The Mulberry Tree Day Nursery

Sensory exploration gives The Mulberry Tree Day Nursery its character: real objects for open-ended play, a sensory room with tactile walls and music sessions through Boogie Woogie Music. This is the younger-child nursery at Mulberry House in Hoylake, rather than the separate Kingsmead setting. That distinction matters when comparing rooms and planning a child's next move.

At its 31 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 34 children aged three months to three years. Its current room organisation centres on babies, newly mobile children and toddlers, with older provision at Kingsmead.

Rooms and Ages

Developmental stages help shape the room sequence. The Baby Room supports children before they are walking, combining sensory experiences with soft areas and care organised around individual routines. The Tots Room takes walking children up to two years, with movement, messy play and stories supporting early communication and physical exploration. For children aged two to two-and-a-half, the Toddler Room combines sensory activities, storytelling and outdoor exploration with opportunities to practise independence and form friendships.

The move out of the Baby Room follows increasing mobility, rather than a fixed birthday. For parents, that makes the room sequence useful to understand alongside their child's development: the surroundings and activities change as children become more able to explore for themselves.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, with activities adapted to each child's interests and development. Alongside that shared foundation, the Curiosity Approach brings natural textures, everyday objects and materials that children can use in different ways. The practical appeal is the freedom to investigate an object and decide what to do with it, rather than follow a single prescribed use.

Boogie Woogie Music adds regular movement and music activities, giving children opportunities to practise listening, coordination and self-expression together. The sensory room offers another kind of experience: bubble tubes, gentle lighting and tactile surfaces provide resources for exploration or a quieter pause.

In August 2022, communication ran through activities such as children choosing familiar stories and recounting them to staff. Babies painted together on the floor, while dough activities introduced natural materials with different smells and textures. These examples show how conversation, movement and sensory investigation were combined within ordinary play, rather than confined to separate lessons.

Outdoor and Community Life

Nature activities include building dens, making things from natural materials and exploring seasonal changes. They give children practical reasons to handle materials, solve small problems and work alongside others. Regular visits to a local nursing home add contact with older people beyond the nursery's own age groups.

In August 2022, outings included the beach, a farm and a park. Children also practised physical skills by pulling up against furniture and judging how to use climbing equipment. These are dated examples of the nursery day, useful for understanding its emphasis on exploration rather than treating them as a current outing schedule.

Relationships and Communication

A dedicated key person provides a consistent relationship for each child. In the Baby Room, care follows individual routines and involves collaboration with parents, so information about feeding and everyday care can inform the nursery day. The emphasis is on continuity between home and nursery as babies become accustomed to a different setting.

Famly, the nursery's communication app, brings photographs, routine updates and developmental milestones together with direct messages to staff. Parents can also use it for attendance information and documents. This gives everyday care and longer-term development a shared communication channel, rather than leaving parents dependent on a brief conversation alone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The nursery has a SENCO role, and its SEND arrangements involve parents and professionals in identifying needs and planning support. The Graduated Approach organises that work into assessing needs, planning changes, putting support into practice and reviewing its effect. A child's response can therefore inform the next adjustment, rather than a plan remaining fixed.

The sensory room includes resources for both active investigation and calming time. That is a concrete provision to discuss for a child who needs quieter experiences, although suitability depends on the child's individual needs.

Independence deserves closer attention. In August 2022, children sometimes served food or washed their hands themselves, but staff did not offer those opportunities consistently; adults also occasionally completed tasks children could manage. The improvement required was a more consistent approach to self-care. For toddlers learning to do things themselves, small decisions at meals and throughout the day matter.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Mulberry House, 128-130 Market Street, Hoylake, CH47 3BH. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening and a Christmas closure. These hours provide the operating window for families arranging care around work and other commitments.

The contact route separates the Market Street nursery from Kingsmead, which serves children from two-and-a-half to five years and houses preschool, wraparound and holiday provision. Those services belong to a different setting. Enquiries for the nursery can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 0151 216 5245; nursery visits can also be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Working-parent funded places are offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to consider their planned attendance and the associated charges together.

Mealtimes introduce different flavours and textures, with provision for children going through periods of selective eating. Eating alongside other children is part of the approach, encouraging exploration of food within a shared daily routine.

• The next setting. Kingsmead serves children from two-and-a-half onwards. At a nursery visit, discuss how a move between the settings would be prepared for and how continuity of care would work for your child.
• Practising independence. In August 2022, opportunities for children to manage self-care were inconsistent. Ask how staff now support toddlers to serve food, wash hands and attempt manageable tasks themselves.
• The funded package. Working-parent funding is offered. Request a written quotation separating funded attendance, additional hours, meals and non-food consumables, so the whole arrangement is clear before booking.

The Mulberry Tree suits families seeking baby and toddler care with sensory exploration, music and practical play, supported by a key person and communication through Famly. Its younger-child rooms are the relevant offer at Market Street; Kingsmead is a separate consideration for the next stage. The Good judgement dates to August 2022, and consistent support for independence remains the clearest issue to explore when deciding whether the nursery fits your child.