BarBar Nursery, Quedgeley

A garden divided by age group gives BarBar Nursery, Quedgeley a clear practical identity: babies have their own outdoor space, while toddlers and preschool children can move between their rooms and gardens. Water play, bikes and climbing frames make outdoor learning part of the nursery day. The separation matters for families choosing care across different stages of early childhood.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with the same judgement for education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of today's staff team. Its main improvement point concerned giving older children enough challenge to sustain their interest.

The nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 49 children in total. Its address is 303 Bristol Road, Quedgeley, Gloucester, GL2 4QP. Full days, mornings and afternoons can be booked under either term-time or all-year arrangements.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Rooms accommodate children up to approximately 2 years, with two rooms containing space for resting, sleeping and playing, plus a dedicated garden. Messy activities, songs and stories sit alongside room to practise crawling and walking.

Toddler Room places greater emphasis on communication, growing independence and potty training, with activities shaped around observations and each child's next steps. Toddler and preschool provision caters for children aged approximately 2 to 4 years.

Pre-school Rooms emphasise confidence and independence before school, using children's interests to shape learning. Construction materials, dressing-up resources and books support different ways of playing; art materials and table games add activities that children can choose together or individually.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play and observations help staff decide what each child should learn next. It is the common foundation for early-years provision. At Quedgeley, individual interests and next steps guide the activities, linking everyday play with the child's developing skills.

In September 2022, mathematical language featured in ordinary activities: younger children counted pictures, while older children considered the size of a construction and how many toy cars it could hold. Conversations also extended beyond naming objects. Children discussed ways of adapting obstacle-course equipment and drew on experiences at home when talking about a tree in the garden.

That September 2022 picture included a clear limitation. Some older children lost interest when an activity did not stretch their thinking sufficiently. For families approaching the preschool stage, the important distinction is between providing attractive equipment and extending what a child can do with it. The latter was the improvement priority.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor surface combines artificial turf and safety surfacing, with separate areas for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Toddlers and preschool children have direct access between indoors and their gardens; outdoor opportunities also include sand, water and riding bikes. Staff take children on walks to the park, supermarket and local library, bringing familiar community places into their learning.

Two older examples show how outings and visitors have been used. In June 2018, children visited Quedgeley Library for a librarian-led story and songs, followed by exploring books and colouring. A Fire Service visit that month combined a story and discussion of fire safety with exploring a fire engine and its equipment. These were specific past experiences, rather than a recurring programme.

School preparation also has a practical example: in July 2018, preschool children walked to Hardwicke and Kingsway Primary School, destinations some of them were due to attend. That activity introduced children to places connected with their next stage; it was preparation for a transition, rather than an admissions advantage.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker responsible for their individual learning and development. Settling sessions are tailored with parents, and information about the child's starting points helps staff plan their care and activities.

Daily conversations cover sleep, toileting, food and activities, while online observations and parents' evenings give families ways to discuss learning over time.

In September 2022, babies received comfort when upset, toddlers shared stories with staff, and older children sought adult help or talked about their play. Everyday independence was also visible that month: babies practised feeding themselves, toddlers accessed drinks, and older children served lunch. These examples show how care routines and learning overlapped at that time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, including work with parents and outside agencies and targeted use of funding for resources or extra sessions. Those findings belong to that inspection date.

Baby sleep arrangements include checks every 10 minutes and monitors linked across the rooms. Parents' knowledge of routines informs baby care, making sleep and rest part of the settling discussion as well as the daily handover. Staff also undertake continuing training in child protection, first aid, food hygiene and early-years development.

Sessions and Attendance

Quedgeley offers a full day from 8am to 6pm, a morning from 8am to 1pm and an afternoon from 1pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Both term-time and all-year contracts are offered.

The minimum booking is two sessions, totalling 10 hours per week. Full-time bookings usually receive preference over part-time bookings. Term-time arrangements follow The Rosary School's dates; the nursery closes for Bank Holidays and from 24 December to 1 January inclusive. Holiday and sickness absences remain chargeable, while periods when the nursery is closed are not charged.

Two months' written notice is required to end a place or change attendance days. Changes between full-time and part-time places cannot be guaranteed. These terms matter when choosing a pattern that needs to remain workable through changes in employment or family routines.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use 15 or 30 funded hours on a term-time basis, or stretched funding over 50 weeks for all-year attendance. The stretched arrangements are stated as 11 hours weekly for the 15-hour entitlement and 22 hours weekly for the 30-hour entitlement.

Private hours include meals, snacks, consumables and activities in their fee. For funded hours, food, consumables and additional activities have separate discretionary contributions. Parents also supply formula, nappies, wipes, creams and summer sun cream, so the consumables arrangement combines included items or contributions with supplies brought from home.

A chef prepares hot lunches on site for children attending over lunchtime. Meals and snacks are included for private hours, while funded-hours food contributions are separate and discretionary.

There is a non-refundable administration charge covering settling sessions, but it does not apply to solely fully funded hours, which can also be used for settling. A deposit is credited against the first invoice when the child starts; cancellation or non-attendance forfeits it. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the funding and charges information explains the structure.

Getting There

Parents can use the nursery car park, following the left-hand entrance and right-hand exit when facing the premises from Bristol Road. The nursery is near the M5 junction and Quedgeley's park-and-ride car park.

Enquiries can be made through the Quedgeley contact route, and there is a dedicated appointment form for this branch.

• Preschool challenge. In September 2022, some older children disengaged when activities did not extend their thinking enough. At a visit, ask how practitioners now adapt activities for children ready for a harder task.
• Attendance commitment. Bookings start at two sessions and 10 hours weekly, with two months' written notice for ending a place or changing days. Consider how that commitment fits your expected working pattern.
• Funded-hours extras. Meals and snacks, consumables and additional activities are charged separately during funded hours through discretionary contributions. Ask for a written quotation showing how these arrangements apply to your chosen sessions.

BarBar Nursery, Quedgeley suits families wanting morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, with a choice between term-time and all-year attendance. Separate outdoor areas, tailored settling and daily care updates give its practical offer substance. The September 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality assessment; the question about challenge for older children deserves attention when considering preschool care. The clearest fit is for parents who value individual next steps and outdoor play, and whose booking needs work with the minimum attendance and notice terms.