Daisy Chain Childcare Rothwell

Child-height resources and a sizeable outdoor area give Daisy Chain Childcare Rothwell a clear practical character: children can choose their own play, then take their activity outside. Its purpose-built building sits within the grounds of Cockburn Haigh Road academy at High Ridge Park in Rothwell. Independence has a physical place here, rather than being simply an aspiration.

At its 6 December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) used professional partnerships, funding and manageable learning steps well. That judgement provides a useful starting point, alongside a specific teaching improvement discussed below.

The nursery has capacity for 50 children, with an accepted age range of 3 to 59 months. Baby, toddler and preschool spaces serve different stages of development. Full-day bookings run from 8am to 6pm, with attendance across the year.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room, Toddler Rooms and Pre-School Room are the nursery's room labels. Resources are positioned within children's reach, so choosing an activity need not depend on an adult handing it over. The building also has several outdoor play spaces. For parents, that combination puts independent choices and physical activity alongside indoor play.

In December 2024, babies joined in familiar rhymes, supplying parts of songs themselves. Toddlers experimented with animal sounds, while older children shaped dough and prepared vegetables for soup. These are different ways into language, concentration and practical skills, rather than the same activity repeated across every age group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's care, development and learning. Here, the December 2024 nursery day illustrated that through stories, singing, hands-on play and movement: children practised speaking, using their hands and managing tasks for themselves.

Language Lessons and Music Lessons are part of the current offer. In December 2024, a Spanish teacher introduced children to speaking Spanish, a music teacher led weekly singing, and a football coach ran sports sessions. The weekly frequency belongs to those singing sessions at that time.

Books also mattered in December 2024. Children sought out adults to share stories, and practitioners read with expression. Instruments and preparations for a Christmas performance gave children further opportunities to participate. Music worked through both everyday play and a shared occasion with families.

The December 2024 inspection identified inconsistent use of planned learning during activities, including missed opportunities to develop ideas and explain unfamiliar vocabulary. That is the teaching question behind the Good grade: having an appealing activity ready is only part of the job; the interaction needs to carry the learning forward.

Outdoor and Community Life

A sizeable outdoor area is a substantial part of the premises. In December 2024, children used the playground daily for climbing, running and balance, alongside indoor dough and sensory activities that exercised smaller hand movements. The day included both energetic movement and more concentrated practical work.

Community experiences also featured that December. Children had the opportunity to perform a nativity at a local church, families were invited to sports day, and charity fundraising introduced helping others. A nursery council gave children a part in decisions about the setting. These observations show participation extending beyond choosing a toy, while remaining evidence of practice at that visit.

Relationships and communication had concrete routines in December 2024. Parents received photographs and observations through an online app, while staff discussed children's next learning steps and ideas for home. That gave families material to respond to, rather than just a general account of whether the day had gone well.

Everyday independence was equally practical at that time. Children helped themselves to lunch and poured drinks; toddlers fetched their own comforters. Scissors and stickers provided opportunities to practise careful hand movements. These small tasks made personal skills part of ordinary nursery life.

For children needing additional support, the December 2024 arrangements included targets and work with external professionals. Families weighing SEND provision should consider those mechanisms alongside their own child's needs, rather than treating the overall grade as an individual support plan.

The on-site cook prepares food using local produce, with menus rotating over four weeks. Breakfast, snacks, lunch and afternoon tea are included in the fee, as are babies' nappies and wipes; families supply formula milk.

School transition work was also present in December 2024, when staff liaised with local schools to help children move between settings. That concerns preparation and continuity of care. It does not establish an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is High Ridge Park, Rothwell, Leeds, LS26 0NL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates for 51 weeks each year, excluding public bank holidays. The full-day fee covers the same 8am to 6pm window, with the fee structure setting out bookings from one to five days.

Fees are paid in advance at the beginning of the month through Famly, the nursery's payment app. Absence through illness or holidays does not reduce the bill. Families should therefore budget around their booked attendance, rather than the number of days actually used.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, and the full-year fee structure includes a 30-hour funding option. Private childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to assess their booking and funding together.

There is a one-time registration charge, refunded in the first month for fully funded places. The deposit is refundable after the final payment clears, but is forfeited if the place is not taken after the cooling-off period. Late collection and overdue payments attract separate charges.

Written notice of eight weeks is required to change the start date or sessions before attendance begins; cancellation after starting also requires eight weeks' written notice. These terms make the initial choice of days consequential for families whose work arrangements may change.

Although the nursery occupies the grounds of Cockburn Haigh Road academy, attending does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school place.

• Teaching beyond the activity. The December 2024 improvement concerned how consistently practitioners extended learning and explained vocabulary. On a visit, ask how an activity's intended learning shapes the conversation with children.
• Full-day commitments. The booking window is 8am to 6pm, and absence does not bring a fee reduction. Consider how the booked days fit work, holidays and the eight-week cancellation notice.
• Starting with a baby. Baby Room is part of the offer, and nappies and wipes are included while formula comes from home. During a visit, ask how sleep and feeding routines are organised for your child.
• School grounds and school entry. Sharing the academy's grounds does not secure a Reception place. Treat the nursery choice and the school application as separate decisions.

Daisy Chain Childcare Rothwell suits families seeking full-day attendance across the year, whether booking a single day or several. Child-height resources, outdoor space and the current language and music lessons give that practical offer substance.

The December 2024 picture adds detail: songs, stories, practical independence and opportunities for children to contribute. The balance is clear. There is plenty for children to do, and the material teaching question is how consistently adults turn those experiences into deeper learning.