The Family Haven

Support for parents and nursery care share the same purpose at The Family Haven: helping families through difficult circumstances. This Gloucester day centre combines early education, respite and crèche provision with practical help for adults, including laundry facilities, parenting classes and support with benefits. The child’s day sits within a service for the whole family.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with additional needs, made good progress from their starting points. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today’s provision. The nursery has 28 places in total; children attending in December 2022 were aged 0 to 4.

Families facing homelessness, unsuitable housing or poverty are central to the service. For a parent who needs emotional support alongside childcare, the combination of adult advice and nursery provision is the strongest reason to consider it.

Rooms and Ages

A Baby Room has a key-person role attached to it, giving younger children an identified practitioner connection. The Cot Room contains cots, keeping sleep provision recognisable within the nursery’s accommodation.

The wider premises include a tumble room extension and a garden with wooden play equipment and safety surfacing. These give children different spaces for movement and play, rather than relying entirely on the main nursery rooms. A ramp, children’s toilets and a changing area are also part of the facilities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play, conversation and practical experiences support their learning. In December 2022, staff planned learning around what individual children could already do. Songs, stories and conversation accompanied play; younger children practised handling cutlery, while older children took increasing responsibility for personal care.

Small actions made learning tangible. During December 2022, children rolled balls along ramps, handled drawing materials and peeled stickers, practising movement and finger control. Stories also travelled into imaginative play, with children recreating familiar tales using small-world figures.

Music with Mummy brought organised music-making to families in July 2023. In July 2023, these sessions ran weekly, mixing traditional songs with material created for the programme, and accommodated no more than 10 families per class. Children and adults could take part together, making this a shared activity rather than nursery learning happening separately from parents.

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: helping children engage more with their cultural backgrounds and home languages, and making planned mathematics build more effectively on earlier learning. Both matter when assessing how activities deepen understanding, rather than simply keep children occupied.

Outdoor and Community Life

In December 2022, garden play included a slide, buckets and toy diggers, alongside outings in the surrounding community. Children had opportunities to move, explore and handle resources outdoors.

Later events show how families have joined nursery experiences. The Eid Party in April 2024 included decorations made by children, sensory activities and food brought by parents to share; children wore bright party clothes. This was a specific celebration, rather than proof that the earlier home-language improvement had been completed.

A December 2025 visit from the local Fire and Rescue team brought a fire engine for children to explore, including its firefighting equipment. Such encounters connect play with people and work beyond the nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Practical help extends beyond advice. Parents can use bathing and laundry facilities, access listening support and receive help with forms, benefits and job applications. Parenting classes and healthy eating workshops sit alongside the nursery, allowing adults to work on their own needs while children take part in early education.

In December 2022, staff helped less-confident children settle and supported cooperative play and managing emotions. Communication with parents covered children’s care and learning through several methods. Staff also worked with families on toilet training as children approached school age, making everyday independence part of preparation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In July 2024, My Plans provided a concrete mechanism for additional support. A My Plan sets out a child’s and family’s needs, the help to be provided and intended outcomes. In July 2024, two nursery practitioners supported special educational needs, working with families and other professionals to understand children’s development. The emphasis is on an individual plan, rather than a general promise that every need will be met in the same way.

During December 2022, staff supervised children while they ate and slept. Health support also reached home: families could take toothbrushes and toothpaste, alongside information about accessing a dentist. These are useful examples of care reaching beyond nursery activities.

Hot midday meals are served to families, and the centre employs a chef with a healthy-eating project role. Shared meals bring parents and children into the same part of the centre’s day.

Sessions and Attendance

The Family Haven’s address is 31 Spa Road, Gloucester, GL1 1UY. Nursery opening begins at 10am, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. The day centre and nursery have their own opening arrangements, so they should be treated as separate services when planning attendance.

Contact is through 01452 422971, info@thefamilyhaven.com or the contact form. This is a family-support setting as well as a nursery: its purpose is relevant to the joining conversation, especially for parents seeking respite or help with wider difficulties.

Getting There

Spa Road has on-street parking, with payment through pay-and-display or MiPermit. Families travelling by car should allow for paid street parking as part of their visit.

• Finishing time. Two contact pages give different nursery closing times, 3pm and 3.30pm. Confirm the applicable finish when arranging a visit, because that difference affects collection plans.
• Learning priorities. December 2022 improvement points concerned home languages and mathematics. During a visit, ask how staff now develop these through children’s activities and individual planning.
• Family support and joining. The centre supports families experiencing poverty, housing difficulties and other pressures. Ask how nursery attendance, respite and adult support would fit together for your family, including any payment or funded-hours arrangements.

The Family Haven suits parents seeking nursery education alongside practical and emotional family support. Laundry facilities, adult classes and shared meals make its purpose clear: support reaches beyond the child’s activities. In July 2024, My Plans also recorded children’s and families’ individual support needs.

The December 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with specific learning improvements to weigh alongside it. For families needing help for both parent and child, the combined service is the persuasive feature. The daytime opening arrangements also deserve close attention when deciding whether attendance fits family commitments.