Teddy Bears Nursery

Hands-on play, imaginative activity and quieter listening spaces give Teddy Bears Nursery its character. At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and judged safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement matters: indoor and outdoor learning zones, deliberate language teaching and activities that gave children opportunities to concentrate independently.

The nursery is on Long Lane in Great Wyrley, Walsall, WS6 6AT, with capacity for 29 children aged 3 to 60 months. That is a whole-nursery figure, rather than the size of an individual group. Its account of daily life centres on learning through play and preparing children for school.

In September 2024, the environment separated different kinds of activity: practical work with the hands, imaginative play and quieter opportunities for books, listening and writing. Staff changed resources to sustain babies’ and toddlers’ interest. For parents, the useful distinction is between simply having toys and arranging spaces around what children can do with them.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care. Here, learning through play means children can explore ideas and practise skills through activity. The nursery’s play-based account of its day sits alongside that framework.

Language had a concrete place in the September 2024 routine. Babies encountered action songs and rhymes, while older children took part in listening games each day. Poems and puppets added other ways to engage with words. Staff also repeated selected short phrases with babies and toddlers, giving them familiar language to use in everyday situations.

Physical activity was deliberately planned too. Older children practised controlling movements both large and small; one example involved keeping their movements inside a hoop. This put coordination into an activity children could attempt for themselves.

Community experiences extended beyond the play spaces. In September 2024, children had opportunities to care for their surroundings, observe local traffic and contribute food through charity activities. Celebrations connected with the children’s lives also featured. These are concrete introductions to the world around them, rather than an abstract lesson about community.

At the September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff examined children’s progress closely, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and provided individual support while professional diagnosis and funding were being awaited. That finding gives families a specific mechanism to consider: support was being put in place during the wait, rather than depending entirely on its completion.

In September 2024, emotional readiness shaped everyday care. Staff recognised that a baby settling into nursery might be reluctant to eat and arranged small, manageable meals and snacks around that need. The example shows attention to the adjustment itself, as well as to participation in activities.

Older and younger children also had opportunities to play together that month. Puppets helped children think about choices and feelings, while shared play gave older children occasions to consider younger companions. These experiences made relationships part of the day’s learning.

Communication with home was two-way. In September 2024, parents received detailed feedback about learning and could contribute interests and experiences through an online portal. Preschool children used those contributions to share experiences with friends. Guidance for families also covered dental health, childhood illness, safe car-seat use and protection from the sun, extending the conversation beyond nursery activities.

The Long Lane setting opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, across the year. It closes for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Those closures matter when matching childcare to a working calendar, even with a broad weekday opening window.

Families can contact the nursery by telephone or email. Its address is Long Lane, Great Wyrley, Walsall, WS6 6AT.

In September 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children under two, two-year-olds, three-year-olds and four-year-olds. That is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise of an individual family’s entitlement or attendance arrangement.

• Attendance and costs. The weekday opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. Which booking pattern would fit your week, and what would the written quotation cover for funded hours, food and consumables?
• Support during assessment. Individual help while diagnosis and funding were awaited was a strength of the September 2024 findings. For a child with emerging needs, discuss how that support would be planned around their circumstances.
• Play spaces in practice. Indoor and outdoor learning zones supported different activities in September 2024. During a visit, look at how the spaces for your child’s age support active play and quieter concentration.

Teddy Bears Nursery suits families who value learning through play, purposeful language activities and a close exchange of information with home. Its September 2024 judgement has substance behind it: thoughtfully arranged activity spaces, attention to emotional adjustment and specific support for children awaiting assessment. The year-round weekday opening window adds practical value for working families, with the Christmas and bank-holiday breaks built into their planning.