Stonecroft Day Nursery

Books, back-and-forth conversation and learning to do things independently give Stonecroft its clearest character. This Yatton nursery takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 50 places in total, with younger and older children spending some time together as well as using separate rooms.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Stonecroft Good and judged safeguarding effective. The practical detail behind that judgement matters: babies explored animal sounds, toddlers joined familiar stories and older children used books to investigate how caterpillars become butterflies.

The attendance choices extend beyond a full day, with shorter days, morning and afternoon sessions providing different ways to organise childcare.

Rooms and Ages

Children mix regularly across ages, while separate rooms allow them to spend time apart when needed. That makes the arrangement more fluid than an entirely separate day for each age group. The accepted age range runs from early infancy through to the years before primary school.

In June 2025, activities changed with children's development: babies explored paint and other messy materials, toddlers used story characters while listening, and preschool children painted butterflies while learning new vocabulary. These are concrete examples of how the day could connect hands-on experiences with language.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means play and conversation sit alongside learning to move, communicate and manage personal routines. Stonecroft assigns each child a key person, with observations and assessments helping shape the experiences offered next.

During June 2025, adults answered babies' babbling and held conversations with toddlers, adding words and checking understanding. Familiar books also encouraged children to remember and contribute parts of a story. Reading was participatory rather than simply something children listened to.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2025, outdoor equipment included a slide, with opportunities to practise climbing and balance. Babies also bounced on a small trampoline with an adult holding them. Movement therefore took different forms according to children's stage of development.

Outdoor learning needed closer attention, however. In June 2025, planning was less effective outside than indoors, especially when age groups played together; younger children sometimes received less targeted help. The other improvement priority was for adults to build further on children's comments and ideas, keeping conversations going long enough to deepen their thinking.

Relationships and Communication

A key person gives each family an identified practitioner connected to their child's development. Parents can discuss progress with staff, and parents evenings and open afternoons provide further opportunities for those conversations. These arrangements matter because observation is more useful when families can understand and contribute to what happens next.

In June 2025, adults used visual aids to help children understand and express their feelings, offered simple choices and explained changes between activities. Older children practised resolving disagreements themselves. Independence was equally concrete: babies tried feeding themselves, toddlers worked on putting on shoes, and preschool children cleared meals and managed toileting and handwashing.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood children with SEND and their families, used support funding to address individual needs, and exchanged information with parents and other providers sharing children's care. That gives families a dated picture of how support worked in practice, rather than a broad promise of inclusion.

Stonecroft also has connections with Springboard opportunity group. Its preschool preparation gives extra attention to children's development before primary education, while the everyday independence described above shows what preparation can look like beyond formal activities.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 11 High Street, Yatton, North Somerset, BS49 4JD. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with a one-week Christmas closure.

Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm, Short Day from 9am to 5pm, and School Session from 9am to 3pm. Morning runs from 8.30am to noon; Afternoon runs from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. An earlier 7.30am start and additional time carry separate charges. The choices allow families to distinguish a working-day booking from a shorter daytime or part-day arrangement.

Telephone and email enquiries are accepted, and visits can be arranged by telephone. Written information and a brochure are also available through the contact route.

Getting There

Car parking and a shopping precinct are nearby, and the nursery is close to junction 20 of the M5. The parking described is nearby provision, so families planning a car journey should distinguish that from a dedicated nursery parking space.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is accepted for eligible 2-year-olds and for children aged 3 and 4, with the latter starting in the term after their third birthday. Private sessions are also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the fees page sets out the session structure.

Food is included according to the booking: Full Day includes breakfast, snack, lunch and hot tea; Short Day includes snack, lunch and hot tea; School Session includes snack and lunch; Morning includes snack; Afternoon includes tea, while a separate lunchtime booking is charged additionally. A home-cooked, two-course lunch is offered, with special dietary requirements catered for.

An administration charge and refundable deposit apply when registering. Fees are paid ahead of attendance, with a charge for late payment.

• Outdoor learning. The June 2025 improvement priorities included tailoring outdoor support to individual children and extending their ideas in conversation. On a visit, ask how staff now plan for younger children when ages play outside together.
• Choosing the session. Full Day, Short Day and School Session finish at different times and include different meals. Compare the pattern with your working day, including whether an earlier start or extra time would be needed.
• Funding and additional costs. Funding is accepted alongside privately paid sessions, and registration involves an administration charge and refundable deposit. Ask for one written breakdown covering your intended funded attendance, food and consumables.

Stonecroft suits families seeking either a full working day or a shorter daytime, morning or afternoon session. Its key-person arrangement, opportunities for parent discussions and attention to everyday independence give the offer a clear practical shape. The June 2025 Good judgement provides the quality reference point, balanced by specific work needed on outdoor learning and extending children's thinking. Those improvement priorities deserve a direct conversation during a visit.