Jimbo's Community Nursery

Mainstream nursery care and specialist provision share a home at Jimbo's Community Nursery. Hawthorn Playroom supports children with additional needs alongside the nursery's other playrooms, with opportunities to join activities and spend time with children of the same age. That arrangement gives inclusion a concrete shape: children have a familiar base, while their day can extend beyond it.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Jimbo's Outstanding and found that individually planned learning helped children achieve strong progress, with effective safeguarding arrangements. The practical identity is straightforward: the nursery is at 20 Vinery Terrace, Leeds, LS9 9LU, accepts children aged 3 to 60 months and has capacity for 74 children in total. That whole-setting figure is separate from the size of any playroom or daily group.

Rooms and Ages

Three nursery playrooms sit alongside Hawthorn Playroom, the specialist room for children with additional needs. Toys and activity areas support play across the rooms, and children also have access to outdoor areas, soft play and sensory rooms. These give the nursery day different settings for movement, exploration and sensory experiences.

Hawthorn Playroom is part of a model in which children with SEND have a base in either specialist or mainstream provision. Most of their time is spent there, with time in other rooms for activities and contact with children their own age. The arrangement also supports transitions to another nursery or the next stage of education. For families weighing specialist support against participation in mainstream activities, this is an important part of Jimbo's offer.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play across seven areas, taking account of each child's interests, abilities and needs. It is the common early-years framework; Jimbo's practical emphasis includes sensory exploration, creative activities and messy play. Clothes need to be suitable for paint and dirt. Participation matters more than keeping an outfit pristine.

In March 2024, staff began planning by finding out what children already knew, including their existing language and experiences. Adults modelled vocabulary to extend children's communication. Preschool children chose favourite books and took stories home, connecting nursery reading with conversations and activities with their families.

Choice also had a social purpose. In March 2024, children voted for a book to read each week, practised taking turns and learnt about one another's dietary needs. Those everyday decisions gave them opportunities to express a preference, listen to others and understand that another child's needs might differ from their own.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play continues throughout the year when conditions are safe, including in most weather. Warm clothing matters in cold conditions, while summer brings sun hats and sun cream. Outdoor time is part of the ordinary nursery routine rather than an occasional addition.

FareShare contributes a weekly Monday food delivery. Ingredients can change the menu to reduce waste, and food the nursery cannot use is made available for families to take home. This is a tangible link between the nursery's kitchen and support for households.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2024, communication with families included information about children's learning and their next steps, suggestions for developing skills at home, and support with toilet training. Books travelled between nursery and home too. For parents, that connects progress with something they can actually do together, rather than leaving learning confined to nursery hours.

The same March 2024 practice included consistent expectations for behaviour, opportunities for children to make choices and repeated chances to practise social skills. Staff training responded to children's needs, including communication and language. The emphasis was on adjusting adult practice to the children attending.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received effective individual support and made excellent progress alongside their peers, with picture cards and Makaton helping them understand routines and instructions. Emerging needs prompted discussions with parents, referrals and early intervention at that time, including sessions addressing communication difficulties.

A Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) provides advice and support to nursery families whose children have SEND. The combination of that role, a specialist playroom and the base-room arrangement gives parents specific mechanisms to consider when discussing their child's needs. Support is organised around the child, rather than simply attached to a room name.

The nursery cook makes meals and snacks on site each day, using a three-week menu rotation for lunch and tea that may change with FareShare deliveries. Families must report dietary changes or new allergies; children are offered milk or water and participate in the NHS toothbrushing scheme to support oral hygiene.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery closes on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Those closures matter for families arranging care around work, especially over the Christmas period.

Jimbo's also provides an after-school club and holiday childcare alongside its early-years provision. These are separate from the nursery day. Nursery enquiries can be made through the playroom enquiry form or by calling 0113 467 3050.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their intended care arrangement.

Parents supply nappies and wipes for children who use them, together with spare clothes in a bag. During summer, parents apply sun cream before nursery and provide extra sun cream when their child attends for a full day. These are practical items to build into the daily packing routine.

• Specialist and mainstream participation. Children with SEND have a base room and can spend time elsewhere for activities and contact with peers. On a visit, ask how that balance would work for your child and how the SENCo would be involved.
• The complete care quotation. The March 2024 funded offer covered two-, three- and four-year-olds, while parents supply nappies, wipes and additional full-day sun cream. Ask for one written explanation of the intended attendance pattern, funding delivery and charges for meals or other extras.
• Outdoor and messy play. Children play outside throughout the year when safe and take part in sensory and creative activities. Clothing needs to suit changing weather and getting dirty; families seeking consistently tidy outfits will need to adjust expectations.

Jimbo's suits families looking for mainstream early-years care with specialist provision integrated into the same nursery. Hawthorn Playroom, the SENCo role and movement between rooms make that offer concrete, while outdoor play and an on-site kitchen add substance to the everyday experience.

The Outstanding judgement from March 2024 carries weight, especially for families considering additional communication or learning support. The strongest reason to consider Jimbo's is the combination of individual support and opportunities to participate with other children. Its weekday opening window also gives families a clear starting point for planning care.