Dandelions Day Nursery

A former chapel, a garden mud kitchen and Wednesday music sessions give Dandelions Day Nursery in Newhall a recognisable character. The setting combines spaces for babies, toddlers and preschool children with an emphasis on stories, singing and learning through play. It accepts children from birth to five and has capacity for 55 children in total.

At its July 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised a curriculum supporting good progress. There were also clear improvements to make, especially around toddler routines and communication about each child's key person. Those details matter more than the grade alone.

Families can use a fully funded day or wraparound care, with different hours for each. The nursery's combination of baby routines, preschool independence and daily outdoor access gives the offer substance beyond its attendance arrangements.

Rooms and Ages

Babies has a book corner, sensory activities and a low table for meals, alongside a dedicated sleep area with subdued lighting and gentle sounds. The emphasis is on exploration with somewhere calmer to rest. Staff work with parents to carry familiar home routines into nursery life, rather than expecting every baby to fit the same timetable.

Toddlers combines a reading den with room for energetic, imaginative and messy play, while songs and interactive stories support developing language. That mix gives children quieter activities as well as opportunities to move and experiment.

Preschool has several play spaces, including a large home corner for shared imaginative play, with growing independence and preparation for school as its emphasis. Children can develop friendships through play that involves working together, rather than school preparation being reduced to sitting at a table.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and everyday routines provide opportunities to learn. Weekly activity planning draws on familiar songs and stories. Painting, construction, playdough and sand play give children different ways to explore ideas and practise using their hands.

Kimbles adds an instructor-led music and movement session every Wednesday for the toddler and preschool rooms. Singing and sensory props are part of the session, with a parachute sometimes included. It gives these children a recurring shared activity involving movement, communication and participation.

In July 2024, babies copied actions during songs, while older children used story props to recall vocabulary and retell a familiar tale. Adults also helped babies try making marks at an easel. These examples show how language and early mark-making were introduced through activities children wanted to join.

Outdoor and Community Life

All ages have garden access each day. The sandpit and mud kitchen support imaginative play, while bikes, cars and play equipment give children space to be active. A large canopy provides shelter for outdoor play across different weather conditions, making the garden more than a fair-weather addition.

In July 2024, older children made regular visits to a forest school, exploring the natural environment beyond their usual setting. Children had also encountered exotic animals and learned about their habitats. These were experiences at that time, rather than a promise of a particular future trip schedule.

Relationships and Communication

An online platform gives parents personalised updates about their child's day. For babies, communication also has a practical role: staff work with families on home routines, helping care at nursery connect with familiar patterns of sleep and daily life.

In July 2024, two priorities were keeping toddlers occupied and settled during the changeover after lunch, and making sure parents knew which practitioner was their child's key person. The distinction matters. One concerns children's experience of the day; the other concerns whether parents have a clear point of contact.

In July 2024, activity photographs helped children understand the day's sequence, including tidying up and preparing for meals. Some changes between activities nevertheless left children unsettled. A visual routine can help, but children also need clear support when one activity ends and another begins.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The baby sleep area provides a calmer space within the room's arrangements, using gentle sounds and soft lighting. Together with attention to home routines, this gives parents of younger children a concrete care arrangement to weigh alongside the activities.

Food is cooked at the nursery by its cook, with meals and snacks following a four-week menu cycle. Older children can help serve food, while low chairs allow younger children to share the social occasion.

In July 2024, children practised using cutlery, putting on clothing and helping themselves to drinks. Independence was built through ordinary daily tasks. That is relevant to preparation for school as well as to children's growing ability to manage their own needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Birch Avenue, Newhall, Swadlincote, DE11 0NQ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

The fully funded day runs from 8.30am to 4.30pm and uses eight hours of funding. Wraparound care runs from 7.30am to 5.45pm for children needing a longer day. These are two different attendance arrangements: the funded day sits within the wider opening window.

Families can contact the nursery by telephone or email to arrange a visit. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered throughout the year for children receiving Government-funded childcare. Meals on the fully funded day are charged separately; families who choose not to pay the meal charge can use the nursery's lunchbox-policy route instead. The charge structure therefore needs to be considered alongside the hours covered by funding, rather than treating funding as covering every part of the day.

The funding page explains the funded-day and wraparound arrangements. The practical choice is between the shorter funded window and care extending across the nursery's opening hours.

• Toddler changeovers. In July 2024, the period after lunch needed more support to keep children settled. During a visit, ask how that part of the toddler day now works.
• Your child's key person. The July 2024 priority was clearer communication about this role. Ask how introductions and ongoing contact work for your family.
• Funding and food. Meals are charged separately on the fully funded day, with a lunchbox-policy alternative. Compare those arrangements with the hours your child will attend.

Dandelions suits families choosing either the fully funded day or wraparound care, with room arrangements that recognise different stages of childhood. Babies have a dedicated place to sleep; toddlers have singing, stories and space for messy play; preschool children practise independence through shared play and daily tasks.

The garden and Wednesday Kimbles sessions give the week concrete points of interest. The Good judgement from July 2024 provides a dated assessment of quality, while the priorities around toddler changeovers and key-person communication give families useful matters to explore before joining.