Central Park Nursery

An on-site Forest School, a mud kitchen and Bentley the Cocker Spaniel give Central Park Nursery a recognisable character beyond its business-park address. Outdoor exploration and contact with animals sit alongside stories, play and preparation for school. These are concrete parts of the day, rather than a curriculum built only around indoor activities.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised good progress for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). That judgement is dated: it describes practice at that visit.

Central Park Nursery takes children from 3 months to 11 years and has 105 places in total. Its provision spans early nursery care and childcare for school-age children, with full-day and shorter nursery sessions as well as before-school, after-school and holiday care.

Rooms and Ages

The playrooms are Baby, Toddler, Two’s, Rising 3’s, Preschool and Breakfast/Afterschool & Holiday Club. This separates the nursery stages from the provision for older children. Each room has its own developmental goals and key skills, so planning has a room-level purpose as children move through the setting.

In March 2023, babies investigated toys that produced music and sounds when buttons were pressed; toddlers used pretend tea-making in imaginative play, while preschool children shaped play dough. Those examples show different kinds of exploration at different stages. They also give parents a more useful picture of the nursery day than a list of learning labels.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, planned activities, stories and rhymes, with practitioners helping children develop skills towards starting school. Children choose some activities themselves; others are organised by adults. The balance gives them opportunities both to pursue an interest and to take part in something new.

Room goals sit alongside individual next steps. In March 2023, staff introduced vocabulary during play, responded to younger children’s early attempts at speech and encouraged older children to contribute ideas in group discussions. Stories were shared with individual children and groups, with familiar rhymes giving children opportunities to join in. Language learning was woven into ordinary interactions.

Forest School adds practical outdoor activity to that framework. The nursery has its own site, where children can make sticks for toasting, use a fire pit and explore the mud kitchen; Rising 3’s and Preschool have sessions with a leader from Wrekin Forest School. These experiences put materials and outdoor tasks into children’s hands. The curriculum overview describes the activities alongside the wider nursery programme.

Outdoor and Community Life

Bentley, the nursery’s Cocker Spaniel, spends time with children in the garden and is part of their contact with animals. Animal Man also visits with exotic animals that children can learn about and handle. These are different encounters: a familiar nursery dog and visiting animals that introduce something new.

Visitors include the Fire Service, with fire-safety discussion, a fire engine and a chance to use the hose, and Police, who discuss community safety and let children sit in a police car. Father Christmas visits each year, with a grotto and a gift for each child. The visits bring outside roles and experiences into the nursery day.

World Book Day involves dressing as favourite characters, Science Week brings experiments, and Bonfire Night includes outdoor marshmallow toasting in Forest School. For families, this means both hands-on activities and occasional costume preparation, rather than every event being simply another ordinary nursery day.

Relationships and Communication

A key person works with children daily, observing their abilities and planning what comes next. Photographs, pictures and observations go into development files that accompany children through nursery and go home when they leave. The arrangement gives families a continuing account of their child’s learning, rather than only a record of activities completed.

In March 2023, parents received daily information about routines and activities. The improvement point was more specific: families needed more frequent information about the skills their children were working towards, to help them continue that learning at home. Daily updates and useful learning guidance serve different purposes.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The safeguarding arrangements include two Designated Safeguarding Leaders, a locked front door opened by staff who recognise callers, and restrictions on recording devices in playrooms. Nursery cameras and tablets are used with parental consent. Recruitment arrangements include checks for staff, volunteers and regular visitors, alongside induction and continuing staff training. These describe the systems in place; safeguarding effectiveness remains a dated inspection judgement.

In March 2023, staff worked with parents and other professionals to provide targeted support for children with SEND. For a family whose child needs additional help, that coordination is the relevant practical detail: support involved people beyond the nursery as well as the staff working with the child.

An on-site chef prepares food daily, and the nursery’s policy allows dishes to be adapted for allergies, dietary requirements, religious practice and family preferences. Expressed breast milk can be brought in, and parents can come in to breastfeed during their breaks, making continued breastfeeding compatible with nursery attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 8 Hawksworth Road, Central Park, Telford, TF2 9TU. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with weekends closed. The nursery operates across the year and closes for a week at Christmas.

Full-day and shorter sessions are offered, alongside childcare before and after school and during school holidays. Enrolment forms can be requested through the nursery, and enquiries can be made on 01952 292 092. Prospective parents can visit under an open-door policy, although mealtimes are discouraged.

Getting There

A shared car park sits next to the nursery. That is a practical consideration for families combining childcare with work in the surrounding business parks.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. Private full-day fees include meals, and shorter-session fees include lunch; for funded children, meals cost extra unless families send a packed lunch. The distinction matters when comparing the cost of the same attendance pattern under different payment arrangements.

Contact the nursery for current fees and enrolment forms. Before-school, after-school and holiday provision also has its own enrolment route, so families combining nursery care with care for an older sibling can address both arrangements with the same setting.

• Babies outdoors. In March 2023, extending babies’ outdoor learning was an improvement priority. On a visit, ask how the Baby room now uses the outdoor space and how its experiences differ from those for older children.
• Learning updates. More frequent sharing of children’s next steps was another March 2023 improvement point. Ask to see how these are communicated alongside daily care updates.
• Forest School arrangements. The curriculum offer describes twice-weekly sessions for Rising 3’s and Preschool with Wrekin Forest School, while the activities offer describes a fortnightly preschool session as a separately charged, optional term-time activity. Confirm the pattern and charges that apply to your child’s room.
• Animal contact and dietary needs. Bentley spends time with children, visiting animals can be handled, and meals can be adapted. Families managing allergies or concerns about animal contact should discuss current arrangements during their visit.

Central Park Nursery suits families seeking full days or shorter nursery sessions, as well as wraparound childcare before and after school or holiday childcare for an older child. The on-site outdoor space, practical Forest School activities and visiting animals give the offer clear substance. A key person and development files provide continuity as children move through nursery.

The dated Good judgement supports the overall picture, while the two March 2023 improvement priorities give parents useful questions about babies’ outdoor experiences and learning updates. Those questions, together with the precise Forest School charging arrangements, are the points to resolve when deciding whether this nursery fits your family.