Redditch YMCA Pre-School & Nursery

A sensory room, a baby room with sleeping and changing areas, and an emphasis on children doing things for themselves give this Church Hill nursery its character. Redditch YMCA Pre-School & Nursery also trades as Squirrels Nursery, Redditch. It serves children aged 3 to 60 months at Church Hill Community Centre.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received knowledgeable support, with children making good progress from their individual starting points. The practical examples matter as much as the judgement: babies explored nesting beakers, toddlers chose their play resources and older children practised getting dressed independently. These are useful steps towards managing everyday tasks.

Short Day and Long Day bookings provide two different attendance windows. The strongest reasons to consider this setting are its baby facilities, communication through Class Dojo and the individual approach to settling recorded in October 2024.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room combines areas for sleep, food preparation and changing with resources for play and exploration. Keeping these care functions within the room's design gives parents concrete features to weigh when choosing care for a younger child. A sensory room adds another space for sensory exploration and quieter experiences.

In October 2024, activities reflected children's interests in dinosaurs and jungle animals. Younger children shaped dough with animal cutters; babies tried fitting beakers together alongside an adult. Older children constructed paths from bricks and tested their balance as they followed them. The examples show different ways of learning through handling, building and movement, rather than one activity being used for every age.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that brings play, communication, physical development and growing independence into the nursery day; it is the shared foundation for early-years provision.

During October 2024, children were encouraged to take increasing responsibility for themselves. Babies practised feeding, toddlers made choices about play and preschool children worked on dressing and asking adults for help. These small tasks have practical value beyond an organised activity: children get opportunities to make decisions and manage familiar routines.

Morning wake up and shake up sessions involved exercise to get children moving in October 2024. Sessions involving dental professionals also addressed toothbrushing. Together, these gave health habits a practical place in the day.

There were limitations too. In October 2024, some activities led by adults did not take children's learning far enough, and rapid questioning sometimes left children too little thinking time. The improvement priorities were better organisation of those activities and more skilful conversations. For parents, the useful distinction is between offering an activity and helping a child explore an idea more deeply.

Relationships and Communication

Settling was tailored to the child in October 2024. Children who needed longer to become comfortable spent additional time with their key person while a parent stayed alongside them. That arrangement allowed familiarity to build before separation, rather than expecting every child to adjust at the same pace.

Class Dojo carries updates about children's learning, announcements and general nursery information. It gives families a shared communication channel for following the nursery day. In October 2024, communication also included spoken updates, electronic information and invitations to a parents' evening, helping parents understand both care routines and development.

Support extended to families experiencing difficult periods in October 2024, with staff providing timely help. The key-person relationship therefore sat within a broader pattern of contact with families, rather than being confined to children's activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In October 2024, staff planning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities drew on what each child could already do and their next learning steps. For a family considering additional support, those individual starting points are a useful basis for discussing a child's needs.

The Baby Room's sleeping areas give rest a physical place within the provision. Hot lunch with pudding is an optional, separately charged choice, and the enquiry form provides space for dietary requirements. Families can therefore distinguish the booked childcare day from the decision to add that meal.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Church Hill Community Centre, Loxley close, Church Hill, Redditch, B98 9JL. Short Day runs from 9am to 4pm, while Long Day runs from 8am to 5pm; both can be requested from Monday to Friday. These are different booking windows, so the longer pattern matters for families whose working day extends beyond the shorter session.

The enquiry form lets parents select individual weekdays and either day pattern, give a preferred start date and indicate whether they need term-time-only attendance. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. Enquiries can be submitted through the Squirrels Nursery Enquiry Form.

Getting There

There is a drop-off zone and parking, and the nursery is on a local bus route. Those options give families alternatives for getting children to the setting, depending on their daily travel arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with 15 hours and 30 hours included in the enquiry options. The form also asks about term-time-only attendance, so the attendance pattern and funding request can be considered together without assuming that a particular funding arrangement follows automatically.

Hot lunch and pudding are optional and charged separately. Families should assess their chosen day pattern alongside any meal charges.

• Conversation and learning. October 2024 improvement priorities concerned adult-led activities and giving children time to respond. On a visit, ask how staff now extend children's ideas and leave space for answers.
• Baby routines. The Baby Room has sleeping, changing and food-preparation areas. Ask how its daily routines would accommodate your baby's usual sleep and feeding pattern.
• Funding and everyday supplies. The enquiry form offers 15-hour and 30-hour funding options alongside separately charged hot meals. How would your chosen attendance pattern use funded hours?

This setting suits families considering either a 9am to 4pm Short Day or an 8am to 5pm Long Day, with baby facilities and a digital communication channel among its practical attractions. Its October 2024 strengths included individual settling and everyday independence. The reservations are specific: adult-led learning and the quality of back-and-forth conversation needed attention. The fit between a child's care routines and the Baby Room also matters.