Humpty Dumpty's Day Nursery

Buying pizza ingredients, guessing hidden objects by touch and riding bicycles in the garden: the June 2023 picture of Humpty Dumpty's Day Nursery puts practical exploration centre stage. These are activities with a purpose, giving children something to discuss, choose and try for themselves.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Based at Marlow House in Rowley Regis, it has 50 places in total and caters for babies and children up to 60 months old.

In June 2023, younger children scooped rice between containers while staff supplied words for the textures they explored. Hidden-object guessing games combined touch with conversation. Familiar songs brought opportunities to join in with names and actions, giving language practice a playful shape.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that brings learning and care together: play, conversation and practical tasks contribute to children's development.

During June 2023, self-portraits prompted discussions about differences in appearance, while tasting foods from other countries introduced children to cultural differences. A supermarket visit supplied ingredients for pizza making, with children choosing their toppings. In the garden, bicycles gave children opportunities to practise movement and coordination; rolling and shaping dough exercised their hands for later writing.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that the SEND coordinator arranged individual support plans and worked with other professionals, and that staff prepared children well for moving to school. Practical independence was part of that preparation: children served lunch, poured drinks and tackled personal care tasks themselves.

In June 2023, staff also discussed emotions with children, including what made them happy. Conversations about exercise explored changes in their heartbeat. Both examples connected learning to children's own experiences and bodies.

There were weaknesses alongside those strengths. In June 2023, monitoring of staff practice needed further development, especially for less experienced practitioners, whose positioning did not consistently help children stay involved. Explanations about behaviour also varied between staff, leaving some children less clear about why rules mattered.

Marlow House is on Marlow Street, Rowley Regis, B65 0AY. Opening hours are 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holiday closures. That opening window gives families room to plan care around an early start or later finish.

In June 2023, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of funding provision.

• Staff support. June 2023 identified uneven support for children's engagement. At a visit, ask how practitioners' work is observed and how less experienced staff receive guidance.
• Behaviour explanations. In June 2023, staff did not consistently explain the reasons behind rules. Ask how the team now helps children understand expectations.
• Attendance and costs. For care within the 7am to 6.30pm opening window, ask which booking pattern would suit your child and request a written quotation covering funding, meals and consumables.

Humpty Dumpty's suits families seeking weekday care across the year who value practical exploration and growing independence. Its June 2023 strengths were concrete: sensory play, food preparation and opportunities for children to manage everyday tasks. The balance rests on consistency, with staff guidance and behaviour explanations the main points to examine.