First Steps Nursery Solihull

A mud kitchen, sensory path and covered outdoor space give First Steps Nursery Solihull a practical advantage: its garden supports more than a quick break between indoor activities. Younger children can explore planting and play equipment, while older children have a climbing wall and raised playhouse. There is room for movement as well as quieter discovery.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, finding outstanding teaching, exceptional progress for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and effective safeguarding arrangements. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision. The detail behind it matters: children's interests shaped activities, everyday routines encouraged independence, and staff worked with families on individual learning plans.

First Steps has capacity for 52 children from birth to five. Its detached premises are on Lyndon Road in Solihull, with named rooms that take children from early exploration towards more independent preschool experiences. Full-time and part-time attendance are offered, with several daily booking windows.

Rooms and Ages

The room progression follows children's changing interests and mobility, rather than presenting the same activities at every stage. Within the birth-to-two stage, the Discovery Room introduces painting, sticking and water play after babies have settled, with a daily diary connecting the nursery day to home.

The Cruisers Room takes increasingly mobile babies into more adventurous exploration, with children setting the pace of activities. For the two-to-three stage, the Adventurers Room combines physical and social play with quieter songs and rhymes. The Trekkers Room then introduces more structured experiences intended to build independence as children become ready for further challenges.

For children aged three to five, the Pioneers Room emphasises making choices, contributing preferences to activity planning and reaching the outdoor area easily.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum guides activities from birth, covering learning such as language, physical development, mathematics and literacy. In parent terms, the day combines talking, moving, creating and exploring with opportunities to develop relationships and independence. This is the educational framework; the nursery's particular contribution is its planning around children's individual interests.

In January 2023, an interest in planets led staff to introduce books about aliens and develop imaginative rocket journeys. New vocabulary grew out of the play, connecting a child's enthusiasm with books and conversation. The example gives a clearer picture of the teaching than a broad claim about school preparation: an existing interest became a route into language and storytelling.

Everyday responsibilities also supplied learning opportunities in January 2023. Children poured drinks and served themselves food, while a snack board helped older children recognise their names. These were small tasks with a clear purpose. They brought early literacy and practical independence into familiar routines, rather than keeping learning confined to adult-led activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden has a sensory path, planting space and mud kitchen, giving children different ways to explore textures and materials. Slides and swings sit alongside a larger playground used for scooters, bikes and trikes. Older children can also use the climbing wall and raised playhouse, which stands on a soft play area.

A canopy shelters part of the outdoor space for use in different weather. Together with the Pioneers Room's easy outdoor access, this makes the garden a substantial part of the nursery experience.

Continuity rests on a key person who supports a child at important moments, including meals, sleep, changing and stories. The same role links the child and parents, giving care routines a familiar adult connection.

Discovery Room babies have a daily diary, and staff are available for conversations during the early settling period. Activities are introduced once babies are settled. This puts relationships before a busy programme and gives parents an account of the day alongside direct discussion with staff.

In January 2023, communication included daily conversations, weekly emails seeking information about children's interests, and a parents' lending library with books and resources for home use. These arrangements linked what interested a child at home with what staff planned at nursery. They also gave families practical materials to continue shared learning beyond the nursery day.

SEND support in January 2023 involved a coordinator working with parents and external agencies on individual target plans. Staff shared information about those plans and children's milestones. The mechanism matters: support was organised around specific goals and communication between the adults involved, rather than being left as a general statement about inclusion.

Current communication arrangements include consulting parents about their child's progression and discussing additional needs confidentially. Families therefore have a stated role in conversations about development. The key person relationship and those discussions are separate but complementary routes for keeping care connected to the individual child.

A hot lunch, afternoon tea, drinks and snacks are provided. Parents supply nappies, bottles and milk or formula for babies and toddlers; funded attendance also has a voluntary contribution arrangement covering meals, snacks and enhanced provision.

Sessions and Attendance

First Steps is at 347 Lyndon Road, Solihull, B92 7QT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures at Christmas and on bank holidays. Opening hours and bookable daily windows are different measures here.

Private attendance has a two-day minimum. The daily choices are 8am to 5.30pm, 7.30am to 5.30pm, 8am to 6pm and 7.30am to 6pm. The earlier starts and later finishes give families alternatives within the full-day model; they should not be confused with the full opening window. Additional days require prior arrangement and carry an additional charge.

Full-time and part-time day care are both offered. The enquiry route is by telephone, email or an online form, and a separate booking form collects the requested attendance pattern and start date.

Funding and Paid Extras

The 15-hour and 30-hour funding arrangements are stretched across 50 weeks, reducing the funded hours delivered in each week. To claim 30 hours through this model, children need to attend three days; attendance on two days uses 15 hours. Hours beyond the funded allocation are billed separately.

From the term after a child's third birthday, the nursery requests a voluntary contribution on funded hours for enhanced provision, meals and snacks. Funded-only attendance also carries a request for a voluntary enhanced-provision contribution covering activities and food.

Parents provide the baby and toddler supplies described above. A deposit reflecting the weekly attendance cost is required, with a non-refundable retainer and four weeks' written notice linked to the leaving terms. Fees are paid monthly in advance. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and booking terms set out the attendance and charging structure.

Christmas needs separate attention in the household budget. The two weeks outside the stretched funding allocation fall over that period, and the terms include charges for closure days. Bank holiday closures also need to fit the family's care arrangements.

• A staged room progression. Babies move towards the Cruisers Room as their mobility develops, while the Trekkers Room adds structure before preschool. On a visit, ask how readiness for each move is agreed with parents and how the key person relationship is maintained.
• Funding tied to attendance. The stretched model links 30-hour funding to three days and 15-hour funding to two days. Compare the weekly pattern, additional paid hours and voluntary food and activity contributions with the care you actually need.
• Christmas costs and leaving terms. Funding is spread over 50 weeks, Christmas closure days carry charges, and the retainer terms refer to four weeks' written notice. Read these together before committing to a recurring booking.

First Steps suits families seeking either full-time or part-time attendance, with a two-day minimum for private bookings and several choices of daily start and finish. The room progression gives its care a clear shape, while the garden offers concrete reasons to value outdoor time: sensory exploration, planting, climbing and wheeled play.

The January 2023 Outstanding judgement provides a strong inspection position, supported by detailed examples of interest-led learning and individual support. For the practical decision, the stretched funding model matters just as much as the rooms. This is a setting to weigh through both lenses: what a child will do during the day, and how the attendance pattern and charging terms fit family life.