Stork Day Nursery

Wooden bridges, a climbing rock face and a musical stage give Stork Day Nursery’s garden more substance than a simple outdoor play space. Growing vegetables and herbs adds another kind of activity: children can explore plants as well as climb, balance and make music. That outdoor variety is a strong reason to consider this Hinckley nursery.

At 7 Stoke Road, the setting has 24 places in total and accepts children from two months to five years. Baby Room, Toddler Room and Pre-school Room provide different stages of care and learning. The whole-setting capacity is useful context, but it should not be read as the number of children sharing any one room.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 16 December 2022 inspection. Full-time and part-time attendance both form part of the offer. For parents, the strongest practical details are the separate baby sleep area, daily care records and a garden that supports several different kinds of play.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room combines sensory equipment with water-based activities, singing and messy play, with the aim of tailoring experiences to babies’ ages and personalities. This gives younger children ways to explore through touch, sound and movement before spoken language becomes their main means of communication.

For children aged two to three, Toddler Room mixes child-chosen play with activities led by adults, including making things, cooking and exploring nature, with an emphasis on language, cooperation and doing more independently. The balance matters: children have scope to follow their interests while also practising shared activities.

Pre-school Room caters for ages two to five, introducing early number and letter work through play while developing social confidence and independence. Its age range overlaps with Toddler Room, making the choice between them a useful subject for a visit rather than something parents should assume follows a birthday automatically.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework brings learning, development and care together for children from birth to five; here, play, conversation and practical activities give children ways to develop those skills during their day. It is the foundation for provision, rather than an extra programme. The concrete additions are easy to picture: sensory exploration for babies, cooking for toddlers and playful introductions to letters and numbers for preschool children.

In December 2022, staff planned activities around children’s interests and gave them time to explain their ideas. During painting, conversation about Christmas became an opportunity to extend vocabulary and encourage fuller explanations. The useful point is the interaction around the activity: children were encouraged to talk about what mattered to them.

There were also limitations in December 2022. Painting materials restricted children to a single colour, reducing the possibilities for exploration, and nearby staff tasks interrupted stories with background noise. The improvement priorities were to extend creative learning and organise group activities so children could concentrate. These are specific matters to explore, rather than reasons to dismiss the whole nursery day.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden offers physical challenges through its climbing frame, balance beams and secret adventure trail, which includes wooden bridges. A climbing rock face adds a different surface to tackle. Together, these features create opportunities for balance, movement and exploratory play beyond running around an open space.

A musical stage provides percussion instruments, including bells and drums, while the vegetable garden and herb garden support growing activities. Children are encouraged to plant flowers as well as vegetables, and garden time extends across the age groups. In December 2022, outdoor play continued in different weather conditions, with staff helping children dress for the cold and joining their running games.

Relationships and Communication

Babies have an allocated key worker who acts as the main contact for their family. Daily record sheets capture care information such as feeds, sleep and nappy changes, alongside what the child has been doing. That gives parents practical information to connect the nursery day with care at home.

Home routines also inform baby care, including feeding and sleeping patterns. A separate sleep area and changing facilities are part of the baby accommodation, giving rest a defined place within the room’s arrangements. For toddlers, the day includes an opportunity to nap or have a quieter period after lunch.

Staff work with families on toilet training and personal hygiene in Toddler Room. Handwashing and brushing teeth after lunch are concrete parts of that work. Pre-school Room’s preparation for school centres on independence, a positive attitude towards learning and activities that help children approach the change ahead.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with SEND good, with staff identifying developmental concerns promptly, working with other professionals and sharing support strategies with families. Those findings describe practice at that inspection, rather than a guarantee about an individual child’s experience today.

Meals and snacks are cooked on site each day, with a weekly menu displayed and eating recorded on children’s daily sheets. The nursery aims to accommodate allergies and dietary needs; parents supply babies’ milk feeds, while water and cow’s milk are provided during the day.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-time and part-time care are both offered. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with provision across the year apart from bank holidays and a week at Christmas. The opening window is useful for planning work and childcare commitments; the attendance pattern is a separate choice.

The address is 7 Stoke Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 0EA. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01455 635656 or by email to info@storkdaynursery.co.uk. Important messages should go directly to the nursery rather than through the form, a useful distinction for time-sensitive care information.

Funding and Paid Extras

In December 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Families should obtain a current written quotation for prices. Parents provide babies’ milk feeds, so supplying these is part of the practical arrangement for infant care.

• Creative activities and story time. The December 2022 improvement priorities concerned limited creative exploration and distractions during stories. On a visit, ask how materials and group activities are organised now.
• The overlapping room ages. Toddler Room covers two to three, while Pre-school Room covers two to five. Discuss how the nursery decides which room suits your child and how a move between rooms is handled.
• Funding and the complete quotation. Funded early education was provided in December 2022. Ask which entitlements are offered now, how funded hours fit the attendance pattern, and how meals, consumables and additional hours are treated in the quotation.
• Dietary needs and baby routines. The nursery aims to accommodate dietary requirements and follow babies’ home routines. Discuss current allergy arrangements and how your child’s feeding and sleep routine would work in practice.

Stork Day Nursery suits families seeking either full-time attendance or part-time care, with separate stages for babies, toddlers and preschool children. The garden gives it character: bridges and climbing equipment sit alongside growing spaces and a musical stage, creating several ways for children to use the outdoors.

Baby care is supported by a key worker, daily records and a separate sleep area. The Good judgement dates to December 2022, and the creative-learning and story-time improvement priorities deserve a practical discussion. Families who value outdoor exploration and clear communication about everyday care have concrete reasons to consider this setting.