High Ercall Day Nursery & Holiday Club

A mud kitchen, an on-site Forest School and a garden used daily give High Ercall Day Nursery & Holiday Club a clear outdoor identity. This Church Road setting in Telford welcomes children aged two to five and has 21 places in total. Its partnership with High Ercall Primary School adds a practical connection for preparing children for their next stage.

At the 20 May 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership to be at the Expected standard, with safeguarding standards met. The important qualification is teaching: children needed more opportunities to extend their learning, and staff coaching needed greater precision.

Attendance choices include full days, shorter days and morning or afternoon sessions. The outdoor provision is the immediate attraction; the teaching improvement points deserve equal weight in a family's decision.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, that means learning through play, conversation, movement and practical routines, with activities shaped around what children can already do and what they need to practise next.

In May 2026, children used pasta to trace shapes and arranged coloured cubes into patterns, noticing changes in their sequences. These are useful examples of early mathematical thinking made tangible. Story sharing supported vocabulary, while matching objects to numbers connected counting with quantities. Staff sometimes used questions to develop children's ideas, although opportunities to take learning further were missed.

Diddi Dance adds structured movement sessions intended to encourage coordination and physical activity. Forest School provides outdoor learning centred on practical skills, confidence and curiosity. Both sit within the nursery's enhanced learning provision, alongside Educational Trips to local attractions. These additions have substance beyond their names, but their charging arrangements matter for families using funded hours.

Music and rhythm, cooking, drama and dance also feature in the nursery's activities. They give children different ways to participate: making something, moving to music or expressing an idea through play. Regular community outings extend experiences beyond the nursery grounds; their frequency should not be confused with a fixed weekly timetable.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily garden use makes outdoor play part of the ordinary nursery day. Tricycles and ride-on toys support movement, while water and sand play offer materials to investigate and manipulate. The mud kitchen adds another setting for imaginative play and experimentation.

In May 2026, children tackled a climbing wall and worked out how to descend the other side. Wooden construction materials became walking paths, and balls were sent through objects and down slides. These activities brought physical challenge together with problem-solving. Children also attended weekly dance classes and took walks in the surrounding community at that time.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2026, settling arrangements were adapted to individual children and their families. Staff gathered information about interests and early experiences before shaping the induction, and attendance hours could increase gradually where this supported the transition. This gave settling a personal starting point rather than treating every child alike.

Children formed relationships with a key person and other practitioners. Families and staff exchanged information about children's starting points and development, while parents knew how to raise concerns with leaders. The practical value is continuity: information from home can help staff understand a child's behaviour, interests and care needs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its May 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND made steady progress through individual support, outside-agency advice sought with parental permission, adapted resources and funding directed towards their needs. Communication and physical development were among the areas receiving targeted help. This is a description of support in practice at that date, rather than a blanket promise about every future child's experience.

A SENCO role and designated safeguarding lead roles form part of the current team structure. Practitioners undertake paediatric first aid training, alongside food hygiene and child protection training. These are care arrangements, while the safeguarding judgement belongs to the dated inspection.

In May 2026, staff kept health and dietary information current with parents and supported everyday independence through handwashing, toileting and removing shoes. Children served food for themselves, practised eating while seated and cleared leftovers afterwards. Such routines turn care into manageable tasks children can increasingly do themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is on Church Road, High Ercall, Telford, TF6 6AF. Its Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm, and its Short Day from 8am to 3.30pm. AM Half Day covers 8am to 1pm; PM Half Day runs from 1pm to 6pm. These are different booking patterns, giving families alternatives to a single full-day arrangement.

Enquiries can be made through the nursery's form, by telephone on 01952 771305 or by email to highercalldaynursery@gmail.com. Visits can be arranged directly with the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and additional private hours are offered. Standard paid childcare sessions include food, consumables and enhanced learning provision; during funded hours, food and consumables carry separate optional charges, and families can supply their own consumables instead. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure set out on its fees page.

The food included depends on attendance: a Full Day includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, snack tea and milk, while PM Half Day includes afternoon snack, snack tea and milk. For funded attendance, the separate food charge follows the chosen session's food package.

Consumables can include sun cream, dental-care items, nappy bags, spare clothing and bedding for rest periods. Enhanced learning provision, including Diddi Dance, Forest School and Educational Trips, also has a separate voluntary charge during funded hours. Families wishing to opt out should contact the office. Keeping these categories separate makes it easier to understand what a funded booking and any additional paid hours will cost together.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes its relationship with High Ercall Primary School as a partnership. In May 2026, staff worked with the on-site school on transition arrangements. This can support preparation for the next stage, but attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place: families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Teaching beyond the starting point. In May 2026, teaching did not consistently deepen children's thinking, and identified curriculum and coaching improvements had yet to be put into action. At a visit, ask how staff now extend an activity when a child has already mastered it.
• Funded-hours extras. Food, consumables and enhanced learning provision have separate optional charges during funded attendance. Ask for a written breakdown for your chosen pattern and how opting out works for Diddi Dance, Forest School and trips.
• The morning start. The branch contact timetable gives an 8am opening, while the nursery's other branch page displays 7am. The session tariff starts at 8am; confirm the opening arrangement before planning an earlier morning journey.

High Ercall suits families seeking outdoor play and a choice between full days, shorter days and morning or afternoon attendance for children aged two to five. The daily garden, mud kitchen and Forest School give the offer a recognisable shape, while the primary-school partnership provides a practical transition link.

The May 2026 assessment supports a measured choice. Expected standards were met across the assessed areas, but teaching and staff coaching needed further work. For families, the strongest decision combines interest in the outdoor experiences with a close look at how learning is now extended and how funded-hours extras fit the household budget.