The Day Nursery at Oakham

Outdoor space belongs to each age group at The Day Nursery at Oakham, rather than being a single shared backdrop to the day. Separate outdoor play areas give the different stages of childhood their own space for movement and exploration. The setting sits on Oakham Enterprise Park in Rutland and has capacity for 64 children, accepting children from birth to 60 months.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with positive findings about children's relationships with staff and their growing independence. That is a dated assessment. Its most useful detail is the picture of children learning through practical experiences, from constructing outdoors to taking responsibility at mealtimes.

Morning, afternoon and longer daytime bookings make this a practical option for different family routines.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room and Two's Room are named spaces, while preschool provision also forms part of the nursery. Each age group has its own outdoor play area. For parents comparing settings, that arrangement matters more than a broad claim about outdoor learning: outdoor space is attached to the children's stage of development.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and everyday experiences helping children build language, physical skills and independence. Alongside it, Oakham uses Reggio Emilia-inspired principles, linking its approach to creativity and children's curiosity. The name describes an influence on the approach; it does not establish an outcome for children.

In February 2022, children's interests shaped practical activities. An enthusiasm for climbing led to an obstacle course made with large soft-play shapes and outdoor equipment. Children practised jumping between foam blocks and rolling on a wedge-shaped mat, with staff discussing how their bodies worked. Physical play became an opportunity to think as well as move.

Books and songs supported communication in February 2022. Younger children explored sound-button books and copied animal sounds. There was also an important weakness: some activities directed by adults demanded too much of the youngest children, and instructions were not consistently simplified or reinforced through repeated vocabulary. Keeping those children involved required a better match between the activity and their developmental stage.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2022, preschool children combined logs, slices of wood, branches and leaves to make an outdoor snowman. They negotiated what it needed and searched for materials themselves. The example brings together imaginative play, physical effort and conversation, rather than treating those as separate parts of the day.

Oakham Fire Dept Visit! was a nursery event in October 2019, when the local fire department discussed fire safety and let children try equipment. It is a historical example of learning through visiting adults, rather than a recurring programme.

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood children's individual care and learning needs, identified their next learning steps and worked with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The practical mechanism was observation throughout the day, followed by attention to gaps in learning or experience.

Everyday independence featured strongly in February 2022. Children attempted their own shoes and coats, poured drinks and helped distribute cups at lunch. These were small tasks with a clear purpose: children had opportunities to do things themselves rather than waiting for an adult to complete each routine.

Emotional communication needed more attention in February 2022. Staff did not consistently help children explain their feelings to one another, and disagreements over resources could become difficult to resolve. The improvement point concerned teaching children how to express a need and work through a disagreement, not simply expecting them to share.

Communication with families in February 2022 included discussion of toilet training, eating habits and the learning staff were supporting. For parents, the useful connection was between care at home and care during the nursery day. Those conversations gave staff information about children's routines while helping families understand what children were practising.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. Attendance runs across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas.

The booking choices include a 7.30am to 6pm extended day and an 8am to 6pm day. Shorter daytime options run from 8am to 4pm or 9am to 4pm. Morning attendance is 8am to noon; afternoon choices are 1pm to 5pm or 1pm to 6pm. These different finishing times give families more than one way to fit childcare around work or other commitments.

Enquiries can be made by email to oakham@climbinghighnurseries.co.uk or by telephone on 01572 723315.

Getting There

The address is Unit 16b Oakham Enterprise Park, Ashwell Road, Oakham, LE15 7TU. There is space for parents to park at the Enterprise Park, a useful practical feature for families travelling by car.

Funding and Paid Extras

Meals are included in the session price where applicable, so the meal component depends on the attendance chosen. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the Oakham fees page sets out the different attendance windows.

In February 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That participation belongs to the inspection date and should be read separately from the current paid-session choices.

• Activities for the youngest children. In February 2022, some adult-directed tasks were too demanding for younger children. During a visit, ask how instructions and activities are adapted in Baby Room and Two's Room.
• Feelings and sharing. The February 2022 improvement points included helping children express emotions and settle disagreements during play. Ask for an example of how staff support a dispute over a toy.
• The whole cost of your pattern. Meals are included where applicable, and booking windows have different start and finish times. Ask for one written quotation covering your chosen hours, current funding arrangements and any items you need to supply.

Oakham suits families seeking morning attendance, afternoon sessions or longer days, with separate outdoor areas for the different age groups. Those are concrete reasons to consider it. The February 2022 Good judgement adds a dated quality assessment, supported by examples of practical learning and growing independence.

The balance is clear: outdoor play and everyday self-help have substance, while adapting activities for younger children and supporting emotional communication were specific improvement priorities. Families can use those points to make a visit purposeful.