Mary P's, Tewkesbury

A parachute game, a bubbling volcano and a story about feelings capture the character of Mary P's, Tewkesbury: play with a clear learning purpose. At its 2 May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical detail is how ordinary moments become learning opportunities, from counting snack-time cups to recognising names on placemats.

The nursery occupies the Old Dowty Clubhouse on Ashchurch Parkway and has capacity for 93 children aged three months to five years. That whole-setting figure is separate from the smaller groups used for activities. In May 2024, practitioners organised children into small groups alongside their key-person relationships, giving them opportunities for closer interaction within a spacious setting.

Short Day and afternoon bookings sit alongside term-time agreements and funded attendance patterns. There is more than one way to organise the week here.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports communication, physical skills and growing independence. In May 2024, the nursery's curriculum linked indoor and outdoor experiences and adapted to children's interests. Children could choose outdoor play or the soft-play area, with staff adjusting the sequence of activities around those choices.

Food-making brought sensory exploration into the day. In May 2024, children made faces from pizza ingredients and tasted unfamiliar foods; drawing pictures of their homes prompted conversation about their own lives. Songs and stories accompanied other activities rather than being confined to a single group session. These examples gave children several ways to participate, whether through handling ingredients, speaking or listening.

Science was equally hands-on. In May 2024, children made erupting volcanoes, took turns and predicted what would happen. Practitioners introduced words connected with the ingredients and reaction. The experiment joined language to something children could watch happening, making new vocabulary part of an experience rather than an isolated exercise.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large outdoor area supported jumping, balance and games invented by the children in May 2024. They practised moving around one another as well as moving confidently themselves. Indoors, parachute play added another physical group activity, while the soft-play area provided a different setting for active play.

Community participation extended beyond the nursery in May 2024, with involvement in local events and an annual parade. Father's Day breakfasts were among the social occasions held during the year. These brought family participation into nursery life alongside children's everyday activities.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry is the nursery's online system for recording children's development and sharing their day with parents. It gives families a continuing connection with what their child is doing, rather than relying solely on a conversation at collection. Regular optional social evenings include cultural celebrations, parent evenings and garden parties, offering other ways to take part.

In May 2024, practitioners also gave parents detailed daily feedback. Children had a key person, and staff used care routines to build relationships: singing during a nappy change was one example. Experienced practitioners demonstrated these techniques to apprentices, while staff received support to develop their practice. The useful detail is the attention given to routine care as well as planned activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with parents and outside agencies, with individual learning plans reviewed together, helping children make excellent progress. This was a specific support process: sharing emerging needs, arranging targeted help and revisiting plans with families.

Daisy Dragon, a story used in May 2024, helped children discuss feeling frightened or happy and explore calming breathing techniques. Colours provided another way to talk about emotions. This made feelings something children could name and discuss, with a practical strategy to try when they needed to settle themselves.

Everyday independence also featured in May 2024. Younger children practised feeding themselves and cleaning their faces; older children managed toilet visits and handwashing. At snack time, handing out crockery, counting it and identifying names on placemats connected self-care with early number and reading experiences.

Sessions and Attendance

The Short Day runs from 8am to 3pm, while the Pm session runs from 3pm to 6pm. Hourly extensions require agreement in advance, and term-time-only agreements are offered. Early drop-off facilities start at either 7.30am or 7.45am, giving families an earlier start alongside the daytime bookings.

Funded hours can be used Monday to Friday in five patterns: 8am to 1pm, 8am to 2pm, 8am to 3pm, 9am to 2pm or 9am to 3pm. Extensions beyond these funded sessions are paid hours. This matters for families whose working day continues beyond the funded window: the afternoon session and extended attendance have a separate cost structure.

After-school collection and care, plus a holiday club, are offered for children aged four to eleven. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone. In May 2024, the nursery opened throughout the year, Monday to Friday, with bank-holiday closures.

Getting There

The address is Old Dowty Clubhouse, Ashchurch Parkway, Tewkesbury, GL20 8TU. Telephone contact is 01684 291194, and email enquiries go to mail@marypsdaynursery.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The working-parent entitlement provides 30 hours a week over 38 weeks for eligible children aged nine months to four years, provided parents live in England and work or are about to start a new job. Both parents must meet the work conditions, or the parent in a single-parent household must do so. Mary P's offers either 30 funded hours weekly during term time or 22 weekly through a stretched, year-round arrangement.

Food and snacks are included for both private and funded attendance under the group-wide Alternative Lunch Policy; the policy provides dietary alternatives and does not accommodate packed lunches. Funded attendance also carries no additional charge for consumables or extra activities.

A registration charge applies, with a different sibling charge, and additional private hours are paid separately. Existing childcare voucher schemes and Tax Free Childcare payments are accepted. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page sets out the booking and charge categories.

• Baby care and settling. Small-group organisation and a key person featured in May 2024. On a visit, ask how settling and the youngest children's daily routines would work for your child.
• The funded afternoon boundary. Funded patterns finish by 3pm, and extensions are paid. Families needing later care should consider the whole attendance bill alongside their funded hours.
• Lunch arrangements. The Alternative Lunch Policy provides dietary alternatives but rules out packed lunches. Families managing allergies should confirm current practice and the arrangements for their child's meals.

Mary P's suits families seeking a Short Day or afternoon session, as well as those organising care around term-time or stretched funded attendance. Tapestry and optional parent events provide practical connections between home and nursery.

Its strongest educational examples come from May 2024: science experiments that prompted predictions, stories that supported emotional understanding, and everyday routines used for language and independence. The attendance choices are useful, but the funded window and lunch policy deserve close attention when matching the nursery to family life.