0-2-5 Nursery

A climbing hill, a bike roadway and a garden for growing food give 0-2-5 Nursery a practical, outdoorsy character. Its detached house in Heaton Mersey has play spaces behind, beside and in front of the building, so outdoor learning has several different settings rather than a single playground. Inside, six named groups provide a route from baby care towards school.

Children are accepted from birth to five years. At its October 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective, and reported good learning progress alongside prompt referrals and collaboration with families and professionals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Gradual settling, a key person assigned before starting and an online learning journal give parents several ways to stay involved. Full-day and full-time bookings are offered, with fixed attendance days forming the basis of the contract. The strongest practical appeal is the combination of outdoor space, personal settling arrangements and meals and nappies included in the nursery fee.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillars, Butterflies, Bumble Bees, Ladybirds, Fireflies and Dragonflies are the six group names. Children younger than two are cared for downstairs, while older children use the first floor. Age bands are approximate, and movement between groups also takes account of development and readiness. For families, the important distinction is between a child's usual group and the process for moving into the next one.

Butterflies combine activities chosen by children with those organised by adults, followed after lunch by sleep or quieter play. Bumble Bees also have garden time and community walks alongside their indoor activities. Dragonflies use role play and community visits to practise skills for leaving nursery. These are different stages of the day and of growing independence, rather than one timetable applied identically to every child.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, covering communication, physical development, relationships and areas such as mathematics and literacy. Staff use observations to plan the next learning opportunities around each child's development. Children can select activities and equipment themselves, giving them a part in deciding how their day unfolds.

Daily activities are displayed in the departments, while monthly plans are shared with families. That gives parents something concrete to connect with at home: a topic, an experience or an emerging interest, rather than only a general account of a busy day. Adult guidance and children's choices both have a place in the routine.

In October 2023, babies experimented with vegetable printing, toddlers explored animals linked to a story by opening parcels, and older children investigated the invention of traffic lights during Black History Month. Singing included nursery rhymes for babies and action songs for toddlers; stories invited children to join familiar repeated passages. The examples show learning taking different forms according to age, with making, listening and conversation all represented.

Outdoor and Community Life

The rear garden includes a climbing wall, wooden playhouse and soft flooring around play equipment, as well as the climbing hill and bike roadway. A mud kitchen sits beside the building, where children also grow fruit and vegetables. The sensory garden provides another space for exploring the natural surroundings, while the front grass area is used for play and activities. There is room for both active movement and closer investigation.

Community experiences extend the day beyond the house and gardens. In October 2023, children bought fruit from a local greengrocer and visited an older people's home to sing and play games with residents. Dentists visited nursery to introduce their work, and outdoor road-crossing role play helped children practise safety. These examples connected everyday learning with people and situations children could recognise.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins before the official start. Parents and children are invited to spend time at nursery during the preceding week, with visits increasing gradually and the free settling period adjusted to the individual child. A home visit is also offered. This gives a child time to become familiar with staff and routines while their parent is still part of the process.

A key person is allocated in advance, with a back-up person also assigned. The allocation can be reconsidered if a child develops a stronger bond with another practitioner. Family photographs, books showing nursery staff and regular settling updates add familiar reference points; shorter days can be planned where possible for children who need a slower introduction. Outings begin only once a child has settled completely.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, allows families and staff to exchange photographs and observations about a child's development. Parents can contribute experiences from home as well as view nursery entries. The system therefore supports a conversation in both directions, rather than simply sending parents a stream of updates.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A special educational needs coordinator oversees the nursery's SEND policy and work with families and other agencies. At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified a need for more targeted staff supervision because quieter children were sometimes overlooked when they needed help to participate and express their ideas. This is a meaningful consideration for a child who tends to watch rather than volunteer.

Room changes can include a meeting between parents and the outgoing and incoming key people, followed by short visits with a familiar adult. Friends may move together where possible, and additional support can include temporarily moving a key person with the child. The policy puts readiness alongside age, which matters when a child needs more time with a new group.

Food is cooked on site each day by a chef, using a five-week menu that changes each term; the dietary policy covers advance information from parents, allergy risk assessments and individual plans where appropriate. The collection procedure uses a password when another person collects, and the illness policy requires prompt collection if a child becomes unwell during the day.

School preparation includes classroom role play, school photographs and opportunities for school representatives to meet children where possible. With parental permission, a leaving report shares a child's interests, development and strengths with their school. This supports continuity between settings without turning preparation into a claim about admission.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 22 Thornfield Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, SK4 3JT. Families can contact the nursery by telephone on 0161 442 1113 or email info@025nursery.co.uk. Booking uses a contract and questionnaire, giving the nursery information about the child as well as the requested attendance.

Full-day and full-time attendance are the priced booking options. Days are fixed rather than freely interchangeable: permanent changes require a month's notice and depend on availability, while additional days can be booked individually if available. Ending a booking requires written notice of one calendar month. This structure suits a settled weekly routine better than frequent changes to working days.

The nursery operates Monday to Friday across the year, closing on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Care ends at 6pm. The contract makes families responsible for collection within opening hours, so the end of the working day needs to fit that boundary.

Funding and Paid Extras

Universal and extended funded entitlement are offered alongside privately paid childcare. Meals and snacks are included in the nursery fee, as are nappies and toiletries; community walks and bus outings are also included. Those inclusions help families understand what the private fee covers rather than treating the care charge as the whole practical package.

Fees are payable in advance, with no refund for sickness or family holidays. Christmas closure days are deducted, while bank holidays remain chargeable. A booking made more than a month ahead requires a booking payment that is non-refundable on cancellation; once attendance begins, part is credited against the first invoice and part is retained for administration. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation, alongside the terms for the family's funded and private hours.

• The morning start. Opening information gives both 7.30am and 7.45am. Confirm the contracted start time before arranging work or childcare around the earliest hour.
• Room placement. Age bands overlap and differ between the group descriptions and the facilities guide. During a visit, discuss the intended group and how readiness will shape the next move.
• Quieter children. In October 2023, some children needed more help to contribute their thoughts. Ask how practitioners now notice and involve children who are reluctant to join in.
• Dietary planning. The allergy policy provides for individual plans and risk assessments where appropriate. Families affected by allergies should confirm current meal arrangements and how their child's plan will work in their group.

0-2-5 Nursery suits families seeking full-day bookings or full-time attendance with a stable weekly pattern, substantial outdoor play and a gradual introduction to care. The gardens offer concrete choices: climbing, riding, growing and sensory exploration. Key-person arrangements and Tapestry give parents continuing points of contact as children settle and move between groups.

The October 2023 Good judgement sits alongside a specific concern about quieter children's participation. Fixed days, chargeable bank holidays and the collection deadline also deserve weight in the decision. The appeal is strongest where the family's routine fits the contract and the child's needs match the nursery's approach to settling, communication and group changes.