Elmhurst House Day Nursery

Almost-weekly library outings and singing with residents at St. Mary’s Care Home give Elmhurst House Day Nursery a day that reaches beyond its rooms. This Stone setting combines learning shaped around children’s interests with regular contact with the surrounding community. Books, park walks and shared activities with older adults give children concrete experiences to talk about and explore in their play.

At its 21 February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective.

The nursery has capacity for 90 children aged birth to five and occupies two floors at Elmhurst House on Margaret Street. Half-day, school-day and full-day bookings sit alongside term-time-only contracts.

Rooms and Ages

Butterflies takes children aged zero to two; Busy Bugs covers two to two-and-a-half; Caterpillars follows from two-and-a-half to three; Honey Bees is for children aged three and above before preschool; Dragonflies serves children due to start school at the end of the academic year. These stages distinguish babies, younger toddlers and children approaching school, rather than putting the entire age range into one room.

Movement between groups follows each child’s readiness, allowing longer to become comfortable before another change.

Cosy corners, natural materials and resources with several possible uses shape the rooms. Children can choose how to use those materials, rather than following a single predetermined activity. Neutral colours have also been introduced into rooms and displays, allowing children’s work to stand out against a quieter background.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children build communication, physical skills and independence through play and everyday experiences. Elmhurst adds an interest-led approach, with practitioners developing activities from what captures a child’s attention. An interest in volcanoes, for example, becomes a starting point for imaginative play and exploration. The child’s question helps set the direction.

The nursery is moving towards the Curiosity Approach, encouraging children to investigate and think for themselves. Neutral displays have been introduced; more natural resources are planned.

In February 2023, babies explored making marks with their fingers in sand, toddlers manipulated dough, and older children practised pencil control. Staff used words to accompany younger children’s play and questions to encourage older children to express ideas. These examples show how language and early writing were woven into activities appropriate to different stages.

There were also weaknesses in February 2023: staff sometimes missed chances to take children’s existing learning further, and outdoor exercise was not used fully to develop understanding of its effects on the body. Enjoyable activity and purposeful teaching are different measures. Both matter when assessing the day.

Outdoor and Community Life

Stone Library supplies a recurring destination for stories, songs and books, with library trips taking place almost every week. Park walks add opportunities to explore outside, while visits to St. Mary’s Care Home involve singing and playing with residents. These are different kinds of social experience: listening together, discovering the local area and spending time with another generation.

Regular sessions with a visiting sing and sign group add another way to participate through music and gesture. At Christmas, the nursery joins Advent Windows in the town centre; older children also participate in Remembrance Day. Diwali and Lunar New Year feature among its celebrations, bringing different traditions into nursery activities rather than confining community learning to outings.

Relationships and Communication

Before attendance begins, staff learn about family routines, comforters and preferences. Introduction to the key person is gradual, with a slower pace when needed. Parents and practitioners discuss responses at home and nursery, helping maintain familiar routines.

In February 2023, parents received daily updates through online learning journeys and conversations. Staff comforted babies, read with toddlers and gave older children group time to discuss home experiences.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progressed well from their starting points, with staff working alongside specialist professionals and additional funding directed towards individual learning needs. This gives substance to the judgement: support involved professional collaboration and targeted help.

Practitioners provide additional educational-needs support. Most staff hold childcare qualifications at NVQ Level 3 or above, 40 percent have Early Years degrees, and more than 95 percent have paediatric first aid training.

Safeguarding arrangements include designated lead roles, with a lead on duty throughout opening hours. The policy also covers supervised volunteers and staff induction in recognising and reporting concerns. These are arrangements parents can understand and discuss, rather than a separate quality judgement.

Food is cooked at the nursery by its kitchen team, with menus rotating over four weeks. Its food arrangements include catering for intolerances and allergies; families affected by these should confirm the current handling of their child’s needs.

School preparation includes serving food, pouring drinks and using utensils, alongside hygiene habits. These everyday tasks give children practice in managing parts of their day themselves, with parent meetings and transition support extending that preparation beyond nursery activities.

Sessions and Attendance

Elmhurst House is at 11 Margaret Street, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8EL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks, with closures for bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Half-day, school-day and full-day sessions have full-time or term-time-only contracts, with no minimum weekly commitment. Arrangements can accommodate key workers’ shifts, and a discount applies above three days a week.

Wraparound care serves preschool, Reception and primary-school ages: morning options run from 7.30am or 8am to 8.45am, and afternoon options from 3.15pm to either 5pm or 6pm. Breakfast and a light tea are included in that provision. A holiday club also caters for children aged five to twelve during school breaks, providing a separate option for older siblings.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email through the nursery’s contact route. Before a child attends, parents complete a contract and registration form covering matters such as collection arrangements, health information, allergies and sessions. This makes the agreed attendance pattern and care instructions part of the joining process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds, with both 15 and 30 hours among the entitlements. Funded bookings follow a first-come, first-served allocation and can be made a term ahead. Participation does not itself establish a child’s eligibility or guarantee a particular arrangement.

Private sessions are also offered. Bee Active enrichment sessions carry a separate weekly term-time charge. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; its funding and payment information explains the charging structure.

Fees remain payable when a child misses nursery because of sickness or a holiday, while bank holidays and planned closure days are excluded from charges. Ad-hoc extra hours or sessions must be paid for at least 24 hours in advance. Families whose work or holidays change frequently should factor those terms into the overall attendance decision.

• Learning beyond the activity. In February 2023, staff did not consistently extend children’s learning or connect exercise with understanding a healthy lifestyle. On a visit, ask how practitioners now develop an interest-led activity beyond its starting point and discuss physical wellbeing with children.
• Your child’s group. Butterflies spans the period from babies to two-year-olds, and movement between stages follows readiness. Ask how the youngest children’s daily group size, rest routines and transition arrangements would work for your child.
• The whole attendance cost. Half-day, school-day and full-day contracts offer different patterns, but sickness and family holidays still attract fees. Review a written quotation covering the chosen pattern, funded hours, food, consumables and Bee Active, including what the enrichment sessions involve.
• Dietary care. Meals are prepared on site and the kitchen caters for intolerances and allergies. Families managing an allergy should confirm current food preparation, communication and handling procedures for their child before agreeing arrangements.

Elmhurst suits families who want interest-led play connected to life around Stone, whether they need half-day attendance, school-day care or full-day bookings, including term-time-only contracts. Stone Library, St. Mary’s Care Home and town events give that approach recognisable substance.

The February 2023 Good judgement provides a quality reference, with specific teaching improvements to weigh alongside the offer.