Cherubs Longdale

Weekly woodland-style exploration and preschool sports give Cherubs Longdale a clear outdoor and physical thread. Explorers sessions bring children into contact with nature through building, hiding and discovery, while sports coaching introduces activities including cricket and fencing. These are concrete additions to the nursery day, with opportunities to explore alongside friends and practise movement.

On Longdale Lane in Ravenshead, Nottingham, the nursery has capacity for 90 children and accepts ages from one month to five years. At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical strengths include an on-site chef, a Family Room for parents and electronic learning updates through Blossom Educational Software.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Unit emphasises early exploration and discovery; Toddler Unit combines activities led by practitioners with physical play, quieter activities and role play; Pre-School has an open layout, accessible resources and a routine that gives children opportunities to manage tasks themselves. The progression is practical: younger children explore, while older children take increasing responsibility for their play and everyday routines.

Within Pre-School, children can choose resources positioned within reach, serve themselves at meals and join group activities. Those arrangements make independence part of ordinary nursery life rather than a separate exercise. The garden is arranged around children's interests, with opportunities for climbing, energetic play and stories outdoors.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday routines are opportunities to develop skills. Alongside it, Explorers follows Forest School principles through weekly exploration of the natural environment, either at the nursery or out in the community. Hiding, building and investigating give this approach a concrete shape.

Sports Coaching runs weekly for preschool children, introducing physical activity through sports such as fencing, football and cricket. This gives older children a recurring opportunity to try different movements and activities. Explorers sits within the group's approach to early years, while the branch's own offer specifies where its sessions can happen.

In April 2024, toddler children practised taking turns by rolling a toy car between themselves and other children. Babies joined in nursery rhymes, giving them opportunities to hear and practise language. These small activities show how social learning and communication can be woven into play.

Outdoor and Community Life

In April 2024, children splashed in garden puddles and practised balancing on a low beam, with staff offering a hand when needed. Preschool children also moved scarves around their bodies while following instructions. The physical experiences involved both experimenting with movement and responding to adults.

Explorers adds a recurring connection with nature to that outdoor offer. Its sessions can take place locally as well as within the nursery, so the programme extends beyond using the garden for energetic play. Children investigate their surroundings together through the activities themselves.

Relationships and Communication

Blossom Educational Software records children's experiences and learning electronically. Parents can view updates through the smartphone app and add their own contributions, creating a practical route for sharing learning between home and nursery.

The Family Room provides a separate space for parents, including private breastfeeding, informal meetings or working while waiting for a child to finish. That is a useful physical provision for families who need more than a brief conversation with staff.

In April 2024, staff used conversations about children's experiences at home to help them settle into play. Information about development was shared with parents, although the exchange of learning information with other early years settings was inconsistent. In April 2024, staff also did not consistently help children prepare emotionally for a move to another early years setting. For children attending more than one setting or preparing to move, that weakness matters because adults need a shared understanding of their learning and emotional needs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received effective support, including individual targets, funded one-to-one help and collaboration with parents and professionals. In April 2024, staff training also included using sign language to support communication.

The branch has paediatric first aid and safeguarding training arrangements for its team. These arrangements sit alongside the dated safeguarding judgement rather than providing a separate assurance about effectiveness.

An on-site chef prepares the meals, with menus changing on a three-week seasonal cycle and Meat Free Monday forming part of the group-wide food approach used here. The nursery caters for dietary requirements, including allergies, intolerances and cultural preferences.

Sessions and Attendance

Cherubs Longdale opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm. It operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Those closures matter when planning childcare around work commitments.

Wraparound Care includes breakfast and after-school clubs, with transport to and from local schools. Families can use the branch's tour enquiry form, which collects the child's age, required sessions and intended start date. The 360° virtual tour also provides a way to view the nursery's spaces.

Getting There

The address is Longdale Lane, Ravenshead, Nottingham, NG15 9AH. Direct access to the A60 and A614, together with bus connections towards Mansfield and surrounding areas, gives families both road and public transport options.

Funding and Paid Extras

In April 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated participation statement; it does not establish an individual family's entitlement. Current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation.

• Baby independence. In April 2024, opportunities to practise drinking from open cups were inconsistent. During a visit, ask how staff now build self-care practice into the Baby Unit's day.
• Preschool conversation and transitions. In April 2024, adults sometimes supplied their own ideas during planned activities instead of drawing out children's views, and coordination with other settings needed development. Ask how children now contribute ideas, how learning information accompanies a move and how staff help children prepare emotionally for the change.
• Attendance and the full cost. The weekday opening window spans 7.30am to 6pm, with Christmas and bank-holiday closures. Ask for a written proposal covering the attendance pattern, funded-hours arrangement and treatment of meals and non-food consumables, so it matches your family's timetable and budget.

Cherubs Longdale suits families who value weekly nature exploration, preschool sport and accessible learning updates, as well as those needing weekday nursery care or school-linked wraparound care. The Family Room and on-site chef add practical substance to the offer. Its Good judgement in 2024 provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific questions about baby independence, preschool discussion and continuity between settings.