Quarry House

Babies and young toddlers give Quarry House its character: the Seedling Room, Sapling Room and Buds Room make this Audley setting a place for the earliest stages of nursery life. It has 36 places in total. The practical appeal is the separation of this younger age group from the older children at Pear Tree Nursery's Chapel Street setting.

At its 29 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Quarry House Good and found safeguarding effective, with emotional security a clear strength of the provision. The balance matters. Children had close relationships with staff, but physical development needed more consistent challenge and communication about learning needed improvement.

Rooms and Ages

The Seedling Room serves children aged 2 months to 2 years, while the Buds Room serves those aged 2 to 2½ years; the Sapling Room is also part of Quarry House. These room names give families a useful starting point for understanding where their child fits, especially around the move from baby care into toddler routines.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play, conversation and movement contribute to learning alongside personal care. At Quarry House, the November 2024 examples show how that can work for very young children. A tea bag changed the colour of water, while flour could be pressed into containers. Simple materials gave children something to investigate rather than merely watch.

Language was woven into play. In November 2024, staff used short, repeated words and described a pipe cleaner as its shape changed. Story sessions involved babies handling books with sensory elements and lifting flaps, while toddlers joined nursery rhymes through movement and emerging words. These examples connect communication with things children can touch, see and do.

Choice also had a place in the day. Children selected where to play, and staff joined them at their level to demonstrate possibilities. For a baby and toddler setting, that combination gives independence a manageable form: children can make small decisions while an adult helps extend the activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2024, garden equipment and music with movement contributed to physical activity. However, physical development received less sustained attention than other areas, and activities did not reliably stretch children's abilities. Access to movement was there; the next step was to make the challenge more deliberate.

Community involvement included a December food-bank collection, with families contributing a food item each day. For young children, this makes helping others tangible. A contribution from home becomes part of a shared nursery activity rather than an abstract lesson about charity.

Relationships were central to daily care in November 2024. Staff used information from families alongside their observations to help children settle, and this support continued when children changed rooms. The useful detail is that settling extended beyond the first start: a familiar nursery could still require adjustment when a child moved into a different room.

Adults also helped children manage feelings and learn how to play alongside one another. Expectations for behaviour reflected children's development, and staff responded to individual emotional needs. For families choosing care for a very young child, these are practical aspects of the day, from coping with frustration to sharing space with another toddler.

Communication had two different strengths in November 2024. Families received updates about daily routines, but some lacked a clear account of learning and how to continue it at home. A reassuring account of eating and care therefore needed to be accompanied by a more useful exchange about development.

Meals were home-cooked in November 2024, and staff shared recipes, meal ideas and ingredients for families to cook together at home. This connected nursery food with an activity parents and children could share, giving healthy eating a practical place beyond mealtimes.

Quarry House is on Hougher Wall Road, Audley, ST7 8JA. The contact form accepts a message and email address, providing a straightforward route for an initial enquiry about this setting.

Sessions and Attendance

In November 2024, opening hours were 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year. Those hours describe the operating window at that time. The room arrangements place the Seedling Room and Buds Room at different stages of early childhood, making room progression an important part of planning attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

In November 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for eligible children. Eligibility remained a condition of that provision. Families considering this route should distinguish the childcare entitlement from the broader arrangements they need for their child.

• Physical challenge. In November 2024, movement activities did not consistently stretch children. On a visit, ask how garden play and movement sessions now build on each child's developing abilities.
• Learning updates. November 2024 communication was stronger on daily routines than on learning and development. Ask to see how staff exchange information with parents and turn it into useful ideas for home.
• Room progression. The Seedling Room and Buds Room serve different age stages at Quarry House. How is the move between rooms planned, including the role of the Sapling Room?

Quarry House suits families looking for a setting centred on babies and young toddlers, with named rooms that distinguish the earliest stages of care. The November 2024 picture combines close adult relationships, hands-on exploration and language threaded through play. Its two improvement priorities are relevant to everyday family life: children need physical activities that stretch them, and parents need meaningful information about learning. Those priorities deserve as much attention as the Good judgement when deciding whether the setting fits your child.