Paper Moon Day Nursery, Boultham Park

A children's council choosing waffle tasting gives Paper Moon Day Nursery, Boultham Park a memorable starting point: children's ideas have helped shape what happens here. This Lincoln nursery has capacity for 34 children, accepts ages from three months to five years and has a small, dedicated unit for children under two. That baby provision is a useful point of difference for families choosing their child's first childcare setting.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective, while identifying a need for stronger oversight of toddler-room teaching, especially conversations that help children develop language. The practical offer includes full-time attendance and half-day bookings. Fresh food is cooked on site, and funded sessions extend to eligible children from nine months.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: children develop language through stories and conversation, and practise independence and sharing through everyday routines. The most revealing examples here connect learning with things children already want to do.

In April 2024, an interest in watching vehicles through a window led to children using pencils and paper to keep a vehicle tally. A familiar view became a reason to make marks and record observations. Children also formed a council to contribute activity ideas; their request to taste waffles became an opportunity to explore unfamiliar food. These examples show how an ordinary interest can become the starting point for an activity rather than being set aside for an unrelated task.

Rooms and Ages

For the youngest children, the dedicated under-two baby unit provides a separate age-specific space. Its description as small should be read as a description of the unit, rather than a promise about how many children will attend together.

In April 2024, the toddler room combined shared stories with everyday independence, including children learning to clean their own noses. Familiar books gave children something they wanted to talk about, although opportunities to extend those conversations were uneven.

The pre-school room's April 2024 activities included children serving their own lunch and using sand timers to manage turns with toys. These are practical ways to rehearse making choices and sharing resources. Play tools came with goggles and an explanation of eye protection, connecting an enjoyable activity with a concrete safety lesson.

Relationships and Communication

In April 2024, staff helped children share bubble mixture and gave preschool children responsibilities such as opening a door for friends. Encouragement was attached to recognisable actions. Good listening could also lead to children taking a soft toy bear home, giving families a tangible connection with something their child had done during the day.

Development information was shared with parents in April 2024, alongside activities to continue at home. Practising dressing and undressing was linked to preparing for physical activity at school. This is school preparation at the level of daily routines: doing more independently, rather than practising a formal school timetable.

The Boultham Park funding agreement includes a Family App within its additional service charge arrangements, covering observations, transition reports, newsletters and schedule changes. That makes communication part of the financial discussion as well as the care discussion.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that additional funding supported individual needs through targeted one-to-one help for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, alongside equipment creating a comfortable space for emotional regulation. This was a concrete support mechanism, rather than a general statement about inclusion.

In April 2024, songs and familiar words from children's home languages were used in play. Some signing accompanied spoken words too. These approaches gave children more than one way to connect with language, but the toddler-room improvement point remains important: helpful resources do not replace sustained exchanges between an adult and a child.

Fresh meals are prepared within the nursery. For funded attendance, food attracts an additional charge, and the funding agreement's allergy policy prevents families supplying packed lunches or snacks; its stated reason is the combination of allergies and individual dietary requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 104 Boultham Park Road, Lincoln, LN6 7TH. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks, with bank holidays and a Christmas week excluded. Families planning childcare around work therefore need to account for those closures as well as the daily opening window.

Full-time attendance is offered, while the Boultham Park funding agreement also provides for half-day bookings. Opening hours describe the nursery's operating window; the attendance pattern belongs in the family's booking agreement. The branch has its own enquiry form and application form, and the team can be contacted by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions begin from nine months for eligible children, and the Boultham Park agreement covers access to 15 or 30 hours of funding. Entitlement and the nursery's additional services are separate parts of the arrangement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

For funded hours, meals and non-food consumables are charged separately through additional service charges. The consumables list includes sun cream, hygiene supplies and some craft and messy-play materials, while ingredients for cooking activities also sit within the charge structure. Families should read this as a package of specified services and supplies, rather than assuming funded attendance includes everything used during the day.

Mini Kixx and Rattle and Roll are examples of additional provision covered by that charge structure. The agreement also includes a contribution towards minibus trips. These examples explain the breadth of the charging package; they do not establish a weekly activity timetable.

• Toddler conversations. The April 2024 improvement point concerned the consistency of language teaching and staff oversight in the toddler room. On a visit, ask how practitioners now extend children's answers and how managers review that practice.
• The small baby unit. There is dedicated provision for under-twos. Ask how many babies usually attend together and how settling and rest are organised within that unit.
• Funded attendance and food. Additional charges cover meals and consumables, and the funding agreement rules out packed lunches and snacks from home. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food arrangements; families unable to meet the sundry costs should also discuss the agreement's stated approach of seeking alternative childcare.

Paper Moon Boultham Park suits families considering either full-time attendance or half-day bookings, especially those who value an under-two unit and meals prepared on site. The April 2024 examples give its nursery day character: children making activity choices, recording passing traffic and practising useful responsibilities.

The balance is clear. Children's interests and independence provided worthwhile learning opportunities, while toddler-room conversations needed more consistent attention. For funded attendance, the additional service package and restrictions on food from home are substantial decision points alongside the care itself.