quieter activity. Choice was part of the arrangement, rather than everything depending on an adult handing out materials.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care. In parent terms, learning includes play, conversation, movement and growing independence, alongside the care children need during the day. It is the common framework for early-years provision, rather than an extra programme unique to this nursery.

In August 2024, children explored water and tested boats, comparing how far they travelled. This is a concrete example of investigation through play: children had something to try, observe and compare.

Practical independence featured in the same month's activities. Children learnt to prepare fruit for snacks and put used dishes aside for washing; staff also encouraged them to attempt toileting and handwashing tasks before stepping in. For families, the useful distinction is that everyday care routines doubled as opportunities to practise doing things independently.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2024, children used the garden daily, with prams and bikes providing opportunities for movement. Balancing and riding sat alongside smaller hand movements in the mud kitchen, where children transferred soil into cooking containers. Outdoor time therefore included both active play and handling materials.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2024, staff explained personal-care tasks to babies before carrying them out, including nappy changes and wiping noses. That small detail gives substance to the emphasis on listening to children: communication extended to those who could not yet express themselves in full sentences.

Children were given choices, and staff listened to their views. The same month's account described adults demonstrating considerate behaviour and encouraging children to persist with tasks before offering help. For parents, this points to a style of interaction that combines attention to children's wishes with practical support for independence.

Each child's key person had a role in supporting their needs in August 2024. Staff worked with families and outside agencies, using advice to guide individual strategies. This gives a concrete basis for a discussion about how home routines, professional advice and nursery care fit together.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted praised the individual support for children with SEND and the planned learning, while identifying missed chances to increase challenge and broaden vocabulary. Both sides of that judgement matter: individual help was a strength, but extending children's learning needed further attention.

In August 2024, staff used questions and allowed children time to respond during conversations. The improvement point concerned taking language further, especially for older children, rather than simply increasing how often adults spoke with them. Families of children approaching school age may find that distinction useful when discussing the next stage of learning.

The nursery employed six childcare staff in August 2024. That dated staffing count describes the team at the visit; it should be kept separate from the setting's total capacity and from the number of children in any particular group.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 137 Belvedere Road, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 0RF, opposite Queens Hospital. Opening hours are 6.45am to 6.15pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with a week-long Christmas closure. Employees at Queens Hospital can access an NHS discount.

For 15-hour funded-only placements, the term-time pattern is two days each week, with each day lasting 7.5 hours. Families choose either 8am to 3.30pm or 8.30am to 4pm.

The stretched arrangement runs across 48 weeks, using two six-hour days each week; 9am to 3pm is given as an example. This pattern includes two weeks off in August and two at Christmas. Its holiday arrangements therefore need to be considered separately from the nursery's general opening calendar.

Before- and after-school collections from local schools are also part of the offer. These sit alongside early-years care, rather than changing the nursery age range described above.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funded-only arrangements cover a 15-hour entitlement, delivered either during term time or through the stretched pattern. Additional charges may depend on a family's particular requirements, so current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation. The attendance timetable and the cost of any additions are separate decisions.

• The youngest children. The dedicated under-two space covers ages 9 to 24 months. During a visit, discuss how its routines and play arrangements would work for your child's age.
• Language and challenge. The August 2024 improvement points concerned extending learning and widening vocabulary. Ask for examples of how staff now build more demanding conversations and activities around an older child's interests.
• Funded attendance and holidays. Term-time funded days and the 48-week stretched pattern have different calendars. Match the August and Christmas breaks to your care needs, and request a written quotation that separates any additions, meals and non-food consumables from funded hours.

Belvedere Road suits families seeking a dedicated area for under-twos and either term-time funded days or a stretched funded pattern. Its position opposite Queens Hospital and extended opening hours add practical value for hospital employees, who also qualify for an NHS discount.

The August 2024 findings describe hands-on learning and praised individual SEND support, while identifying language extension and challenge for improvement. That dated picture of care, alongside the current under-two space and funded attendance patterns, gives families concrete points to weigh against their child's needs and working week.