The Old Station Nursery Stratford-upon-Avon Nursery & Pre-school

Dinosaur footprints, song-linked objects and babies learning to use cutlery give a concrete picture of early learning at Greyswood. At its 6 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated The Old Station Nursery Stratford-upon-Avon Nursery & Pre-school Good overall. The detail beneath that judgement matters: children’s interests shaped activities, settling included time with parents, and independence began with everyday tasks.

The nursery is at Greyswood, The Ridgeway, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9JL, and accepts children from 3 months to 5 years, with capacity for 86 children in total. Those whole-setting places are not a measure of the number sharing an activity or room.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and routines help children develop communication, physical skills and relationships. In August 2024, teaching concentrated mainly on these foundations, with mathematics extending learning for older children. Activities were planned around what children already understood and the skills they needed next.

Dinosaurs provided a useful starting point for toddlers in August 2024. Paint rollers introduced patterns, while adults brought shapes into the conversation; children then chose to make footprints by moving like dinosaurs across paper. This connected an existing interest with movement, creative work and early mathematics. Large chalks gave younger toddlers another way to experiment with making marks.

For babies in August 2024, objects taken from a box prompted songs and rhymes. Children responded through movement and clapping, while adults supplied language through conversation and singing. Indoor and outdoor play both formed part of their experience. These were small, accessible activities for children still developing speech and control of their bodies.

There was a clear limitation alongside these examples. In August 2024, some activities lost children’s interest quickly rather than sustaining their curiosity. The improvement required was about the quality of teaching within activities, so an appealing activity theme alone should not decide a parent’s choice.

Relationships and Communication

Settling in August 2024 started with staff learning about children’s preferences and interests. Visits alongside parents helped children become familiar with the setting before separation, and relationships developed with a key person. That made the introduction to nursery a process involving both child and family, rather than simply a starting date.

Adults responded to children needing comfort in August 2024 with reassurance and cuddles. They also demonstrated considerate behaviour and introduced simple expectations about how children treated one another. Older toddlers talked readily about their experiences, but younger children sometimes became frustrated when they could not explain their feelings. Adults did not consistently use those moments to help them understand and express emotions.

Progress updates formed part of communication with parents in August 2024, giving families information they could use to continue learning at home. Staff also received supervision, training and support for their work. For parents, the useful connection is between what adults notice during the day and what families can build on afterwards.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, with developmental assessment helping staff identify needs and target early intervention. This was support based on a child’s development, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Everyday independence was also practised in August 2024. Babies moved from eating with their hands towards using spoons and forks, with adults watching closely during meals. Care and learning overlapped here: feeding was both a supervised routine and an opportunity to develop a practical skill.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. That opening window is useful for judging whether the nursery fits working hours; the holiday closures also belong in a family’s childcare planning.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two and three. This is a dated statement of its provision at that time, rather than a guarantee of a particular family’s entitlement or attendance arrangement.

• Keeping toddlers engaged. In August 2024, some activities did not hold children’s curiosity. During a visit, ask how staff develop an activity when children begin to lose interest, using the dinosaur painting example as a starting point.
• Helping children explain feelings. The August 2024 improvement point concerned adults making better use of opportunities to support emotional expression. Ask what staff now do when a younger child becomes frustrated and cannot find the words.
• Fitting attendance around your week. The 7.30am to 6pm opening window spans the working day, with Christmas and bank-holiday closures. Ask which booking pattern would accommodate your child’s routine within those hours.

This nursery suits families seeking year-round weekday childcare who value learning built around young children’s interests and everyday independence. Its August 2024 examples give substance to that choice: song-based play for babies, dinosaur-inspired mathematics for toddlers and a gradual introduction involving parents. The reservations are equally practical. Sustaining curiosity and helping younger children express emotions deserve attention when weighing the setting for your own child.