Angels

A mud kitchen, a bug hotel and gardens used through wet and cold weather give Angels a clear outdoor character. Inside, three playrooms separate babies, toddlers and preschool children, with soft furnishings for quieter moments alongside space for imaginative play. This is a nursery where active exploration and rest both have a place in the day.

Angels occupies the ground floor of Stainbeck United Reformed Church in Meanwood, Leeds, but operates independently of the church. It accepts children aged 3 to 48 months and has 75 places in total. At its 7 February 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective.

Morning and afternoon sessions offer two different attendance patterns. The strongest practical attractions are the outdoor provision, an individual key person and Famly, the online journal through which parents follow development and contribute information from home.

Rooms and Ages

Three large playrooms organise children by stage: babies, toddlers and preschool children. Cushions and rugs provide places to settle with a story, while dressing up, construction, sand and water give children different ways to investigate and pretend. The arrangement recognises that a baby and a child approaching school need different surroundings.

Rest and quiet activities are planned around individual needs. The day combines activities chosen by children with experiences led by adults, taking account of changing energy levels rather than expecting the same pace throughout.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, covering communication, physical development, relationships and further areas including early literacy and mathematics. It is the shared early-years foundation, rather than a special programme unique to Angels. Staff use observations to plan what children can explore next.

Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) means paying attention to how children learn: investigating something unfamiliar, persisting with an activity and working out their own ideas. Much of the curriculum can move outdoors. That connects learning with practical experiences rather than keeping it confined to indoor activities.

In February 2023, babies joined in songs by attempting the accompanying movements, while older children balanced on logs and counted their jumps. Preschool children talked about rabbits visiting that day. These examples show how movement, conversation and curiosity could share the same activity, rather than sitting in separate parts of the timetable.

Books brought an important qualification to that picture in February 2023. Babies shared stories closely with adults, and preschool children joined in familiar storytelling, but books were difficult for children aged two to three to reach in their room. That restricted opportunities to choose a story independently.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gardens accommodate planting, climbing, bikes and cars, drawing and painting. A mud kitchen gives children materials for pretend cooking; the bug hotel offers something living to investigate. A cosy book area also takes quieter play outside, so the garden is more than a place for physical exercise.

Outdoor use continues in rain and cold weather, with puddles, snow and fallen leaves becoming materials for exploration and collage. For families who value outdoor play across the seasons, this is a concrete part of the offer. It also gives children several ways to engage with their surroundings, from tending plants to observing small creatures.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is assigned a key person when they start. This practitioner is the family's main contact and gathers information about the child's interests, preferences and development. The relationship gives parents a clear person with whom to share changes at home or discuss care needs.

Famly carries children's online journals and updates, and parents can add their own observations. Assessment summaries are also prepared around room moves and the transition to school. Together, these arrangements give families a continuing account of development rather than relying solely on a conversation at collection.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified a need to help newly appointed staff understand their key children more fully and plan their learning accordingly. This matters because assigning a key person is only the starting point: that adult also needs to know the child well enough to make useful decisions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for special educational needs uses a graduated approach, with parents involved in discussions and specialist resources or advice brought into planning where appropriate. The nursery also directs families towards Leeds Local Offer for information about local SEND services. These are specific mechanisms for discussing support, rather than a blanket promise about what any individual child will receive.

Medicines must be signed in by a parent or carer and kept out of unattended bags. Fire drills and safety assessments form part of the nursery's arrangements.

A chef prepares food on site using locally sourced ingredients, with a four-week menu that changes seasonally; children help with serving and clearing, and dietary requirements are discussed with parents. Families supply babies' formula and baby food, with suitable finger foods introduced alongside these when children are ready.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 7.30am to 12.30pm, and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm. These are separate booking patterns, useful for families whose childcare needs cover different parts of the day.

Angels operates across the year, closing on bank holidays, for three days at Christmas and for two staff training days annually. Those training closures need a place in the family calendar alongside holiday arrangements.

Getting There

The address is Stainbeck United Reformed Church, Stainbeck Road, Leeds, LS7 2PP. Access is at the rear, near the junction with Stainbeck Lane, and parking is provided for collection and drop-off; drivers are asked to switch off engines while waiting.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 0113 2665253 or by email at office@angelsnursery.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, the 30-hour working-parent entitlement from the term after an eligible child's ninth month, and support for eligible two-year-olds. Term-time funded-only attendance covers 38 weeks, and stretched provision is also offered. Working-parent codes must be validated before the funded place begins, with details reconfirmed every three months.

For children attending funded hours only during term time, meals and snacks are charged separately, with the alternative of bringing a healthy packed lunch or tea. Parents supply formula for babies. Funding deductions are spread across monthly invoices, with a final adjustment to account for the entitlement used.

• Books for toddlers. In February 2023, children aged two to three needed easier access to their room's books. On a visit, look at whether children can select books themselves and how staff encourage shared reading.
• Knowing each child. The February 2023 improvement point concerned support for new staff in understanding their key children. Ask how a new key person learns about a child's routines, interests and next steps.
• Funded attendance and food. Both term-time and stretched funding are offered, while term-time funded-only attendance has separate food charges or a packed-food alternative. Request a written quotation covering your intended pattern, food choices and baby supplies.

Angels suits families seeking either morning or afternoon care who value outdoor exploration and a clear route for sharing their child's development. The garden's planting, mud kitchen and bug hotel give that preference something tangible to rest on, while Famly and the key-person arrangement connect home with nursery life.

The February 2023 Good judgement is balanced by specific improvement points about toddler books and support for newer staff. Those are useful priorities for a visit. The appeal lies in the practical combination of play, outdoor experiences and parent involvement.