The Play Den Nursery

Weekly dance and movement classes, alongside cooking and growing, give The Play Den Nursery a practical, hands-on character. Its Swindon setting combines early-years childcare with Rockin’ Robins Holiday Club, which gives older children activities during school holidays. For families with children at different stages, that breadth has practical appeal.

The nursery has 48 places in total for children aged 0 to 60 months. Ofsted rated it Good at its July 2021 inspection. Full days, shorter school days and separate morning or afternoon sessions give families several attendance patterns to work with.

Rooms and Ages

Care is organised across baby, under-three and preschool provision, with Walkers and Talkers among the room names. Baby-room planning centres on age-appropriate experiences, while the under-three room emphasises hands-on activities that offer achievable challenges. These are useful differences for parents weighing how their child's day will change as they grow.

Activities include weekly movement and dance classes, alongside food tasting, baking and growing from seed. These give children different ways to participate, from moving their bodies to handling ingredients and watching plants develop.

Learning and Activities

The Enrichment package brings these activities together with celebrations and outings to shops, the park and the library. It is charged separately. Some specific excursions, including farm visits and pantomimes, attract further charges, so participation and the cost structure need to be considered together.

For older children, Rockin’ Robins Holiday Club combines crafts, cooking and outdoor play with regular outings to local amenities. Its resources include an enclosed garden, board games and a pool table. Alternative activities are offered when a child does not want to join a particular activity, giving the holiday programme some room for individual preferences. This is older-child provision, rather than a description of the baby-room day.

Tapestry, the online journal included in the separately charged I.T. Package, connects daily care with developmental information. Parents receive activity updates, care and meal records, accident information and termly learning stories. That makes the service more than a photo stream: it provides a way to follow both everyday routines and the next steps staff are planning.

An assistant manager also holds the SENDCo role, supporting children whose development differs from their peers and the staff working with them. Planning includes work with parents and carers on children's individual next steps. For families needing additional support, the useful detail is this defined role and planning mechanism, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Hot lunches are professionally prepared off site, with breakfast, snacks and low tea also offered as separately priced items. Families may instead supply a healthy cold packed lunch that is nut-free and complies with the nursery's food safety policy.

The separately charged Care package covers practical items such as nappies, formula for children under one, wipes, sun cream and bedding. It also includes sleep mats and laundry. For parents, these arrangements affect what must be packed from home as well as the total childcare bill.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Unit 17b, Headlands Trading Estate, Swindon, SN2 7JQ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 48 weeks of the year. The location is convenient for parents working at Headlands Trading Estate, Kembrey Park or Elgin Industrial Estate.

A Full Day runs from 7.45am to 5.45pm; the School day runs from 8.45am to 4.45pm. Morning sessions finish at 12.45pm after a 7.45am start, while afternoon sessions run from 12.45pm to 5.45pm. An early-bird start at 7.30am is separately charged. The minimum contract is 24 hours per week, an important constraint even when a shorter daily pattern looks suitable.

Term-time contracts serve parents working in term-time professions and families using the specified 15-hour funding routes. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the booking form, giving the child's date of birth and the days and sessions required.

Wraparound childcare serves children attending St. Catherines Primary School, Beechcroft Infants or Ruskin Junior School. Breakfast provision runs from 7.30am to 8am, and the usual after-school session is 2.45pm to 5.45pm, with a charged extension to 6pm. These are collection and care arrangements for children already attending those schools.

Funding and Paid Extras

Working family funding (30 hours) is stretched across 48 weeks, giving 23.75 funded hours weekly, depending on the term the child starts. Universal 3-4 year funding and Early Learning funding for two-year-olds provide the 15-hour routes: families can use them over 38 term-time weeks or pay extra for attendance across 48 weeks.

Funded entitlement excludes meals, snacks and the Care, Enrichment and I.T. packages. Meals and non-food consumables are therefore charged separately, including during funded hours. Families wishing to opt out of additional services can discuss this during their show-around; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The price list and charge structure separates the categories, helping parents assess the whole arrangement rather than just their funded hours.

Preschool children must wear uniform; it is recommended for younger children too. Pre-loved uniform is offered at reduced cost.

• Later regulatory record. Ofsted's records list a concern dated 26 July 2023; its outcome is not published, so families may want to ask the nursery about it.
• Contract size and term-time rules. The minimum contract is 24 hours weekly, and term-time contracts have eligibility conditions. At a visit, discuss how the chosen sessions and funding route fit your working pattern.
• Packages and packed lunches. Food, care supplies, enrichment and Tapestry access have separate charges. Use the show-around to discuss opting out and, if allergies affect your child, confirm current food safety arrangements.

The Play Den suits families seeking either full days or morning and afternoon sessions, with a shorter school-day option and conditional term-time contracts. Weekly movement classes, alongside cooking and growing, bring substance to the activity offer, while Tapestry connects parents with care records and learning plans. The decision rests on whether the minimum weekly contract and separate packages fit the family budget, alongside a discussion of the July 2023 concern.