The Redbrick Day Nursery, Kingswell Road

A garden for babies, a Toddler Garden with soft play areas and a Pre-school Garden with purpose-made equipment give Kingswell Road a clear emphasis on outdoor childhood. The Redbrick Day Nursery, Kingswell Road serves babies through to preschool in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, with spaces that separate the youngest children's outdoor experiences from those of older children.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 23 June 2025, recognising effective curriculum delivery while asking staff to become more consistent at extending children's ideas during play. That balance matters: the educational offer earned a positive judgement, but the quality of adult interaction remained a specific improvement priority.

Children are accepted from three months to 60 months. The nursery opens on weekdays between 8am and 6pm, and meals are included in its fees. An Out of School Club also provides school drop-off and collection for children attending Kingsthorpe Primary Village School and Whitehills Primary School.

Rooms and Ages

Babies have sensory resources, books and toys alongside singing, stories and care organised around individual routines, giving them opportunities to explore while retaining their own daily rhythm. Toddlers have a spacious environment for movement and growing independence, with indoor and outdoor exploration built into their day. For preschool children, guided experiences sit alongside play, with an emphasis on communication, friendships and early learning as school approaches.

These are different stages of provision rather than one room serving every age. For parents choosing care for a baby, the individual routine is the most useful detail; for an older child, the balance between independent play and adult guidance becomes more relevant.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play gives children opportunities to practise communication, physical skills and relationships. Kingswell Road's emphasis on learning through awe and wonder adds an invitation to explore, ask questions and make discoveries through experiences and interaction with adults.

In June 2025, staff used children's interests to shape activities. Babies interested in balls were encouraged into back-and-forth games, combining movement with early turn-taking. Conversations during preschool craft activities brought caterpillars, ladybirds and butterflies into children's language, while discussion of favourite sea creatures gave them another reason to speak and listen.

Physical exploration also featured in June 2025. Children tried stepping across soft, uneven surfaces with an adult's support, then experimented with moving over them on hands and knees. The practical value is easy to understand: a physical challenge can be adjusted as a child becomes more confident, rather than everyone being expected to tackle it in the same way.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily outdoor access is part of the nursery routine, including time in the garden for babies with familiar adults. The Toddler Garden has interactive features as well as soft play areas; the Pre-school Garden provides a large space with equipment made for it. Babies have a secluded outdoor play space of their own.

That arrangement gives families more to consider than whether a nursery simply has a garden. The outdoor spaces cater for different stages of development, while older children's provision supports active, imaginative and social play across the seasons.

Relationships and Communication

Continuity with home is an explicit part of care at Kingswell Road. Staff work with families around children's routines, and babies follow individual patterns rather than having every care need fitted into a shared timetable. Familiar adults are part of the outdoor experience too, linking exploration with relationships children already know.

In June 2025, parents received individual daily feedback covering care routines and activities their children had enjoyed. An app also carried updates about learning and the purpose of activities. Daily feedback covered children's enjoyment and care routines, while app updates explained activities and intended learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and recognised support for children with SEND, including curriculum adaptations and staff's use of information from parents and other professionals. For a family needing additional support, the important detail is that parental knowledge and professional advice informed care, rather than being treated as separate from nursery learning.

In June 2025, stories and group discussion helped children explore emotions such as nervousness and confidence. Adults used calm speech and acknowledged kindness between children. Babies who became upset received comfort and time to resume playing when ready, an example of care responding to the child rather than pushing the activity forward.

The current team includes a manager, deputy manager and practitioners, with ongoing training and professional development. All staff have paediatric first aid training. A chef prepares fresh food in the on-site kitchen each day, and the nursery caters for dietary needs; breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in fees.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Kingdom Hall, Kingswell Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, NN2 6QB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Care runs across the year, with closures for bank holidays and three days between Christmas and New Year, so those breaks need to fit the family's childcare arrangements.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01604 213333 or by email at admin@theredbrickdaynursery.co.uk. Alongside nursery care, the Out of School Club provides drop-off and pick-up for Kingsthorpe Primary Village School and Whitehills Primary School. This is a transport service for children already attending those schools, rather than an admissions relationship.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2025, the nursery provided government-funded places for children aged nine months to four years. Nursery fees include meals, with food prepared on the premises. Families should obtain a current written quotation so that the price relates to their child's proposed attendance.

• Adult interaction during play. The June 2025 improvement priority concerned how consistently staff extended children's thinking. On a visit, ask to see how practitioners build on a child's idea through conversation or a new challenge.
• Baby routines and outdoor care. Babies follow individual routines and use their garden daily with familiar adults. Discuss how your child's feeding, rest and outdoor time would fit together, including which daily supplies you would bring.
• Attendance and funding. The weekday opening window is 8am to 6pm, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Ask how your preferred booking pattern and any funded entitlement would be arranged within that timetable.

Kingswell Road suits families seeking care from babyhood through preschool, with individual routines for younger children and daily outdoor experiences across the age groups. It also serves families using school drop-off and collection at the two named primary schools. The strongest practical combination is stage-specific space, meals prepared on site and communication about children's care and learning.

The June 2025 judgement provides a positive foundation, with a clear qualification: adults needed to extend children's thinking more consistently. For parents who value learning through play, that is the most useful point to explore alongside the gardens and everyday care arrangements.