Earlswood Early Years

Outdoor areas for exploration give Earlswood Early Years a practical, play-centred character. In January 2025, babies also had space to practise moving. At its 7 January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. The important qualification is consistency: teaching and support for younger children's behaviour were the two areas requiring further work.

At 133 Earlswood Common, Earlswood, Solihull B94 5SH, the nursery has capacity for 60 children and accepts ages from one month to five years. Attendance choices include a full day, a shorter School Day and half days. That gives families several ways to fit nursery around their working day rather than a single attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: everyday play sits alongside support with communication, movement and growing independence. Earlswood's approach values children's ideas and encourages them to work out how things happen, including learning through mistakes. The emphasis is on taking children's thinking seriously.

In January 2025, babies had room to crawl, walk and practise their first steps. Block-building gave children opportunities to persist when a construction went wrong, while adults used questions to encourage them to think through a solution. These were ordinary play experiences with a clear purpose: practising movement and finding ways to solve problems.

Language also received attention that January. Adults demonstrated vocabulary, asked questions that invited more than a short answer and checked whether children understood unfamiliar words. Activities drew on children's interests and the next things they needed to learn, making the child's stage of development relevant to the choice of activity.

The limitation was uneven delivery. In January 2025, some adults extended children's learning effectively, but others were less clear about the skill an activity should develop or how to draw a distracted child back into it. For families, the useful distinction is between having a planned curriculum and delivering it consistently throughout the nursery.

Outdoor and Community Life

Spacious outdoor play areas provide room for active play and exploring nature. This physical space is an important part of the nursery's offer, giving children opportunities to move and investigate beyond indoor activities.

At the January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children developed close relationships with staff, parents received regular learning updates, and collaboration with specialists helped children with SEND or complex needs obtain appropriate support. Discussions with parents at the start of attendance and when needs changed helped staff understand the individual child.

In January 2025, adults used different ways to comfort unsettled children, including new starters and babies waking from sleep. Care routines also created opportunities for participation: younger children helped with their own care, while older children took responsibility for tidying resources and preparing or clearing up after meals. Independence grew through manageable jobs.

Support with behaviour was less consistent for younger children that January. Adults working with older children helped them share, take turns and understand limits, but younger children did not always receive enough help to handle feelings or recognise how their actions affected others. This matters because emotional support is part of daily care, as well as learning.

Balanced meals were served in January 2025, and adults responded promptly to changing needs and wet clothing. Children were helped with washing before and after eating, linking care routines with practical habits for keeping clean.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Time runs from 7.30am to 6pm, while the School Day runs from 9am to 3pm. Half Day bookings cover either 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm. The nursery opens Monday to Friday throughout the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

A contact form supports enquiries, and families can register interest or book a visit. The address is 133 Earlswood Common, Earlswood, Solihull B94 5SH.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered through the nursery's 9 month, 2 and 3 year old funding provision, with eligible children able to receive up to 30 hours of funded education and care each week. Funded-only places are accepted. Private sessions are also offered; families should obtain current prices in a written quotation from the nursery. The fees and sessions page brings the attendance choices and funding offer together.

• Teaching across the nursery. January 2025 identified uneven teaching and occasional missed opportunities to bring children back into activities. On a visit, explore how staff plan learning and sustain children's engagement across the day.
• Younger children's emotions. Support with boundaries and feelings needed further work in January 2025. Ask how practitioners respond when a younger child becomes frustrated or their actions affect another child.
• Funded-only attendance. The nursery accepts funded-only places alongside paid sessions. Ask how a proposed booking uses funded hours and how meals and non-food consumables are handled within it.

Earlswood Early Years suits families seeking either a full working-day booking, a shorter School Day or a half-day session, with funded-only attendance another useful option. Outdoor space gives the current offer substance; in January 2025, everyday care and tidying routines also gave children opportunities to build independence. The January 2025 Good judgement is balanced by specific weaknesses in teaching consistency and support for younger children's behaviour, making those the most useful points to explore when choosing the nursery.