Eastwood Neighbourhood Nursery

Three outdoor play areas and a purpose-built, single-storey building give Eastwood Neighbourhood Nursery a clear physical identity. Its Joiners Square setting combines three care rooms with a community room. The nursery has 46 places in total and caters for children from birth to five years.

At its 5 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) received very strong support and made excellent progress. Relationships and practical preparation for school were important strengths. The qualification is educational: staff did not consistently make the purpose of activities clear enough to extend children's learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play and developing children's skills across its areas of learning. Eastwood uses play, educational resources and opportunities for independence to put that framework into daily practice. This is the foundation of its educational offer, rather than an additional branded programme.

Baby Room and Toddler Room each have a lead practitioner role. The building also includes a kitchen and laundry room, and disabled access. Three outdoor play areas make outdoor activity a substantial part of the physical provision rather than a single shared corner.

In July 2024, toddlers worked on balance using stepping stones of different sizes, while preschool children played races ahead of sports day. Mathematics also reached beyond group activities: older children explored sequences by drawing coloured patterns with chalk outside. These examples connect physical movement and everyday play with specific skills.

Books, songs and conversation featured in July 2024 too. Five little speckled frogs was linked to choosing a frog from a song box, giving children an object to connect with the song. Staff introduced vocabulary and used questions during activities. Children needing additional help with communication joined time to talk sessions, a targeted language-support activity rather than a general entertainment session.

In July 2024, babies sought comfort from their key person as they settled to sleep, while older children talked with staff about their interests. Those interactions give the relationship model practical meaning: a familiar adult provides reassurance for a baby and conversational attention for an older child. Staff also gathered parents' information about children's starting points and assessed development regularly, using intervention sessions when gaps emerged.

Eastwood has a SEND lead and can access professionals working in speech and language and special educational needs and disabilities. In July 2024, staff worked with outside professionals to review children's needs and implement individual support plans. Families were kept informed about development and additional support, and regular fun days and open days provided further contact with staff.

School preparation in July 2024 was concrete. Children could practise dressing in uniforms from local schools and look at photographs of their next setting; practitioners exchanged information with teachers about interests and support needs. That addresses both unfamiliar surroundings and continuity of care.

The menu includes cereal, brown toast and fruit at breakfast, with babies' meals mashed or blended as needed. Halal meat is used where possible for dietary requirements, so this is a conditional arrangement rather than a blanket promise.

Regular supervision and an open-door management approach supported staff wellbeing in July 2024. This adds useful context to the care arrangements: practitioners had opportunities to discuss their work and obtain support.

The address is 100 Franklyn Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3HD. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with an all-year opening schedule and bank-holiday closures. These are opening hours; families should distinguish the nursery's operating window from the attendance arrangement they choose.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by emailing enquiries@eastwoodnursery.com or by calling 01782 283222. The Joiners Square location is near Hanley City Centre, Staffordshire University and local colleges, which may make it relevant to families whose work or study is based in that area.

In July 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation so that the cost of their chosen attendance arrangement is clear.

• Purposeful learning. The July 2024 improvement point concerned staff understanding what each activity should teach, because children were not consistently engaged deeply enough. During a visit, ask how practitioners now plan and explain the learning behind activities.
• Attendance and costs. The nursery opens across the working week and throughout the year. What session choices, funded-hour arrangements and meal or consumable charges would apply to your child's proposed attendance?
• Dietary requirements. Halal meat is used where possible and babies' food can be mashed or blended. Families managing allergies or specific dietary needs should confirm current practice before joining.

Eastwood suits families seeking an all-year nursery with several outdoor play spaces. In July 2024, familiar key-person relationships and practical preparation for school were strengths. Its July 2024 assessment gives substantial weight to relationships, inclusion and family communication. The improvement point matters too: warmth and plentiful activities need to be matched by a clear purpose for learning. That is the most useful issue to explore alongside the attendance and charging arrangements.