Caterpillar Nursery

A mud kitchen, music with Guitar Man and shared experiences with Brookhurst Primary School give Caterpillar Nursery a recognisable preschool character. Its capacity is 20 children, and its school-site setting brings opportunities to explore larger spaces and become familiar with school routines. The emphasis is on learning through play, with outdoor exploration and communication woven into the day.

At its 12 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Caterpillar Nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children made progress from their starting points, with strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those findings sit alongside specific improvements concerning younger children's involvement in group teaching, handwashing outdoors and notification of director changes. They deserve attention alongside the strengths.

The nursery caters for children aged two to five, with entry from the term after a child's second birthday. It operates during term time in Leamington Spa, on Ullswater Avenue. For families considering a school-site preschool, its combination of a small overall capacity and access to Brookhurst's facilities is the central attraction.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for children's learning and development: here, children learn through play, exploration and interaction with adults. Our Caterpillar Curriculum builds on what children have already learnt at home or in previous settings, using their interests and starting points to shape purposeful play. That gives family knowledge a practical role in planning, rather than treating every child as starting from the same point.

Guitar Man brings guitar-based music experiences that develop listening and attention. Cookery Club combines communication with science and maths, giving children reasons to talk, compare and investigate while making something. These are concrete additions to the day, rather than a curriculum name standing on its own.

In July 2024, practitioners used play-dough making as an opportunity to extend children's vocabulary. Communication support included Makaton and Widget symbols, tools used to help children understand. The same visit found a limitation in whole-group teaching: a circle-time activity involving individual greetings and lunch choices lasted long enough for younger children to lose interest. The distinction matters. Opportunities for conversation were plentiful, but the organisation of a shared activity did not consistently suit the youngest children.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children can move freely into the outdoor classroom and also visit the garden. A sand pit, water play, construction materials and wheeled toys give them different ways to experiment and move; the mud kitchen adds opportunities to weigh, measure and mix. Plant care brings another task with a visible purpose, helping children connect their actions with the growing world around them.

Woodland Wildlife sessions take children into the Spinney at Brookhurst School. This gives outdoor learning a second setting beyond the nursery's own play space, while access to the school hall allows activities on a larger scale. The curriculum also includes inter-generational work with Cubbington Mill Care Home, extending children's contact beyond their immediate nursery group.

In July 2024, the digging area supported imaginative exploration. Children also noticed a change in the weather and encouraged friends to put on warmer clothing. That small example captures how outdoor experiences could connect observation, conversation and consideration for others.

Relationships and Communication

Each family has a key person whose role includes getting to know the child, helping them settle and observing their learning. Other staff are also available to discuss nursery life, so the relationship has a clear lead while allowing conversations across the team. Work with families begins during the first contact and continues through settling and everyday communication.

In July 2024, staff recorded children's achievements in learning stories that children could look back through. Each child also had a focus week, when closer observation informed new learning opportunities and feedback to parents. These arrangements connected assessment with individual attention and gave parents something specific to discuss about their child's development.

The Parent Portal brings together a live blog, policies and BabysDays access. Baby's Days is used for invoices and charges, with access specific to each family's child. It serves a practical administrative purpose; the key-person relationship remains the direct route for conversations about the child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

An Early Years Special Needs Coordinator role supports access to relevant services. Staff responsibilities also include help for children with English as an additional language or speech difficulties, alongside individual support and language interventions. Caterpillar is an awarded member of the Warwickshire Inclusion Kitemarking Scheme, although the practical support arrangements are the more useful detail for families weighing their child's needs.

In July 2024, children were helped to use the toilet independently and obtain resources for their own play. Healthy snacks and drinking water were accessible, but handwashing before outdoor snacks was inconsistent. Independence and hygiene need to work together, especially when children move between play and eating.

Sessions and Attendance

Caterpillar Nursery's address is Brookhurst Primary School, Ullswater Avenue, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6NH. Opening hours are 7.50am to 5.50pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. School holidays therefore sit outside its nursery opening pattern, an important distinction for families planning care across the working year.

Caterpillar Clubhouse provides wraparound care for nursery children and Brookhurst's Foundation children. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01926 420051 or by email to caterpillars@brookhurstprimary.com. The nursery also offers viewings.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded nursery education includes universal 15 hours from the term after a child's third birthday, an additional 15 hours subject to criteria, and funding for two-year-olds subject to eligibility. The term-time opening pattern is central to planning how attendance fits family needs. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page outlines the funding options.

Children can have hot lunches or bring packed lunches, eating alongside Brookhurst's Foundation and Year 1 children in the school lunch hall. A key person accompanies them, making a school routine part of their preschool experience.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes a partnership with Brookhurst Primary School that gives children opportunities to become familiar with school life. These include invitations to a whole-school assembly during the school year and access to the school hall and Spinney. Such experiences can make the setting and routines less unfamiliar, but attending Caterpillar does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Younger children in group activities. In July 2024, extended circle-time routines lost younger children's attention. At a visit, ask how group teaching is now organised for children joining from the term after turning two.
• Outdoor snack hygiene. Handwashing before snacks outdoors was inconsistent in July 2024. This is a specific care routine to discuss, given the free-flow outdoor classroom and garden visits.
• Director notifications. In July 2024, a director change had not been notified, preventing the relevant suitability checks; the director had no involvement with children, so the breach had no impact on them. The required notification was due by 2 September 2024. Families may want to establish how that requirement was addressed.
• Term-time costs and attendance. Opening runs from 7.50am to 5.50pm during term time, with funded education and wraparound care among the options. Before agreeing a pattern, request a written quotation explaining booked sessions, funded hours, lunch costs and responsibility for non-food consumables.

Caterpillar suits families seeking term-time preschool education with outdoor play, named music and cooking activities, and regular exposure to primary-school routines. It also serves families who need wraparound care alongside that preschool experience. The capacity of 20 children and key-person approach give its offer a clear scale and structure.

The Good judgement from July 2024 is supported by detail about communication, individual learning and inclusion. Balance that with the same visit's concerns about younger children's group experiences, outdoor snack hygiene and director notifications. The strongest reason to choose Caterpillar is the combination of its own play-based day and its practical connection with Brookhurst, rather than any expectation of a school admissions advantage.