5 Star Day Nursery Oldbury

A baby room with its own bottle-preparation kitchen, toddler rooms divided into separate play spaces, and preschool access straight into the garden give 5 Star Day Nursery Oldbury a clear progression through early childhood. Barnford Hill Park adds another dimension: the nursery sits beside it, with walks into the park and its maze whenever possible.

At its 27 January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That dated judgement sits alongside a detailed current offer organised around five rooms, rather than a single broad division between babies and preschool children. The nursery has capacity for 55 children, with an age range from two months to five years.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different ways to use the setting. Its strongest practical characteristic is the gradual change in the nursery day: accessible play resources for babies, increasing independence for toddlers, and more deliberate preparation for school in Inventors.

Rooms and Ages

Discoverers, the youngest room, combines a dedicated nappy-changing space and milk kitchen with low-level resources, reading and soft areas, and opportunities for messy and pretend play. A mirror and chalkboard in the corridor extend exploration and early mark-making beyond the main room. For babies, the practical value is a room organised around care as well as play.

Pre-Explorers serves children aged one to two, with two sections for choosing between activities and a fruit-and-water snack bar that supports growing independence. Explorers 1, for ages two to two-and-a-half, also spans two rooms, with toilets next door and monthly homework connecting nursery activities with learning at home.

In Explorers 2, for ages two-and-a-half to three, picture recognition develops into recognising a written name, while sand timers give advance warning that an activity is ending. Inventors, for children aged three and over, combines phonics, experiments and early writing with direct garden access and afternoon yoga.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care: children build language, physical skills and understanding through play and everyday experiences. Here, room routines give that broad framework concrete expression, from babies reaching their own resources to older children recognising names, exploring shapes and numbers, and experimenting with materials.

Inventors has a clear school-preparation strand, including letter formation, sounds and mark-making with materials children can shape. Group times include stories, songs, feelings and discussion of the weather and date. Afternoon yoga provides a change of pace within that structured day, while child-led activity remains part of the room’s offer.

In January 2023, learning also took place through ordinary tasks. Children compared how much water different jugs held, made pizzas and served food at lunch. Stories introduced vocabulary about building materials, while oats moved from a sensory activity into pretend cooking.

Outdoor and Community Life

Barnford Hill Park is a useful part of the setting’s surroundings, with community walks and opportunities to explore the park and maze whenever possible. Inventors’ garden door also allows movement between indoor and outdoor play.

The outdoor offer needs a more measured reading than the room descriptions. In January 2023, some children struggled to settle into garden activities, and construction tables lacked equipment to make them useful. Planning outdoors needed greater depth. Inside, adult questioning sometimes broke children’s concentration during activities. Both points matter: access to space and resources is only part of the experience; their organisation matters too.

Relationships and Communication

Parents’ involvement runs through the room routines and communication arrangements. Monthly newsletters carry updates and a calendar of activities, while Explorers 1 sends homework monthly. These give families concrete ways to connect nursery life with home, rather than relying solely on a conversation at collection.

In January 2023, staff observed their key children and shared information about development with parents, including suggestions for continuing activities at home. Children also practised handling emotions: they explained when they were unhappy and received help with ways to respond when feelings became difficult.

Collection arrangements include a family password, advance information about who will collect, and photographic identification when someone other than a parent or carer does so. An access-control door system supports those procedures. These are practical arrangements families need to understand and use consistently.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress, with appropriate support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language; the special educational needs coordinator worked with practitioners and other professionals. That finding gives substance to the inclusion picture while keeping its date clear.

Toilet learning has a place in both toddler stages: Explorers 1 has toilets next door, and Explorers 2 retains access to the toilet area as children continue developing those skills. In January 2023, everyday independence also included putting on coats and attempting zips before outdoor play. Small tasks formed part of preparation for school.

Meals were cooked by the nursery cook in January 2023, and children practised handwashing before eating, discussing why it mattered. The current session packages include food and snacks. Inventors also has a transition process for children moving to school, alongside its daily work on independence, names and early literacy.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. The opening window is broader than the core booking times, an important distinction when planning a working day.

Full Time and Full Day both run from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm. Families can therefore choose a shorter part of the day or the full core day, rather than treating the opening hours as the duration of every booking.

Getting There

The address is Elder Lodge, 69 Moat Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, B68 8ED, beside Barnford Hill Park. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 0121 448 0830 or by email at oldbury@5stardaynursery.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes Early Learning for Two’s for eligible two-year-olds, universal funding of 15 hours from the term following a child’s third birthday until compulsory school age, and an additional 15 hours for eligible working families. Eligibility remains a condition of the relevant entitlement. Tax Free Childcare accounts can also be used by eligible families.

For funded-only attendance of 15 hours, the term-time options include three mornings, three afternoons, mixed morning-and-afternoon bookings, or a full day paired with one shorter session. Children attending for funded hours only under the 30-hour entitlement use three full days, each from 8am to 6pm. Additional attendance can be paid privately, with funded hours deducted from the overall charge.

The session packages include meals and snacks, listing breakfast, lunch with pudding, tea and snacks across the day. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery’s written quotation; the funded-only attendance rules are worth weighing alongside the pattern that best fits their week.

• Outdoor learning and concentration. In January 2023, outdoor planning and the organisation of activities needed improvement. On a visit, look at how garden resources invite sustained play and how practitioners extend an activity while protecting children’s concentration.
• Funded-only attendance. The 15-hour offer uses specified combinations of sessions, while the 30-hour-only offer uses three full days. This is a concrete scheduling constraint for families wanting funded hours spread differently.
• The youngest children. Discoverers has its own milk kitchen and changing room, while Pre-Explorers introduces more self-service and choice. How would settling and the move between these rooms work for your child?

5 Star Day Nursery Oldbury suits families looking for morning, afternoon or full-day care with a clearly staged room structure. The milk kitchen in Discoverers, toddler snack bars and Inventors’ garden access make the progression tangible. Barnford Hill Park gives local exploration a named destination.

The January 2023 Good judgement supports the overall picture, but outdoor planning and interruptions to learning deserve attention when assessing the nursery now. For families whose schedules fit its funded-session combinations, the offer brings practical flexibility together with a gradual build-up of independence and preparation for school.