Best Childcare Nursery

A Romanian wagon for stories and yoga, an outdoor balcony for the youngest children, and French taught through songs and games give Best Childcare Nursery a recognisable character. Nature and creative play shape this independent, family-owned Leeds setting. Its city address does not confine outdoor learning to a garden: children also explore parks, woodland and places further afield.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found exceptional SEND support, excellent progress and effective safeguarding. That is a dated judgement, supported by detailed examples of children making choices, developing language and taking part in practical activities. The current age range runs from three months to five years, with capacity for 80 children in total.

Full-time and part-time attendance both operate, subject to a minimum booking of two full days. Outdoor experiences, home-based settling and daily communication give families concrete reasons to consider the setting.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play helping them build skills and understanding. Alongside it, the Forest Schools Approach brings outdoor exploration into the nursery day: children build dens, take part in fire-making and prepare food outdoors. Two Forest School Leaders support this approach across the setting. It is an addition to the everyday educational framework, rather than a replacement for it.

Child-led planning starts with children's ideas. Staff listen to their questions and help them investigate, giving children a role in deciding what happens next. Natural materials furnish the indoor spaces and provide resources for experimenting. Hygge areas, designed around comfort and togetherness, offer somewhere to rest as well as play. The balance matters: being active and sociable need not occupy the whole day.

Weekly French lessons use the La Jolie Ronde Nursery Programme, with interactive stories, games, rhymes and songs. Language Learners delivers these sessions, giving children another way to join in through familiar forms of play. Daily mini chef classes add practical cooking with the nursery's chef, connecting food preparation with learning about healthy eating.

In May 2023, children used flowers and paint in their artwork, while staff developed activities around their interests. Language work included clear speech, time for children to practise and repeated exposure to vocabulary. These examples illustrate creative exploration and support for children's developing language in May 2023.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor provision has several different purposes. A mud kitchen and growing spaces support hands-on exploration, while an edible herb garden connects the garden with food. The purpose-built Romanian wagon provides a setting for stories, reflection and yoga. It gives quieter activities an outdoor home too.

For under-twos, a balcony allows movement between indoor and outdoor play. Climbing, water play, digging and a sensory shed extend the experiences offered there. This is a useful distinction for parents of babies: access to outdoor play is part of the youngest children's environment, rather than something described only for older children.

The gardens are also used for dens, cooking over a fire, eating and sleeping outdoors. Beyond the grounds, outings include buses to parks, walks to woodland and coach journeys to dedicated Forest School grounds or the beach. These are different kinds of experience, from exploring the local area to travelling further away; no fixed outing frequency is attached to them.

Wildflowers Play is a separate, parent-accompanied opportunity to explore art and nature with children aged zero to four. It runs every Friday at northLightLeeds, from 09.45 to 11.15, with Early Years Teachers present and time for parents to meet. Its value is different from nursery attendance: children play alongside their accompanying adults, while families have a regular social occasion.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with a staff visit to the child's home. Families and staff complete an individual care plan and arrange personalised settling sessions, allowing the first relationship to develop in familiar surroundings. The process is adapted to the child and family. For a baby starting childcare, that offers a concrete starting point for sharing routines and preferences before nursery days begin.

Daily conversations, photographs and online learning journeys keep parents connected with their child's experiences. The Famly App brings observations and photos together with practical matters such as invoices and payments. This combination gives families both a picture of learning and a way to manage nursery administration, rather than relying on occasional formal updates alone.

In May 2023, parents were involved through stay-and-play sessions, daily feedback and newsletters. Children were encouraged to serve themselves at meals, use open cups and manage tasks such as handwashing. These were small, repeated opportunities to practise independence within everyday care, rather than activities reserved for older preschool children.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator helped staff recognise when children needed additional support and put suitable strategies into practice. That gives the SEND judgement a specific mechanism: coordination and staff guidance, as well as support for families. It remains an account of practice at that inspection.

Current safeguarding arrangements include designated lead roles, recruitment checks and routine use of the DBS Update Service. A CCTV-monitored entry system controls access to the building. These are practical arrangements; the dated safeguarding judgement sits separately from them. Individual care plans also inform dietary needs and the approach to babies' weaning.

The nursery's chef prepares a meat-free menu that includes fish, eggs, pulses and produce, with herbs grown on site. Blended meals are supplied for babies, while families provide formula milk; facilities are available to store both formula and breast milk.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 138 Chapeltown Road, Leeds, LS7 4EE. Opening hours are 07.30 to 18.00, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with a five-day closure over Christmas. Those hours describe the opening window; the attendance rule is full-time or part-time care with a minimum of two full days.

That minimum deserves attention before comparing the nursery with shorter-session options. Full-time and part-time attendance both require a minimum booking of two full days. The enquiry form accepts a message and contact details, and registration forms can be returned by email or post.

The main-road setting leads towards Leeds city centre. Children's organised outings use walking, buses and coaches, but those arrangements describe nursery activities rather than a transport service for families. The address and opening window are the useful starting points for assessing an everyday childcare routine.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours are offered to eligible families, with support to access them; parents are responsible for applying in time. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Formula milk comes from home, an important practical distinction for families arranging baby care.

• A two-full-day minimum. Full-time and part-time attendance both require at least two full days. Families seeking a single nursery day would need a different booking arrangement.
• Outdoor care for babies. Under-twos have balcony access, and the wider outdoor offer includes sleeping outside. During a visit, discuss how rest, clothing and outdoor routines would work for your child.
• Funded attendance and the total bill. Funded hours are offered to eligible families. Ask how they fit your chosen days and what the written quotation includes for meals, consumables and additional hours.
• A personalised start. Settling includes a home visit and an individual care plan. Use that conversation to explain your child's routines, dietary needs and any support already in place.

Best Childcare Nursery suits families seeking either full-time or part-time attendance who can meet the two-full-day minimum, especially those who value outdoor exploration and practical creative learning. The balcony for under-twos, Romanian wagon and weekly French sessions give that preference tangible form. Home visits and daily digital communication make the parent relationship equally concrete.

Its Outstanding judgement belongs to May 2023. Today's practical decision rests on the two-full-day minimum, the outdoor approach and how funded attendance fits a family's routine. For parents whose needs match those arrangements, this is a nursery with a clear identity and considerable substance behind it.