Freshlings Nursery UCSP

A curriculum developed with the Plymouth Institute of Education gives Freshlings Nursery UCSP a clear connection to its university setting. Based on the University of Plymouth campus, it welcomes children from birth to five, with age-based rooms and an outdoor space designed for use in all weather. Its curriculum aims to help children become confident, curious and independent, ready to keep learning as they move towards school.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its November 2024 inspection. The detail behind that judgement is useful: activities were adapted to individual children, communication included signing and visual prompts, and practical routines gave children opportunities to do things for themselves.

Care is open to university staff, students and the wider University community. The weekday opening window is 8am to 5.30pm, across 50 weeks of the year.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillars and Bumblebees room accommodates children from birth to two, Dragonflies room serves two-year-olds, and Ladybird room takes children aged three and over. These age bands give families a clear picture of the stages their child can move through, while practitioners tailor activities to individual needs.

The outdoor space provides an all-weather environment for children to use. That is a useful physical feature for parents who value access to outdoor play across changing weather conditions.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework here; in November 2024, learning included counting, comparing sizes and developing communication through play and conversation. Alongside that framework, the curriculum developed with the Plymouth Institute of Education aims to encourage creativity, kindness and a continuing interest in learning.

In November 2024, a play-dough activity showed how individual learning could fit into a shared experience. Some toddlers explored number and size, while children ready for greater challenge discussed asteroids. The practical implication is clear: a shared resource can support different next steps, with the adult adjusting the conversation to the child.

Language support also took several forms that November. Young children used signs and picture prompts to communicate, while adults allowed time for answers and demonstrated pronunciation. Older children encountered more ambitious vocabulary and shared ideas in group conversations. For a parent, these are concrete examples of how staff helped children express both immediate needs and developing ideas.

Children's family experiences contributed to learning too. In November 2024, photographs from a family visit to Scotland prompted discussion of lochs, food and music. Familiar experiences became starting points for discovering more about the world, with children's cultures and languages included in the conversation.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2024, emotional support was made tangible. Babies could communicate feelings through pictures and receive comfort, while older children used an emotion monster display to indicate their mood. Adults talked through difficult feelings and helped children find activities they enjoyed. That gave children ways to express distress and receive a response suited to them.

Parents contributed ideas to the curriculum in November 2024, and staff demonstrated intervention activities so families could use the same approaches at home. This matters where a child needs additional help: parents could see how an activity worked and continue it beyond nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised personalised support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), alongside exceptional progress. In that November, staff used assessments to plan individual learning and worked with parents and external agencies to introduce strategies where children needed help.

Self-care had practical teaching behind it. In November 2024, babies were shown nose-blowing using a mirror, and older children had stations with mirrors and visual instructions to practise independently. Babies also used cutlery to feed themselves, while older children cut their food. These small routines gave children opportunities to take responsibility for everyday tasks.

Behaviour support that November used gentle redirection and repair. Babies who enjoyed banging objects were offered play dough and rolling pins to protect sleeping children's rest; older children were encouraged to collect another child's blocks after accidentally knocking them over. The emphasis was on finding an appropriate action and recognising another child's needs.

Sessions and Attendance

Freshlings opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 5.30pm and operates for 50 weeks a year. Families arranging work or study around childcare need to fit their routine within that opening window.

Enquiries go directly to the nursery at freshlingsnursery@plymouth.ac.uk or by telephone on 01752 588550. Families can also contact the nursery to join its waiting list. This is a stated joining route, rather than a promise of a place.

Getting There

The address is Freshlings Nursery, University of Plymouth, Endsleigh Place, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA. Endsleigh Place sits on the northern edge of the university's main city-centre campus, making the nursery's campus position a central practical consideration for families using it alongside university work or study.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government funded childcare was offered in November 2024.

• Campus community. Freshlings welcomes university staff, students and the wider University community. Families should consider how that community and the Endsleigh Place location fit their childcare needs.
• Baby-room visit. Caterpillars and Bumblebees room serves children from birth to two. During a visit, ask how settling and sleep are organised for a child of your baby's age.
• Weekday timetable. Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 50 weeks. The closing time needs to work with the end of your working or studying day and collection arrangements.

Freshlings suits families within the university community who value a campus nursery with an education partnership, age-based rooms and an all-weather outdoor space. Its November 2024 examples give substance to the Outstanding judgement: learning was adjusted within shared activities, children had practical ways to communicate, and parents could continue support at home. For families whose routines fit the weekday opening hours, the combination of campus convenience and carefully individualised inspection-era practice makes a persuasive case.