Holly House Private Day Nursery

A vegetable plot, a traversing wall and mature trees give Holly House Private Day Nursery a recognisable outdoor character. At 62 Wensley Drive in Leeds, the nursery has capacity for 37 children, with an accepted age range of six months to five years. The garden gives children space both to explore the natural world and to practise physical skills.

At its February 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. Practical learning featured prominently: children chose something to cook, planned their ingredients and went shopping with staff. Everyday tasks became opportunities to make decisions and understand money.

Care is organised around a key person, with settling sessions and individual support plans linking nursery life to home. Opening hours are 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and development: children build communication, physical and social skills through activities matched to their stage. At Holly House, key people plan weekly activities around individual needs and targets. That gives the planning a child-by-child starting point rather than treating everyone of the same age as ready for the same experience.

In February 2025, cooking connected several parts of learning. Children selected a recipe, considered the ingredients, joined a shopping trip and worked out the money needed. The value lies in the sequence: making a choice leads to planning, then to carrying out a real task. Children can see why the thinking matters.

Imaginative play also drew on natural materials that month. Children considered what to do with pine cones, while staff used questions to encourage their ideas; pretend campfires followed. Adult-led experiences sat alongside activities initiated by children, with learning planned around what children already knew and could do.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor space combines wooden play equipment with a traversing wall and a large vegetable plot, surrounded by mature trees. These are different invitations to play: movement and physical challenge sit beside opportunities to notice plants and explore the environment. The garden is a substantial part of the nursery's character.

In February 2025, babies explored changes in level, climbed into and out of structures and practised balancing, with adults nearby to help. Physical development therefore included outdoor exploration even for the youngest children, rather than being confined to activities for older children.

The raised garden can be reached through a gate at the top of the drive or by a ramp at its lower end. Doors to the garden accommodate a wheelchair. These concrete access arrangements matter when considering how a child will take part in outdoor life.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, assigned before settling begins. Holly House offers three free settling sessions, during which a parent can remain for part of the time, and a flexible settling period for children who find the change difficult. A photo book can help a child become familiar with their key person, activities and routine at home.

The All about Me sheet gathers a child's strengths and needs before staff plan support. Communication continues through a Learning Book containing observations, plans, targets, photographs and videos, alongside a development tracker that parents can access. Telephone and email updates are also part of the arrangements for parents unable to attend in person.

In February 2025, staff comforted babies as they settled to sleep and supported them as they learnt to feed themselves. Parents also received information about words their children were learning, giving them something specific to continue at home. These examples connect emotional care, growing independence and communication with families.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for additional needs has a defined process. The SENCO and key person develop an Individual Education Plan with parents, then review its targets together. Visual timetables, now-and-next boards and flash cards can help children understand routines or express how they feel. Personal healthcare plans can also be used where needed.

The Leeds Inclusion Support Service can advise practitioners, observe children and help plan next steps with families. Permission is sought before outside agencies become involved. This gives parents a role in both the support plan and the decision to bring in specialist advice.

Moving to another setting or school is planned through transition meetings and information sharing. A receiving teacher, key person or SENCO can be invited to spend time with the child, and relevant documents are passed on. For a child with additional needs, this gives the next setting time to prepare around existing targets and support arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Holly House's address is 62 Wensley Drive, Leeds, LS7 3QW. It opens throughout the year, Monday to Friday, from 7.45am until 6pm. Closures include bank holidays, a week at Christmas and two training days each year, so families need alternative care for those periods.

Joining the waiting list involves completing an application form. Families can save the completed form and email it to info@hollyhousenursery.com, or print it and return it to the nursery. This is an application route, rather than an indication of how many places are free.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2025, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families considering funding should distinguish that dated participation from the attendance and charge arrangements that would apply to their own booking.

• Waiting between activities. In February 2025, some children waited too long around snack time and became restless. At a visit, ask how these changes in the day are now organised, especially for a child who finds waiting difficult.
• Consistency of teaching. The February 2025 findings identified variation in teaching between staff and called for stronger staff development across age groups. Ask how managers support consistent practice in the part of the nursery your child would attend.
• Attendance and charges. The nursery opens throughout the year but closes for bank holidays, Christmas and training days. Before joining the waiting list, request a written quotation covering your intended attendance, funding, meals and consumables.

Holly House suits families who value outdoor play, practical learning and a clear process for sharing information about their child. The vegetable plot and traversing wall give the garden substance; key-person care, settling sessions and individual plans give parents concrete ways to participate.

The February 2025 picture was positive overall, with two meaningful reservations: waiting during changes of activity and consistency between staff. Those are useful points to explore alongside the garden, communication arrangements and approach to settling. For families needing care across the year, the weekday opening window is practical, provided the scheduled closures fit their plans.