Teddy Bears Day Nursery

An all-weather outdoor area and food cooked on site give Teddy Bears Day Nursery a practical, everyday character. Based at The Hub in Waterhouses, it has capacity for 27 children from birth to five. Its two main nursery areas separate children under two from preschool children, while the outdoor space can be used throughout the year.

At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, with useful detail beneath the grade: hands-on exploration, support when children changed rooms, and specific improvements required in the baby room, safety teaching and information for parents.

Opening hours run from 7am to 6pm on weekdays, with full-day, half-day and flexible-hour arrangements. The nursery opens for 51 weeks, closing for a week at Christmas.

Rooms and Ages

The under-two area gives the youngest children a separate base, while preschool children use the other main area. Outdoors, a secure space designed for all-weather use makes outdoor play part of the offer across the seasons rather than an activity dependent on summer weather.

In January 2022, babies explored inset puzzles, repeatedly adjusting pieces until they fitted, and experimented with a thick sensory mixture dripping through their hands. These were concrete opportunities to handle materials and try an idea again. The same visit identified a practical weakness: the baby room needed clearer floor space for children starting to walk. For parents of a newly mobile baby, the organisation of that space deserves attention alongside the toys and activities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means play and exploration sit alongside attention to children's communication, physical skills and personal development.

During January 2022, preschool children used oranges while making soup, talked to one another about squeezing them and explored their scent. Conversations about winter animals introduced words connected with penguins and encouraged children to work out why different animals looked different. Staff asked questions rather than immediately supplying answers, giving children room to explain their thinking.

The outdoor activities observed that month included searching for insects, using slides and balancing along lines drawn in chalk. Different ages played together outside. These examples give a clear picture of the activities at that time: movement, sensory exploration and conversation were closely connected.

Safety teaching also needed more consistency in January 2022. Children were not always helped to understand safe ways to take part in activities, including using tools. That finding matters because practical exploration works best when children learn how to handle the materials as well as what they can do with them.

In January 2022, Ofsted found that key-person relationships supported settling and room changes, but assessment and information about progress were inconsistent, leaving some parents unclear about learning and how to help at home. The useful distinction is between support for a child's immediate transition and the clarity of the information reaching their family.

Settling arrangements at that time allowed children to build up their attendance through staggered visits. Babies had individual books containing family photographs, and children visited their next room alongside their key person. Those details made changes gradual: a familiar adult accompanied the child before the new room became their usual base.

The current team includes a deputy manager who also leads the Baby Room, alongside staff with SENCO training and experience of supporting children with autism and other complex needs. Paediatric first aid and safer-sleep training also appear within the team's qualifications. These are specific elements of staff preparation, rather than a guarantee about an individual child's support.

Meals and snacks are made at the nursery from fresh ingredients. Menus include vegetarian and vegan options, and the nursery's dietary policy provides for individual menu changes to accommodate allergies and other requirements.

Family communication includes an open-door policy. In January 2022, staff also reviewed daily routines and nappy-changing arrangements around individual care needs, while encouraging older children to manage personal tasks independently. For families, both the daily conversation and the longer view of development matter; the inspection's concern about progress information belongs alongside its positive account of settling.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Hub, Waterfall Lane, Waterhouses, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, ST10 3HT. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with a Christmas closure lasting one week.

Booking options include full days, half days, a School Day option and flexible hours. This gives families more than one attendance pattern to work with, whether they need a whole day or shorter periods of care. A before and after school club and a holiday club also cater for children aged 3–16; these sit alongside the nursery provision for younger children.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email. Bills are issued monthly by email, with payment by cash or bank transfer. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded days and privately paid childcare form part of the charging arrangements. Meals are charged separately on funded days; on privately paid days, meals are included in the childcare fee. The distinction matters when comparing the cost of two attendance plans, because the childcare hours and food are separate elements on funded days.

• Space for early walkers. In January 2022, the baby room needed clearer space for children beginning to walk. During a visit, ask how the current layout gives them room to practise and how staff teach safe use of activity tools.
• Progress conversations. January 2022 findings identified inconsistent assessment and information for parents. Ask how your child's key person now explains progress and shares practical ideas for learning at home.
• Food and funded days. Meals attract a separate charge on funded days, and menus can be adapted for dietary requirements. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling arrangements; request a written breakdown covering their chosen hours, food and non-food consumables.

Teddy Bears suits families seeking full-day care, half-day attendance or flexible hours, with on-site cooking and year-round access to an all-weather outdoor area. The school clubs add a further practical option for families with older children.

Its January 2022 Good judgement gives a useful quality reference, but the decision should also take account of the specific improvement points: space for early walkers, teaching safe activity habits and clearer progress information. The appeal lies in concrete provision and attendance choice. Those care details deserve equal weight.