Collingtree Day Nursery

An original Victorian school block and a playground shared with Reception and Year 1 give Collingtree Day Nursery a recognisable character. This is childcare within a working primary-school site, with capacity for 17 children and an offer running from age 2 to school age. The school setting is part of everyday life here.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 10 May 2023 inspection. The detail behind that judgement matters: children made choices during play, practised doing things for themselves and spent time with older people through care-home visits. Two improvements were required, concerning engagement during larger-group activities and staff support for conversation.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions give families different ways to organise attendance. The strongest reasons to consider Collingtree are its school-site surroundings, individual development planning and concrete arrangements for exchanging information with parents.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for children's learning, development and care. Here, the day combines activities led by adults with play children choose themselves, giving them opportunities to explore ideas, practise physical skills and learn alongside others.

Art activities include painting, drawing and model-making. Each child has an individual development plan that is reviewed as they progress, so planning can respond to the child rather than simply repeat the same activities. Quiet periods sit alongside creative and structured play, allowing a change of pace during the day.

In May 2023, staff used shape comparisons to introduce vocabulary and adjusted counting activities for different abilities, including asking children to think about what would remain after removing an item. Those examples show how ordinary play could become a more demanding learning opportunity. Children also chose activities, poured drinks and considered whether they needed a jacket outside. Independence was practised through small decisions.

Larger-group sessions were less consistent in May 2023. Weather discussions, letter sounds and choosing songs initially interested children, but some became distracted when the activity did not suit their needs. Staff questioning also sometimes stopped short of helping children sustain a conversation. These are useful distinctions for parents: enjoyable activities and effective exchanges between adults and children are related, but both need attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

The shared playground connects outdoor play with the wider school setting. Reception and Year 1 children use it too, making the organisation of shared space a practical consideration for families. Farm trips add experiences beyond the nursery, alongside other educational outings.

In May 2023, children visited a local care home and listened to residents reading stories. Older preschool children also helped younger children find toys and use garden resources. These experiences brought relationships into the learning day, both across generations and between children of different ages.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a designated key worker to support their learning. Before attendance begins, parents complete a Care Agreement and a Child Information Request Form covering matters including authorised collection, medical history and dietary requirements. Families are also asked about sleep patterns and ways that help their child settle to sleep. This gives staff practical information about the child from the outset.

Daily information about activities can be exchanged verbally or through activity planners. Parents can arrange private discussions, while Stay and Play sessions let them take part in nursery experiences with their child. Parents Evening takes place annually to discuss progress and the next stages of learning, with more frequent meetings arranged for concerns or special educational needs. A leaving party also marks the move to school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff working successfully with parents and other agencies to meet children's special educational needs and disabilities. That is a dated judgement about practice, rather than a promise about every future experience.

The nursery has a SENCO role and an assess, plan, do, review process with individual targets and teaching strategies. Individual education plans are reviewed every four to six weeks; where support needs further input, consultation can involve parents, portage or speech and language therapists. Records can also pass to the next nursery or primary school, helping the receiving staff understand support already tried.

For children learning English as an additional language, parents are asked for useful words from home, including words for food, drink and help. That creates a practical starting point for communication while supporting the child's home language.

Home-cooked lunch and tea are supplied, with healthy snacks twice daily and individual water bottles accessible to children. The allergy policy requires families to update information about reactions and dietary needs, and specifies separate preparation and serving of food for special diets.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning Session runs from 8am to 1pm, Afternoon Session from 1pm to 6pm, and Full Day from 8am to 6pm. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes on bank holidays, making its attendance offer different from a school-term-only arrangement.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, which asks for the child's date of birth and the session required. Before a child attends, both the signed agreement and the information form are required; the latter brings collection permissions, health information and emergency details together.

Getting There

The address is Collingtree C of E Primary School, Lodge Avenue, Collingtree, Northampton, NN4 0NQ. The nursery occupies the school's original Victorian block, and the village is off the A45.

Sharing a school site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority's school admissions process. The surroundings offer familiarity with a school environment, but nursery attendance and school admission remain separate decisions.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery participates in the National Education Grant Funding scheme and also offers paid childcare. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Fees are calculated weekly and paid in advance, even where a different payment frequency has been agreed.

The joining deposit is not refundable if the family does not take up the place; when attendance begins, it is credited against the fourth week's fee. The payment policy also provides for a paid four-week notice period if the nursery terminates the agreement following unsuccessful attempts to arrange repayment of arrears. That condition matters when reading the contract.

• Group activities and conversation. The May 2023 improvement points concerned keeping each child engaged in larger groups and developing conversational confidence. At a visit, ask how activities and adult questioning have changed in response.
• Shared outdoor space. The playground is used with Reception and Year 1. Discuss how outdoor time is organised for younger children and how the different age groups use the space.
• The funded-place quotation. Funding participation sits alongside paid sessions and advance-payment terms. Ask for a written breakdown covering the entitlement, attendance pattern, meals and non-food consumables, together with current allergy arrangements if relevant.

Collingtree suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance, especially those attracted to childcare within a primary-school setting. Individual planning, a key worker and scheduled parent discussions give the offer practical substance. The May 2023 findings support a positive assessment, while the two improvement points make conversation and group engagement sensible priorities when choosing. The school-site character is the clearest attraction; Reception admission still requires a separate application.