Zipadee Day Nursery

Small creatures, garden wheels and books gave Zipadee's nursery day its character in July 2022: children cared for stick insects and worms, practised riding scooters and bikes, and chose favourite stories. These were hands-on experiences with room for children to make decisions. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective.

Today, Zipadee Day Nursery has capacity for 57 children aged 3 to 60 months at Roche Villa in Leek. For parents, the useful combination is care from early infancy, communication through an online platform and an attendance model that includes mornings, afternoons and full days.

In July 2022, two teaching priorities needed attention: questions needed to stretch children's vocabulary and thinking further, and group activities needed better organisation to sustain attention. Those findings deserve as much weight as the grade.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room welcomes children from 3 months, with soft spaces for exploration and rest and an emphasis on early sensory and social experiences. That gives the youngest children a gentle introduction to nursery life through sensory and social experiences.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the shared educational framework, with learning through play across its areas of learning. It is the starting point for nursery education, rather than an extra programme unique to Zipadee.

Alongside it, the group-wide Critical and Creative Thinkers commitment encourages children to develop ideas, test predictions and reconsider what they understand. Sense of Belonging, another group-wide commitment, centres on relationships between children, their key people and families. These are useful priorities for parents who want both independent exploration and familiar adults involved in their child's day.

In July 2022, younger children explored paint, dough and water, using brushes and other tools to make marks. Older children were beginning to recognise letters and sounds, while familiar songs invited children to join in with actions. The activities connected movement, language and making things, rather than separating learning from play.

There was a limitation, too. In July 2022, some conversations did not extend vocabulary far enough because staff's questions lacked precision. The practical issue is what happens after a child gives an answer: a thoughtful follow-up can open up more thinking, while a conversation that stops there cannot do the same work.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2022, the garden offered climbing equipment and a slide, alongside bikes and scooters that children steered around the space. Staff supported children when needed, allowing physical challenge to sit alongside help from an adult.

Caring for stick insects and worms in July 2022 also brought living things into children's learning. These experiences gave children something real to observe and look after. Group activities were less consistently engaging: nearby play sometimes distracted younger children, making the organisation of shared learning an important consideration.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2022, settling sessions were adapted to individual children, and staff spent time learning babies' routines. For a family starting childcare, that matters because familiarity with feeding, sleep and everyday habits can shape how the first sessions are organised.

Current group-wide baby-care arrangements include discussing home sleep routines when a child joins, with cots, coracles or mats used for naps. The key person is the contact for sleep needs during settling. Parents can also discuss weaning and toilet training, with no fixed expectation about when a child should begin potty training.

The group-wide eyworks platform carries observations, photographs and nursery updates. Zipadee's online app also provides information about meals, sleep and activities, giving parents concrete details to connect the nursery day with home life. Digital updates sit alongside opportunities to talk about children's development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with key persons and parents on individual targets, and that staff identified learning gaps and provided effective support. The mechanism matters: support was linked to the individual child and shared with the adults caring for them.

Group-wide food arrangements use nursery chefs and a three-week menu rotation covering breakfast, snacks, lunch and tea. A group-wide No Nuts Policy accompanies alternative dietary options and colour-coded plates to identify individual food requirements; families affected by allergies should confirm current practice.

Sessions and Attendance

Zipadee operates at Roche Villa, Buxton Road, Leek, ST13 6EG, opening Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm. It runs for 51 weeks, closing on public holidays and for a week at Christmas.

Full Day bookings run from 8am to 6pm; Morning sessions finish at 1pm after an 8am start, while Afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 6pm. An Early Start from 7.30am to 8am is separately charged. The minimum weekly booking is four morning or afternoon sessions, or two full days, and must include Monday or Friday. This is a substantial attendance commitment even for families choosing shorter sessions.

Enquiries can be made through the online form or by telephone. Payments are due monthly in advance, with Direct Debit, Tax Free Childcare and vouchers accepted.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children from 9 months to 4 years, including the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements and 2 Help funding. The standard arrangement stretches funding across operating weeks: the annual 570-hour entitlement becomes 11.17 hours each week, and 1,140 hours becomes 22.35. Funded hours may be used alone or combined with paid sessions.

Private-session fees are inclusive of meals and consumables; during funded hours, both are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package, alongside enrichment. Consumables comprise nappies, wipes, cream, nappy bags and suncream. Families may opt out before the term starts, although suitable alternatives or arrangements for disposing of consumables may then be required under nursery policy.

The Enrichment Programme covers additional experiences that may include cooking, gardening and sessions inspired by Forest School; these examples are possibilities, rather than a fixed activity timetable. A registration charge and a deposit apply, with both waived for fully funded places and the deposit credited against the final invoice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Weekly commitment. The minimum is four shorter sessions or two full days, including Monday or Friday. Families need an attendance pattern that fits this rule, not simply a preferred session length.
• Teaching follow-through. July 2022 priorities concerned questioning and children's attention during group activities. On a tour, ask how staff now extend conversations and organise shared activities around nearby play.
• Funded extras. The Essentials Package is optional during funded hours, with an opt-out deadline before term begins. Establish the practical arrangements for food and consumables before choosing that route.

Zipadee suits families seeking regular morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day bookings, with care beginning in early infancy. Its online updates and attention to babies' routines give parents useful ways to stay involved. The July 2022 teaching priorities remain the sensible subjects for a visit, while the minimum booking and funded-extras structure are the main practical decisions.