Banana Moon Day Nursery West Bromwich

A dedicated sleep room, a natural adventure area and practical toothbrushing sessions give Banana Moon Day Nursery West Bromwich a recognisable character. The central decision for parents, though, is about everyday care. At its 30 March 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and behaviour, attitudes and routines at the expected standard, while welfare and wellbeing and leadership and governance needed attention; safeguarding standards were met.

This Stone Cross nursery accepts children from three months to five years and has 52 places in total. Its purpose-built premises include an in-house kitchen and a playground. There is substance to the learning offer, but the March findings about hygiene, outdoor hazards and communication with parents deserve close attention alongside those facilities.

Full-day and half-day attendance are offered, within weekday opening hours of 7.30am to 6.30pm.

Rooms and Ages

The group-wide room structure uses four stages, with movement out of the youngest stage linked to confident mobility. Baby Moons starts at three months and emphasises sensory exploration through textures, shapes and colour; Teenie Moons takes confidently mobile children up to two years, with painting, songs and messy play among its planned experiences.

Mini Moons covers children aged two to three, encouraging activity choices and independence alongside support with potty training; Full Moons is the preschool stage, from three to five, with play choices, individual learning records and outdoor experiences contributing to preparation for school.

Sleep has its own physical space. The dedicated sleep room contains wooden cots and subdued lighting, with individual bedding washed on site. Staff make regular checks alongside CCTV monitoring, and the nursery aims to follow established home sleep routines. Babies have a separate space for rest.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the common foundation for children's learning and care: play, communication, physical development and growing independence are part of the day, rather than separate lessons. Alongside it sits the group-wide Banana Moon Early Learning & Development Programme, which uses children's interests to plan playful experiences and open-ended resources. Its curriculum outline connects observation, conversations with parents and the learning environment.

In March 2026, children compared tower heights and explored vocabulary through an outdoor dough-volcano experiment. Younger children copied large chalk movements on tree trunks, connecting physical development with mark making.

In March 2026, induction conversations and staff observations helped identify children's starting points and learning gaps, shaping activities around their interests.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily outdoor play uses the playground and natural adventure area. In March 2026, children explored worms after rain, crawled and stretched, combining discovery with movement.

There is also a local health connection. Brilliant Brushers, a local authority oral-health scheme, supports Full Moons children to brush their teeth after meals. A member of the Oral Health Team from Sandwell supported staff training, and participating children received toothbrushes and toothpaste for use at nursery and at home. The practical value is repetition: a personal-care skill becomes something children practise with their friends as well as their families.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is flexible, with sessions attended by parents and opportunities to discuss individual needs and home routines. The group-wide Parent App shares daily routines, photographs and learning journals, while allowing families to send comments from home. Sleep and snack updates give parents useful everyday information; learning records add a longer view of development.

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements supported children's emotional connections and that SEND support included work with external professionals, adaptations for visual impairment and meetings with parents and professionals every three months. Larger resources and changes to light and shade were among the practical adjustments. These details matter more than a general promise of inclusion because they show how support was organised at that time.

Communication nevertheless had a serious weakness in March 2026. Weather damage affected part of the baby-room ceiling, and leaders screened off the area to prevent access, keeping babies safe from immediate risk. Parents were not adequately informed about the damage or the protective arrangements, and the significant premises event was not notified to the regulator as required. Physical protection and clear communication both matter to families.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Everyday care routines were another weakness in March 2026. Babies did not receive consistent, effective handwashing routines, and staff did not reliably identify outdoor hazards, including thorny plants in play spaces. Leaders removed the plant hazard following discussion, but the wider issue was the consistency of risk assessment. The improvement plan was not yet producing dependable practice across the setting.

Dietary procedures were also not always followed correctly in March 2026, although leaders had reflected on the problem and taken action. The required next steps were stronger risk assessment and staff training, support and monitoring for effective hygiene routines, both with a completion date of 18 April 2026. That deadline is a dated requirement, rather than an assurance about present practice.

Food is cooked in the nursery's own kitchen, with two hot meals a day, snacks and a separate weaning menu for younger babies. Its dietary policy covers allergies and other requirements, but the March lapse makes implementation especially relevant for affected families.

The group-wide Little hearts, bright futures initiative has brought a CardiAid defibrillator to reception for community access. Another group initiative, Big moments, bright futures, has installed a LifeVac anti-choking device there. These are tangible pieces of equipment; they do not replace the everyday hygiene, dietary and risk-assessment routines raised in March.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Stone Cross, Jervoise Lane, West Bromwich, B71 3AR. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation apart from bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Families can enquire by telephone, email or the contact form.

The recommended weekly pattern is two half-day sessions or one full day, rather than a compulsory minimum booking.

Fees remain payable during sickness or holiday absence, with payment covering 51 weeks, including bank holidays. Budget for booked care even when your child is absent.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and additional privately purchased hours are offered. The nursery advertises 30 hour working family funding, and its funded-day illustration uses an 11-hour entitlement window from 7.30am to 6.30pm. This is an illustration of funded attendance, not a guarantee that every family's entitlement or booking will follow that pattern.

For funded attendance, meals and snacks carry a separate charge, while the illustrated non-food consumables, including nappies and sun cream, carry no separate charge. These are different parts of the cost structure: funded childcare hours do not make the food charge disappear.

Additional services are voluntary and vary by day; examples include trips, dance classes and yoga. Those examples should not be read as a fixed activity timetable. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; its fees page provides the route to the fee information.

• Hygiene and outdoor checks. March 2026 findings led to actions due by 18 April 2026 on risk assessment and hygiene practice. At a visit, ask how baby handwashing and daily garden checks now work, and how leaders monitor consistency.
• Baby-room communication. Parents were not adequately updated about the ceiling damage and protective arrangements in March 2026. Ask how premises problems and changes to a child's room are communicated to families.
• Dietary requirements. Dietary procedures were not always followed correctly in March 2026, despite action taken by leaders. Families managing allergies should confirm how their child's requirements are recorded, checked and followed at meals.
• Funded-day costs. Funded attendance has a separate food charge, while the illustrated consumables carry no separate charge. When discussing a booking, request a written breakdown for the chosen pattern, including any privately purchased hours and voluntary services.

Banana Moon West Bromwich suits families considering either half-day attendance or full days, especially those who value a separate baby sleep space, daily outdoor play and practical preschool routines such as Brilliant Brushers. The app also gives parents a way to follow both daily care and learning.

The March 2026 findings make consistent care the decisive consideration. Learning examples and practical support sit alongside weaknesses in hygiene, risk assessment and communication about the baby room. A confident choice depends on understanding how those specific routines now operate, rather than treating the facilities or equipment as sufficient reassurance.