The Natural Childcare Company

The Play Plaza gives this Shirley nursery a recognisable centre: a shared space in the Old Library where children join small-group activities, with quiet nooks for making and a sensory space for exploration. Nature-based experiences sit alongside conversation, books and music. The strongest practical attraction is the variety of spaces and activities children can use as they grow.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Teaching consistency was the improvement priority: staff needed further coaching so that practice reached the same high standard throughout the team. That distinction matters when judging the experience a child will have with their own practitioners.

The nursery has capacity for 96 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. Its address is Church Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 2AX. Weekday opening runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with closures for bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and practical exploration give children opportunities to develop language, movement and independence. The activities change with their stage of development rather than presenting the same experience to every age.

For babies and tweenies, the day includes sensory exploration, songs and stories, as well as outdoor play and outings around the local community in triple pushchairs. Tots have opportunities for imaginative play, making things, puzzles and experimenting with musical instruments. These give younger children different ways to communicate and explore before more formal preparation for school becomes relevant.

Preschool activities extend into letters and sounds, technology and Spanish, alongside construction, music and reading. Library visits and park outings take learning beyond the nursery, while home activities connect it with family life. Spanish adds another language to the programme.

Outdoor and Community Life

Play Plaza activities can bring together children of similar ages or mixed ages, including music and yoga. The Old Library setting also contains quieter places for writing and construction. This creates a useful contrast between joining a group activity and concentrating on an individual interest.

The sensory space has mirrors, bubble tubes and textured materials, with light, sound and scent adding further ways to explore. These are concrete resources, rather than simply a promise of sensory play. Children can investigate through several senses within the same space.

In November 2024, repeated books and songs formed part of each room's routine. Babies heard stories built around recurring sounds, while older children explored feelings through books. A lending library also let families take books home. Familiar stories could therefore continue beyond the nursery day, giving parents a straightforward connection with what children were reading.

Relationships begin with getting to know the child. In November 2024, staff collected information before children started, then used that knowledge to build familiarity. Practitioners offered comfort when children needed reassurance, making the settling process personal rather than treating every new child in the same way.

At that time, adults explained boundaries and helped children understand how their actions affected other people. Sharing, taking turns and resolving small disagreements were part of everyday support. Independence was also practised through ordinary tasks: children attempted their own coats, poured drinks and helped clear up after eating. These small responsibilities made preparation for the next stage tangible.

In November 2024, parent representatives provided a channel for families to raise concerns and contribute feedback. For parents, that added a way to discuss matters affecting the nursery as a whole.

Lunch and tea menus are developed with Robinsons’ Caterers through the group-wide Food For Life scheme. Meals use locally sourced ingredients and are freshly prepared each day, connecting the food offer with a defined menu-planning partnership.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week over Christmas. Families organising work and childcare need to account for those closure periods alongside the normal weekday opening window.

The Shirley enquiry form provides a direct contact route, and visits can be booked through the nursery's contact service. The Shirley telephone number is 0121 744 9888. These details identify the Church Road branch, rather than the company's other location.

Funding and Paid Extras

In November 2024, the nursery offered government-funded childcare places. Funding and the total cost of a family's chosen attendance arrangement are separate decisions, so the funding question in Things to Consider is worth taking into a visit.

In its outcome dated 20 March 2025, Ofsted recorded that the nursery had failed to notify it of a further significant event. This is a dated finding, and should be considered separately from the Good judgement awarded in November 2024.

• Teaching across the team. Further coaching was the November 2024 improvement priority. On a visit, discuss how practitioners receive feedback on teaching and how that translates into your child's daily activities.
• Significant-event notification. The 20 March 2025 outcome recorded a failure to notify a further significant event. Ask how notification responsibilities are handled following that finding.
• Shared activity spaces. Play Plaza groups can include different ages, alongside quieter areas for individual activity. Consider how that mix would suit your child's temperament and stage of development.
• Funded attendance and total charges. Government-funded places were offered in November 2024. What funded attendance arrangements and charges for meals or consumables would apply to your proposed booking?

This nursery suits families who value sensory resources, shared creative spaces and an activity programme that develops from babyhood into preschool. Play Plaza and the Old Library give the Shirley setting a clear identity, while books, community outings and practical independence connect its spaces with everyday learning.

The Good judgement from November 2024 is a useful quality reference, with teaching consistency the stated development priority. The March 2025 notification finding adds a separate point for families to discuss. Year-round weekday opening offers a practical starting point for working parents, provided the Christmas and bank-holiday closures fit their childcare plans.