The Whitehouse Day Nursery

A tree house, a JCB digger and an allotment give The Whitehouse Day Nursery in Borrowash an outdoor identity that goes well beyond a patch of grass. Children can climb, grow plants, build and play across a garden with sheltered teaching space and access to a large field. Those are useful differences for families whose children enjoy movement and practical exploration.

At its 14 April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with communication support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities among the strengths. That judgement is dated. The improvements requested concerned noise in preschool and the organisation of group activities, both relevant to how comfortably children can concentrate alongside one another.

The nursery is at 164 Derby Road, Borrowash, Derby DE72 3HB, with room bands running from babies aged 3 months through to preschool children aged 5 years. Full day care runs throughout the year, with government funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare accepted. The strongest practical details are the separate baby sleep room, direct garden access for younger groups and preschool's combination of quiet space, creative space and outdoor play.

Rooms and Ages

BABY ROOM, for 3–16 months, combines sensory resources and space for early movement with a kitchenette, a separate sleep room containing cots and patio access to a sheltered garden, keeping play, bottle preparation and rest close together while giving sleep its own space.

TODDLERS, for 16 months to 2 years, has a carpeted play space alongside an area for creative activity and eating, with doors to the garden and a changing area shared with the infant group, allowing different parts of the day to happen in separate spaces.

INFANTS, for 2–3 years, uses an open playroom, an art and dining space and a quieter carpeted room with feature windows, plus its own route into the shared garden, giving stories and quieter activity a place away from more active play.

PRESCHOOL, for 3–5 years, brings together role play, creative work, music, a quiet reading room and roof deck sand and water play, with an independent wash room and self-service dining supporting preparation for school through everyday tasks.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: in daily terms, play, conversation, movement and increasing independence are part of learning rather than breaks from it.

In April 2022, preschool children used a book about London to build their own version of the Houses of Parliament, then located London on a map and made maps themselves. The example connected construction with books, places and drawing. Babies made marks with thick chalk, while younger children used large fabric movements, showing how early preparation for writing included movement before pencil control.

During that same month, children practised independence through puzzles, pouring water and managing their own coats and bathroom routines.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden offers several different kinds of physical challenge. A tree house incorporates a slide, climbing wall, swing and lookout point; a trim trail sits within the nature area; and the construction space pairs a JCB digger with a sand pit. Children can use the surroundings for pretend play as well as movement, rather than relying on a single piece of climbing equipment.

An allotment gives children opportunities to plant fruit, vegetables and flowers and follow their growth. The outdoor classroom supplies shade and weather shelter, while mud kitchens and outdoor huts add places for making and imaginative play. Access to the football field shared with Kids Club extends the space for group games and sports day.

Infant outings include local walks and park visits, with parental permission. Indoors and outdoors are connected through patio doors so children can move between environments.

Relationships and Communication

Settling-in sessions, stay and play sessions, parent app updates and progress reports with a key worker are part of the offer here. These let parents share play and follow their child's development beyond the nursery day.

In April 2022, staff sent photographs and comments home so parents could build on children's activities. They also asked about experiences outside nursery and used that information to broaden learning. A night camera, for example, helped children investigate animals active after dark, while planting activities introduced how things grow. Home experience helped shape what happened in the rooms.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In April 2022, staff used conversation and questioning to develop language, and visual cards to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities express their needs. The current offer also includes specialist SEND support.

For babies, rest has its own room with cots, separate from the main play space. Bottles and snacks can be prepared in the baby unit's kitchenette. This arrangement matters because feeding, sleeping and active exploration need different spaces, even when they are all part of the same child's day.

Air conditioning serves the rooms, and entry uses facial recognition alongside CCTV. These are practical arrangements, while the safeguarding judgement remains the dated inspection finding. For preschool children, serving themselves at meals, using cutlery and managing the wash room turn routine care into practice for greater independence and the move to school.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. This Borrowash nursery provides full day care throughout the year; the neighbouring Kids Club is a separate setting.

The all-year contract covers 51 weeks, closes from 25–31 December and carries no charge for that closed week. Its minimum booking is 20 hours each week, and funded hours are allocated in 10-hour days.

Getting There

The address is 164 Derby Road, Borrowash, Derby DE72 3HB, and onsite parking is provided. The nursery can be contacted on 01332 666 414 or through its branch enquiry form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families receiving 30 hours over 38 weeks can use the all-year arrangement, which spreads that entitlement across 51 weeks; the same contract also accommodates families paying privately without funding. Meals on the funded arrangement are charged separately, so funded childcare and food need to be considered as separate parts of the bill.

Home-cooked meals are provided, and the funding terms include freshly prepared food, drinks and snacks with provision for dietary needs. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page sets out the all-year contract structure.

• Preschool noise and group time. In April 2022, noise disrupted nearby play and some children lost interest during indoor physical activities. On a tour, ask how group activities now keep children involved and how quieter play is protected.

• The all-year commitment. The 51-week contract has a 20-hour weekly minimum, with funding assigned to 10-hour days. Compare that pattern with your actual weekly childcare needs and the Christmas closure before choosing it.

• Baby care arrangements. The baby unit has its own kitchenette, sheltered garden and separate sleep room. During settling discussions, ask how your child's feeding and sleep routines will work across those spaces.

• Term-time contract. The Borrowash nursery describes all-year care and directs term-time families to The White House Kids Club, while the funding terms also name Borrowash for a 38-week term-time contract. Ask which setting and contract apply before booking.

Borrowash suits families seeking full day childcare across the year, including those using stretched funded hours, and children who enjoy outdoor exploration. The tree house, allotment and JCB construction space give the day several practical directions, while younger children have direct garden access and babies have a separate place to sleep.

The April 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark. Its reservations about noise and group engagement deserve attention alongside the physical facilities. The deciding balance is between the appeal of these play spaces and an all-year booking commitment that fits the family's week.