University Hospital Day Nursery

Learning to pour a drink, serve lunch and put toys away gives University Hospital Day Nursery a practical character. At the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, everyday independence was a clear thread through children's experiences in March 2025. Small tasks mattered.

At its 19 March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that collaboration with families and professionals supported children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language. The nursery has 122 places in total; children attending at that visit were aged 0 to 5.

In March 2025, babies practised using spoons, toddlers poured drinks and preschool children served their own food. These were opportunities to do things for themselves, rather than have adults complete each task.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the March 2025 examples included conversation about stories, songs with actions and mathematical language during play. Toddlers explored position by fitting toy animals beneath wooden bricks. Older children remembered story characters and discussed what had happened, giving books a role beyond listening quietly.

Outside, preschool children joined sports coaching in March 2025. Adults participated and encouraged children when an activity proved difficult, helping them keep trying. Food discussions also explored different food groups and why friends might need to avoid certain ingredients.

However, the March 2025 inspection identified uneven teaching and activity delivery because some practitioners lacked clarity about the intended learning, and called for stronger teaching skills and a shared understanding of the curriculum. This is the important qualification to the positive examples: purposeful activities need consistent adult support.

Settling involved learning about each child's routines, comforting habits, interests, language and family background in March 2025. Parents joined settling sessions and shared information with the adults caring for their children. That made familiar routines part of the move into nursery life.

Communication continued beyond settling. In March 2025, staff discussed children's daily experiences and development with parents, including ways to practise new skills at home. This connected nursery learning with family life rather than leaving parents with an account of activities alone.

The address is Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH.

In March 2025, the nursery operated on weekdays throughout the year, with bank-holiday closures, and sessions ran from 6.30am to 6.30pm. That attendance window is relevant for parents whose working day starts early or finishes late.

Funded early education was provided for children up to four years old in March 2025.

• Consistency of teaching. The March 2025 findings identified differences in how staff understood and delivered learning. Ask how practitioners now agree the purpose of activities and receive support to improve their teaching.
• Attendance and funded hours. The March 2025 schedule extended from early morning into the evening and included funded early education. What current booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your working week?

University Hospital Day Nursery suits families who value practical independence, shared reading and communication about learning at home. Its March 2025 attendance window also makes it relevant to parents with early starts or late finishes. Balance those strengths against the specific need for more consistent teaching: that is the clearest point to explore when choosing care.