Choo Choo's Day Nursery & Preschool

Curiosity shapes the offer at Choo Choo's Day Nursery & Preschool in Taunton: children cook in a fully equipped kitchen, explore a garden in wet weather as well as sunshine, and follow activities planned around their individual needs. Its Our Curiosity Method brings changes to the play environment and activity planning, giving children opportunities to investigate rather than simply follow instructions.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement comes with two important improvement points: helping children with delayed language communicate their needs, and organising adult-led activities so that everyone can participate. These deserve attention alongside the practical strengths.

The nursery accepts children aged three months to five years and has 47 places in total. Year-round attendance and term-time-only places are both offered. For parents, the combination of individual planning, outdoor access and different attendance calendars gives this setting a clear practical identity.

Rooms and Ages

Babies (0-2) Years centres care on a routine agreed with parents, with a key person supporting early exploration; the nursery's overall starting age remains three months. Toddlers (2-3) Years encourages children to direct their play while learning consideration for others and building relationships. Pre-School (3-5) Years also emphasises self-directed play, with resources and activities supporting cooperation and respect for differences.

These are developmental stages rather than a promise that every child follows an identical timetable. The individual planning applies across the nursery, so the practical question is how a child's interests and needs shape their activities within their stage. For babies, the agreement over daily routines is especially useful: home habits have a place in planning care.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care: play supports language, physical skills and relationships. Activities encourage consideration for others; in February 2023, shared stories supported language and literacy, while scooping and pouring helped younger children develop physical skills. Alongside that framework, Our Curiosity Method involves adapting learning spaces and changing activity planning to encourage children's own investigations. This approach complements the EYFS through changes to spaces and activities.

Cooking gives that exploration a tangible purpose. A fully equipped kitchen is used with children to bake cakes, bread and cookies, and cooking activities include dishes from different parts of the world. Ingredients and utensils become materials to investigate, with something the children have helped create at the end.

In February 2023, younger children explored textures and practised scooping and pouring, while a pancake kitchen gave children opportunities to mix ingredients and make their own creations. Reused household objects, including milk bottles and kettles, also supported pretend play. These examples make the approach easier to understand: familiar objects and hands-on experimentation supplied the material for learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is available in rainy weather as well as dry conditions. Children can splash, dig, ride and run, so outdoor play is part of the nursery day rather than an occasional change of scene. Suitable clothing matters here, especially for children who enjoy messy activities.

In February 2023, the garden included a reading nook where children shared books with staff, while older children played with hoops and Velcro bats. Outdoor experiences therefore included quieter story time as well as movement. Choo Choo's also works with its sister setting, Chugger's Day Nursery, to exchange practice and support children's learning; that is a professional link, rather than a claim that both settings have the same offer.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts before permanent attendance. Parents complete information about their child, and two to three introductory sessions allow a gradual start. Each child has a key worker and an online learning journey, giving families a continuing record of development and a person with whom to discuss concerns.

Frequent Blossom messages keep parents informed about the setting. Individual education plans provide another concrete mechanism for responding to children's needs: planning is organised around each child, rather than treating the age group as the whole story. The baby stage adds a parent-agreed daily routine, which makes the discussion about care practical from the outset.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SEN Coordinator role is part of the team, and observations are used to recognise individual needs and arrange additional support. At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children needing developmental support had plans and referrals to other professionals, but that those with limited spoken language needed better ways to express their needs, while some adult-led activities failed to keep every child involved. The distinction matters: support arrangements existed, but their effectiveness in these situations needed attention.

Collection arrangements use authorised adults, with a password process when parents arrange a different collector. Visitors are signed in, accompanied by staff and signed out. These are practical security procedures; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection above.

Parents supply lunch, while the nursery provides breakfast and tea. Families also bring nappies, wipes, creams and summer sun cream; babies receiving funded childcare need formula from home, whereas formula can be provided for babies who are not receiving government funding.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Rear of 11/12, St Andrews Road, Taunton, TA2 7BW. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with both year-round and term-time-only attendance. Closures cover major bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01823 252264, and a registration form and contract must be completed before a child starts.

For families with older children, Breakfast Club runs at St Andrews Church school from 7:30am to 9am and is restricted to children attending that school. After School Club is based at the nursery, with collection currently only from St Andrews Church school; its booking windows run from 3:15pm to 4pm, 5pm or 6pm. The club room includes a homework station, puzzles and craft materials, giving school-age children their own space rather than placing them in the nursery stages.

Club bookings use MagicBooking after registration forms have been received and an activation link issued. This school-age service is separate from the nursery's attendance arrangements. It may be useful for siblings, but the school restriction is central to whether it works for a family.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside paid childcare. The options include the universal 15-hour entitlement starting from the term after a child's third birthday, the 30-hour working-parent entitlement from nine months, and 15-hour funding for eligible two-year-olds through Somerset council. Eligibility conditions apply; working-parent codes require renewal every three months, and the nursery needs a child's birth certificate to claim funding.

For children attending throughout the year, funded hours are stretched to 11 or 22 hours each week. That changes how the entitlement fits into weekly attendance, so it should be considered alongside the family's chosen calendar. The funding guide explains the routes, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Packed lunches and the parent-supplied care items remain part of the family's daily preparation. For funded babies, that preparation also includes formula and labelled bottles. Completing the forms and organising what comes from home are separate tasks from establishing funding eligibility.

• Communication support. February 2023 improvement points concerned children expressing their needs and participation in adult-led activities. During a visit, ask how staff now adapt communication and group activities for a child who finds these difficult.
• The baby's routine. Baby care is planned with parents, and introductory sessions support settling. Use those discussions to explain your child's feeding, comfort and daily habits, and ask how these will be reflected during attendance.
• What travels from home. Lunch, nappies, wipes and creams require parent preparation, with formula also required for funded babies. Consider how this fits your morning routine alongside wet-weather clothing and summer protection.

Choo Choo's suits families choosing either year-round attendance or a term-time pattern who value practical exploration, cooking and regular garden access. Parent-agreed baby routines, introductory sessions and individual planning give the care arrangements useful substance. The February 2023 Good judgement supports the overall picture, while its communication and group-activity improvement points remain the right subjects for a focused visit discussion. For siblings attending St Andrews Church school, the separate clubs add another practical option.