Lilac Frog Day Nursery

A preschool unit in the rear garden, a separate outdoor space for babies and toddlers, and a quiet den give Lilac Frog Day Nursery a character beyond its animal-themed room names. At 32 Church Road in Cheadle Hulme, the nursery takes children from birth to five and has 54 places in total. The useful distinction is between those spaces: active play, younger children's exploration and quieter time each have somewhere to happen.

At its 27 September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that staff worked with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That judgement is dated. The practical appeal today lies in the room progression, outdoor arrangements and individual records of children's development, while the inspection's concerns about language teaching and curriculum planning deserve attention.

Full and half sessions cater for different attendance needs.

Rooms and Ages

Tadpoles takes babies from birth to 15 months in a bright room arranged for exploration, giving the youngest children their own starting point.

Baby Bugs, for children from 15 months to two years, uses play equipment and activities to encourage imaginative exploration as toddlers develop.

Cute Cubs serves two- to three-year-olds in a light first-floor room, with craft resources and more structured learning activities contributing to preparation for school.

Mini Monkeys, for ages three to five, occupies another first-floor room, where activities and information technology support preparation for the move into the preschool unit.

Fizzy Frogs, also for ages three to five, occupies the bespoke preschool unit in the rear garden, with educational activities aimed at the next move to school and a nursery uniform carrying a frog logo.

These are different stages and spaces, rather than a single preschool room for every older child. The move from Mini Monkeys to the preschool unit is part of the nursery's internal progression; families can discuss how that sequence would work for their child.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, group activities sit alongside individual choices, so children can join their peers or pursue an activity themselves. Animal themes run through the rooms, but the more useful detail is the balance between shared activity and personal interests. Developmental and craft folders record each child's achievements and give parents a way to follow that learning.

In September 2022, babies explored paint, while older children practised brushing model teeth and learned about growing vegetables and herbs before using them in cooking. Such activities connect play with practical knowledge: food has an origin, and looking after teeth is something children can rehearse.

The same September 2022 account contained important reservations. Activities sometimes gave the most able children too little challenge, staff did not consistently identify what an activity should teach, and some adults working with younger children modelled pronunciation inaccurately. The improvement priorities were clearer teaching intentions for the youngest children and better extension of vocabulary and communication.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor activity area includes climbing frames and outdoor toys, with safety surfacing beneath the play space. A separate Bugs and Tadpoles garden gives babies and toddlers their own area, with a cushioned surface suitable for use across the seasons. This separation matters more than a broad promise of outdoor play: younger children have a space intended for their stage of development.

Children spend substantial time outside during spring and summer, with outdoor activities continuing into the colder months. In September 2022, older children also ran garden laps as part of the daily mile, an activity that combined movement with counting; babies had opportunities to crawl and practise walking.

SNUG BUG DEN provides a quieter setting, using subdued lighting, pastel decoration and blinds for reading, relaxation and afternoon naps. It gives rest a defined place in the nursery day. For children who need a break from activity, that is a practical counterpoint to the outdoor equipment and busy learning rooms.

Parents can follow development through their child's craft and developmental folders. In September 2022, communication also helped parents understand how to support learning at home, while children practised everyday independence through handwashing, putting on aprons and helping with tables and tidying. Those examples show preparation for the next stage through ordinary routines as well as planned activities.

Meals are cooked on site, using locally sourced ingredients, with options for babies; the nursery accommodates dietary and allergy requirements notified to the manager and makes ingredient and allergen information accessible. Breakfast, lunch and tea are included in fees except for 15 hours funded provision.

A later Ofsted compliance action dated 4 November 2022 recorded a late notification of a significant event and required effective systems for notifying the relevant safeguarding agencies promptly, with an action deadline of 2 December 2022. This is the latest published regulatory position, rather than evidence that the action has either been completed or remains outstanding today.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays, excluding public and bank holidays. Full and half sessions are offered, giving families a choice between a longer attendance pattern and a shorter session. The nursery operates throughout the year, apart from bank holidays.

The address is 32 Church Road, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 7JB. Brochure requests and enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 486 6999 or by email to enquiries@lilacfrognursery.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision is offered, with the meal terms specifically distinguishing 15 hours funded attendance from fee-paying care. The breakfast, lunch and tea inclusion applies to fees and excludes that funded provision, so the two arrangements should not be treated as identical. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Language and challenge. September 2022 improvement priorities concerned vocabulary development and clearer learning intentions for the youngest children, alongside insufficient challenge on some occasions. Ask how staff now extend an activity for a child who has already mastered it and support accurate speech.
• Safeguarding notification action. The 4 November 2022 compliance action required prompt notification systems by 2 December 2022. Ask about the response to that action and the arrangements now used for significant events.
• Preschool progression. Mini Monkeys prepares children for the preschool unit, while Fizzy Frogs occupies the garden building and has a nursery uniform. Discuss room moves and what that uniform entails before joining.
• Meals and allergies. Breakfast, lunch and tea are included in fees except for 15 hours funded provision, and dietary requirements are handled through notification to the manager. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and the meal arrangements for their attendance pattern.

Lilac Frog suits families considering either full sessions or half sessions who value separate spaces for different stages, outdoor play for younger children and a defined quiet area. The garden preschool unit and developmental folders give that offer substance. Its September 2022 Good judgement is a useful reference point, but the language-teaching concerns and subsequent notification action make present practice an essential part of the joining conversation.