Smiley Kidz Nursery, Uppingham Road

Play dough, climbing equipment and a tambourine give this Uppingham Road setting its character: practical learning, physical activity and clear signals for the nursery day. Smiley Kidz Nursery, Uppingham Road has 25 places in total, at Uppingham Road Methodist Church in Leicester.

At its February 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and reported good overall progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The detail matters more than the grade alone: children experimented with materials, practised looking after themselves and received help with both English and their home languages. Two weaknesses concerned how staff extended conversations and responded to children's ideas.

In February 2025, children attending were aged 0 to 4, and attendance followed morning and afternoon sessions during term time. Those dated arrangements provide a useful starting point for understanding this sessional nursery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the February 2025 day combined play, conversation, movement and practical independence. Children were sometimes organised into younger and older groups, allowing staff to adapt activities to their stage of development rather than giving everyone the same task.

Play dough brought several kinds of learning together. Children followed instructions to make characters, selected materials and added feathers as hair; staff introduced words describing shape as children worked. That connected hands-on exploration with mathematical language. Children also showed their creations to friends, giving their own choices a place in the activity.

There was a clear limitation. During group conversations, questions sometimes drew only a single word in response, reducing the opportunity for children to explain their thinking. Staff also occasionally missed an emerging interest: finding insects in the garden did not lead to further exploration with an adult. For parents, the issue is how readily an activity becomes a richer conversation or follows a child's curiosity.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2025, babies practised balance and coordination in the garden while holding an adult's hand. Toddlers received help to climb safely on equipment; preschool children moved around obstacles and used wheeled toys confidently. These activities gave children opportunities to practise physical skills at different stages of development.

A tambourine signalled changes in the routine. Children put toys away, prepared to go outdoors and practised sharing resources. These small routines gave the day a recognisable structure while creating opportunities to manage ordinary responsibilities.

In February 2025, staff used children's home languages alongside English when giving instructions. This helped children understand activities and daily routines, making language support part of ordinary participation rather than a separate task.

For children with SEND, support included indoor sensory equipment purchased with additional funding, sensory experiences in smaller groups and collaboration with other professionals. At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff supported children with SEND and children learning English as an additional language well. The practical value lies in adapting the experience to the child, including reducing the scale of a group when needed.

Independence received concrete attention. Older children practised a technique for getting their coats on and learned how to brush their teeth. These were everyday care skills with a purpose: helping children take a more active part in looking after themselves and preparing for school routines.

Home learning also had a practical route. In February 2025, a book lending scheme helped parents support learning beyond nursery, while staff worked with families on children's needs. Staff used praise to recognise children's efforts and handled small disagreements positively. The emphasis was on participation, encouragement and learning how to share.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Uppingham Road Methodist Church, 178 Uppingham Road, Leicester LE5 0QG. Enquiries for this branch can be made by telephone on 0116 319 2174 or by email to info@smileykidznursery.co.uk.

In February 2025, the nursery operated Monday to Friday during term time, with a morning session from 9.30am to 12.30pm and an afternoon session from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. This was a session-based arrangement, with two separate parts of the day rather than a stated full-day booking pattern.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2025, funded early education was provided for two-, three- and four-year-old children. That dated offer is relevant to families considering sessional attendance. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

• Conversation beyond a single word. In February 2025, some group-time questions restricted children's responses. During a visit, ask how staff now encourage children to explain, speculate and sustain a conversation.
• Following children's curiosity. Staff sometimes missed opportunities to develop children's spontaneous ideas in February 2025, including an interest in garden insects. Ask for an example of how a child's recent discovery shaped subsequent learning.
• Matching the session to your child. The February 2025 pattern comprised term-time morning and afternoon sessions, with younger and older groups used during parts of the day. Ask which session and settling arrangement would best fit your child's routine.

Smiley Kidz Nursery, Uppingham Road suits families seeking either morning or afternoon attendance, with the term-time pattern documented in February 2025 as the practical starting point. Its strongest inspection-era details are tangible: language support woven into routines, sensory experiences adapted for smaller groups and everyday tasks that build independence.

The reservation is equally specific. Staff needed to make more of children's answers and emerging interests. Families who value practical care and sessional learning should weigh those strengths alongside how convincingly the nursery demonstrates richer conversation and child-led exploration now.