Lower Earley Day Nursery, Yellow Brick House

A baby garden, a covered outdoor classroom and regular visits to Lower Earley Library give this nursery a character that extends beyond its playrooms. Lower Earley Day Nursery, Yellow Brick House has capacity for 80 children, accepts ages three months to five years and occupies Chalfont Park Pavilion on Chalfont Way.

At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted graded the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised children's progress and the support provided through key-person relationships. The judgement came with clear priorities: better matching group activities to younger preschool children's development, improving some learning spaces and making curriculum training more precise. These are useful points to explore alongside the nursery's outdoor provision and parent communication.

Attendance includes Standard Day and Full Day bookings, extensions at either end of the day and shorter funded sessions. That gives families several patterns to weigh against their working week.

Rooms and Ages

The Nest accommodates babies and children under two in an open-plan space with age-suited resources and direct access to its own secure garden, bringing outdoor experiences into the youngest children's day.

Little Bears serves children aged two and three in a large, open-plan room equipped for that age group. Big Bears Room takes children aged three to five, with toys and activities intended to support the period before starting school. The progression is easy for parents to understand, although overlapping ages make a child's readiness for a move a useful discussion point.

In May 2024, younger children explored sensory materials, toddlers used a role-play kitchen and preschool children anticipated what might happen in familiar stories. These were different experiences for different stages, rather than one activity applied across the nursery. The same visit highlighted a limitation: some group work moved towards formal writing before all the younger preschool children were developmentally ready.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, activities are planned around children's interests and the next steps in their development. Alongside it, Development Matters guides curriculum planning. The distinction matters: the statutory framework sets expectations, while practitioners choose the experiences that help an individual child move forward.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, described as STEM, has an emphasis across the age groups. Activities follow children's interests, with staff encouraging them to think through ideas and become more independent learners.

Boogie Mites is a group-wide addition that brings regular music and movement into the nursery day. It complements the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Group-wide outdoor activities also include bug hunts, measuring trees and building tents, giving children concrete experiences to talk about and investigate.

Outdoor and Community Life

Fixed play equipment and a purpose-built, covered outdoor classroom extend learning beyond the indoor rooms. Children can use the outside spaces for learning opportunities as well as physical play, so the garden is more than a break between indoor activities. In May 2024, older children used outdoor apparatus for climbing and balance, alongside imaginative play and learning to judge the space around them.

Regular community outings include Lower Earley Library, Trinity Church and Chalfont Park. These named destinations give the nursery day a connection to places families may already use. The frequency is regular rather than a fixed weekly timetable, and the outings are planned around children's interests.

Relationships and Communication

Settling support includes physical comfort, shared books and time spent talking and playing with staff. These are part of the group's care approach used here, giving a child familiar interactions while confidence develops. In May 2024, practitioners knew their key children well and used that knowledge when planning activities; staff also helped children work through everyday disagreements and difficult feelings.

Famly, the group's online record and communication system, carries observations alongside information about meals and sleep. Parents have regular progress meetings, and an electronic Learning Journey containing photographs and observations accompanies the child when they leave for primary school. This connects everyday updates with a longer account of development, rather than leaving parents to interpret isolated pictures.

In May 2024, communication also included daily conversations with parents and suggestions for continuing learning at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In May 2024, staff asked families for words from children's home languages and used visual cues alongside clear spoken language to support English learning. Celebrations reflected the cultures of children attending. Familiar words give children a link between home and nursery.

Nursery cooks prepare meals and snacks on the premises each day. The nursery's dietary policy allows adjustments for most allergies and dietary requirements, with changes made to dishes where needed.

Sessions and Attendance

Standard Day runs from 8am to 4pm, while Full Day runs from 8am to 5.30pm; both have booking choices of three, four or five days each week.

Early Start begins at 7.30am and Late Finish extends care to 6pm, with an additional charge for each selected extension. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. An opening window and a core booking are different things: the earlier start and later finish need to be included in the chosen arrangement.

Funded session choices are 9am to 3pm, 9am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm, each for 38 weeks a year. These give shorter attendance options as well as a term-time day. Funding remains subject to the child's entitlement, and hours outside that entitlement are paid wrap-around care.

Getting There

The address is Chalfont Park Pavilion, Chalfont Way, Lower Earley, Reading, RG6 5HQ, near Asda. A large car park and nearby bus routes towards Reading give families options for the journey.

Contact is through the nursery on 0118 987 3441 or lowerearley@completechildcare.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers funded childcare for eligible families using 15 hours or 30 hours of entitlement, delivered over 38 weeks rather than stretched across the year. For eligible children using 30 hours, funding covers up to six hours a day; for those using 15 hours, the daily allocation is between three and six hours. The guide places funded entitlement between 9am and 3pm, while also offering an afternoon session ending at 4pm, so the funded allocation within that option needs particular attention.

Funded entitlement itself carries no charge, and the nursery requests a voluntary contribution towards lunch and snacks. Paid wrap-around care includes catering, activities and consumables in its fee, with no separate charges for those categories. During non-funded weeks, full session charges apply; during funded weeks, the paid portion covers hours beyond the child's entitlement.

A monthly payment plan averages annual fees over the remaining months of the year. Invoices retain actual monthly charges, with differences reconciled at the plan's end or early departure. There is no administration fee, and payment by Direct Debit is offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Developmentally appropriate group work. In May 2024, some writing activities did not suit younger preschool children, some spaces needed improvement and curriculum training needed greater precision. On a visit, ask how these priorities have changed small-group teaching and the resources children use.
• Funded afternoons and budgeting. The 1pm to 4pm option sits alongside funding allocated between 9am and 3pm. Ask how that session is funded or charged for your entitlement, including the voluntary food contribution and non-funded weeks.
• Room moves and settling. Little Bears and Big Bears Room have overlapping age bands. Discuss how the move is agreed and how the child's key-person relationship is supported through it.
• Dietary adjustments. Meals are cooked on site and most dietary needs can be accommodated. Families managing an allergy should confirm current preparation arrangements and the changes needed for their child.

Lower Earley suits families comparing Standard Day and Full Day bookings, funded mornings, afternoons and term-time days. Its strongest practical attractions are the youngest children's garden access, a covered outdoor classroom, regular local outings and Famly updates. The May 2024 priorities give parents a clear test for a visit: how well activities now match each child's development, and how consistently the learning spaces support their play. It is a useful combination of outdoor opportunities and varied attendance patterns, with the funding timetable deserving careful attention.