Leigh Cottage Childcare

A stone cottage, meals shared across age groups and a baby sleep room beside the playroom give Leigh Cottage Childcare a recognisable character. Its layout makes space for both activity and rest, rather than expecting every part of the day to happen in the same room. The kitchen and dining room bring children together; age-specific spaces give them somewhere to return to afterwards.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Leigh Cottage Childcare Outstanding overall. The setting has capacity for 61 children, with a current age range from birth to eight years. Its cottage-based day-care provision centres on children from three months to five years, with Twinkles, Sparkles, Comets and Stars marking successive stages.

Care runs throughout the year. For parents, the strongest practical detail is the progression through rooms with different physical arrangements: cots for the youngest children, adjoining child-sized toilets for toddlers and direct patio access for preschool children.

Rooms and Ages

Twinkles, starting from three months, combines a playroom with an adjoining room containing cots, separating sleep from active play while toys support development across different areas.

Sparkles, from 18 months, has space for movement and exploration, sleep mats in a quieter area and adjoining infant toilet facilities to support potty and toilet training.

Comets, from 28 months, occupies the cottage's top room, where role play and a book corner support preparation for preschool through shared reading, songs and group time.

Stars, from 38 months, has a ground-floor playroom opening through double doors onto an enclosed patio, plus a conservatory for messy activities, with an emphasis on play and everyday independence before school.

These stages also overlap socially. Younger Comets maintain contact with Sparkles, while older children begin spending time with Stars. That gives the move towards preschool a practical bridge between familiar children and the next room, rather than treating each age threshold as a wholly separate experience.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development: children learn through play, with staff observing their development and planning what comes next. Leigh Cottage's Learning Diary brings together observations, photographs and examples of children's work. It gives families concrete material to discuss with their child's keyworker, rather than relying only on a brief account of the day.

In June 2023, learning activities included babies joining a story with props and counting as they fed a caterpillar. Older children unearthed dinosaur bones, assembled their discoveries and explored words associated with the bones and dinosaurs. These examples show how a familiar story or an imaginative excavation can combine conversation, counting and hands-on participation.

The attention bucket game was another June 2023 example: staff used selected objects and a song to draw small groups into shared exploration. Its purpose was to help children practise listening and sustaining attention. During building role play, children also experimented with adding flour to change the consistency of their pretend building mixture, then explained what they had done.

Choice had a visible place in the same month's daily activities. Children selected their snacks, and preschool children used pegs to indicate which additional activities they wanted. The practical implication is straightforward: children had opportunities to express preferences and see those preferences influence the day.

In June 2023, children cooperated while pushing one another in a wheelbarrow and sought help when the task became difficult. This gave children practice in recognising when they needed another child's help and working together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The cottage garden combines enclosed grass with areas for different activities and all-weather play spaces. Open fields surround it, with views towards the White Horse and Salisbury Plain. This adds a rural outlook to an outdoor space that accommodates different kinds of play.

Relationships and Communication

For Twinkles, daily routines are recorded and information passes between parents and the child's key person when the child's day finishes. Alongside the Learning Diary, regular appointments give families time to discuss developmental records. The two arrangements serve different purposes: one covers the immediate day, while the other makes room for a fuller conversation about learning.

In June 2023, staff supported children through family changes, including the arrival of a new baby, by talking sensitively with them during play. Everyday independence also featured in care routines: children practised pouring drinks with help and putting on their shoes. These were small, useful opportunities to participate in their own care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that learning was adapted to individual needs, including SEND, that children made excellent progress and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. The nursery has an in-house special educational needs co-ordinator who works with colleagues, parents and outside agencies when needed. This gives families a defined role through which to discuss additional support.

Oral-health activities in June 2023 included younger children exploring toothbrushes through play and older children using mirrors to examine their teeth. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, a song and supporting information went home to involve parents. The link between an activity at nursery and something families could use at home made the learning practical beyond the session itself.

A chef oversees cooking and the preparation of children's food. Age groups eat together in the kitchen and dining room, creating opportunities to spend time with children beyond their own room.

Sessions and Attendance

Leigh Cottage Childcare is at 6 Sladesbrook, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1SH. It offers complete day care throughout the year and opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Those are opening hours; the room progression describes how children spend their time within the setting.

Visits can be arranged by telephone on 01225 860921 or by emailing info@leighcottagechildcare.com. The cottage has full disabled access, a useful practical consideration alongside its arrangement across different floors.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2023, the nursery received early-education funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That is a dated participation statement rather than a promise of a particular funded attendance arrangement now.

• The youngest children's routine. Twinkles has a cot room beside its playroom, and daily routines are recorded for handovers. On a visit, explore how these arrangements would accommodate your baby's usual sleep and feeding pattern.
• Age range and attendance terms. The cottage's day-care offer centres on three months to five years, while the setting's current age range extends from birth to eight. What care arrangements and written funding, meal and consumables terms would apply to your child's age and intended attendance?
• Movement through the cottage. Comets uses the top room, while Stars has ground-floor patio access; full disabled access is provided. Consider how the room layout and moves between stages fit your child's mobility and independence.

Leigh Cottage suits families seeking year-round day care with a clear progression from baby spaces to preschool, and parents who value recorded daily routines alongside developmental diaries. The physical arrangements carry much of its appeal: separate baby sleep space, toddler toilet facilities and a preschool patio each answer a different stage of childhood.

The June 2023 Outstanding judgement provides a strong dated quality reference. The cottage layout and practical room details give families concrete features to weigh alongside it, especially when choosing care for a baby or planning the move towards preschool.