Painters Cottage Day Nursery

A cottage with original features, cookery led by an in-house chef and visits to a local Forest School area give Painters Cottage Day Nursery a recognisable character. Its setting in Kempsey is matched by an approach that follows children’s interests, with separate learning stages for babies, toddlers and older children. There is practical substance behind the cottage setting: interactive boards support learning, while peaceful sleep rooms give babies space to rest.

At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found that communication and language were supported well, with an improvement needed in explaining activities clearly enough for children to participate from the start. That distinction matters: the inspection recognised effective teaching, but also identified a specific change to how staff introduced learning.

The nursery has 42 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to use the setting.

Rooms and Ages

Bright Sparks, for ages 0–2 years, combines sensory exploration and indoor and outdoor spaces with stories, songs and individual conversations to support early communication.

Whizz kids, for ages 2–3 years, uses shared play and children’s interests to develop confidence, self-awareness and interactions with other children.

Superstars, for ages 3 and above, follows children’s interests through science, literacy and mathematics, with an emphasis on independence and preparation for school.

These stages give the learning offer a clear progression. Babies have opportunities to investigate their surroundings; toddlers practise being part of a group; older children develop the skills they will use as learning becomes more independent. The room descriptions emphasise what children do, rather than treating age alone as the organising principle.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for learning and development: children explore through play, with connected areas of learning shaping their experiences. The Little Geniuses curriculum builds on this by bringing children’s interests into activities and allowing them scope to make discoveries at their own pace. The learning approach connects that principle to the different age groups.

Cookery Lessons add a practical activity led by the in-house chef, giving children opportunities to investigate and play while cooking. Large interactive boards provide another resource for learning, alongside sensory activities. Neither replaces the play-based approach; both add ways for children to engage with it.

In August 2023, staff responded to babies’ early sounds, introduced vocabulary and used familiar rhymes with toddlers. Older children joined in with repeated story phrases. A preschool conversation about the difference between a bee and a wasp illustrated children asking questions and taking an answer back to their friends. Language was part of ordinary interaction, rather than confined to a single activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Visits to the local Forest School area extend exploration beyond the nursery’s own outdoor spaces. Here, the supported detail is outdoor discovery: children visit the area to explore and learn outside.

In August 2023, babies had an outdoor area of their own, including steps leading to a slide. Older children used scooters and trikes around the garden and practised balance on steppingstones. Those examples show different physical challenges for different stages, from climbing to judging space and keeping balance.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who supports daily care and oversees learning and development. That gives families a clear relationship around their child’s experience, as well as someone who follows their progress over time.

The Blossom Educational App connects nursery and home through updates about activities, food and achievements. Parents can also send comments and share moments from home with their child’s key worker. This is a two-way channel: information from home can sit alongside what staff see during the nursery day.

In August 2023, babies accepted comfort from staff when tired or unsettled. Toddlers practised eating with cutlery and managing toileting, while staff used gentle reminders about behaviour. Daily conversations with parents accompanied digital updates. These are dated examples of how relationships and increasing independence worked in practice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff supervising children appropriately, assessing risks and understanding how to raise welfare concerns. This is a dated judgement, rather than an assurance about every subsequent day.

Several sleep rooms provide quieter places for babies to rest.

In August 2023, the nursery cook prepared meals with individual dietary requirements in mind; current lunch choices include Lentil Soup Wholemeal Triangles and Garlic Beef Casserole with Rice. Food is part of daily care, alongside opportunities for children to become more independent at mealtimes.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 2 Post Office Lane, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3NS. The nursery operates throughout the year, Monday to Friday, with bank holidays excluded.

Bookings comprise a full day from 8am to 6pm, a morning from 8am to 1pm, or an afternoon from 1pm to 6pm. The minimum pattern is one full day or two half days. An early period from 7.30am to 8am must be booked in advance, so families using that start need to build it into their attendance arrangements.

The difference between the patterns is useful. A morning booking includes the earlier part of the day, an afternoon starts at 1pm, and the full day spans both.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is the inspection-time funding position and should be read with its date.

• Introducing activities. In August 2023, children were not always given a clear enough explanation at the beginning of adult-led learning. On a visit, ask how staff now introduce an activity and help children understand what they are doing.
• The attendance commitment. Bookings require at least one full day or two half days, and the 7.30am start needs advance booking. Choose the pattern against your regular timetable, including any early starts.
• Funding and care costs. For a funded booking, request written terms covering the entitlement offered, attendance pattern, meals and non-food consumables, alongside the private-hours quotation. This makes the total arrangement easier to assess.

Painters Cottage suits families choosing between full-day care and morning or afternoon sessions, with a minimum booking of one full day or two half days. Its strongest practical features are the age-based learning stages, dedicated places for babies to sleep, cookery and outdoor exploration.

The August 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with a concrete improvement point about making activities clear from the beginning. For parents who value play shaped around children’s interests and two-way updates from nursery to home, this is a setting with useful detail behind its offer.