Cottage Day Nursery

Shape hunts, costumed storytelling and a pretend road for tricycles give Cottage Day Nursery a recognisable character in its January 2022 daily life. Small acts of independence mattered too: toddlers cleaned their faces and older children helped clear up after lunch.

At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children progressed well, including those receiving additional support. That is a dated assessment; a February 2026 regulatory finding also matters to the decision.

The nursery accepts children aged 3 to 60 months at Smithy Cottage, Cuckoo Lane, Liverpool, L25 3PL.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing everyday communication, play and growing independence into the educational day. In January 2022, staff prompted children to count and practise vocabulary during familiar routines. Learning was revisited rather than confined to a single activity.

Preschool children attempted name-writing and explored letter sounds, while toddlers searched for shapes and matched them to large templates. Story sessions included questions about characters and staff modelling pronunciation. These examples connect early literacy and mathematics to things children could do, say and recognise.

Outdoor activity in January 2022 included park visits for climbing and tricycles on a pretend road. Parents also talked about their work as doctors and vets. The curriculum needed more consistent teaching about unfamiliar cultures and communities, however, and staff needed further opportunities to develop their teaching.

In January 2022, home visits helped staff learn about individual needs before building relationships through each child's key person. The special educational needs coordinator worked alongside other professionals, with activities planned around developing new skills.

Photos and video clips shared children's learning with parents that January. They gave families concrete examples to discuss, rather than only an account of how the day had gone. Children also ate home-cooked food at that time.

Improving knowledge of incidents requiring notification to Ofsted was among the February 2025 actions. Following the provider's response on 19 February 2025, those safeguarding and welfare actions were confirmed met. On 5 February 2026, Ofsted found that the nursery had failed to notify it of an allegation, repeating the notification concern. This later finding must be considered alongside the older safeguarding judgement, rather than treating that judgement as a current assurance.

Cottage Day Nursery operates from Smithy Cottage on Cuckoo Lane, Liverpool, L25 3PL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year apart from bank holidays.

In January 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This describes participation at that time.

• Notification of allegations. The finding on 5 February 2026 concerned a failure to notify the regulator of an allegation. Ask how allegations are escalated and notifications handled now.
• Breadth of learning. January 2022 improvement priorities included unfamiliar cultures and communities, alongside further staff development. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how these priorities shape activities today.
• Attendance and costs. With an opening window of 7.30am to 5.30pm, ask which booking patterns fit your working day and request a written quotation covering funded hours, meals and consumables.

Cottage Day Nursery suits families whose working day fits its weekday opening window and who value practical independence alongside play. Its January 2022 examples give that preference substance. The February 2026 notification finding makes a clear discussion of current safeguarding procedures an essential part of choosing it.