Shooting Stars Nurseries at Wolverhampton

A trike track, an allotment and a forest area give Shooting Stars Nurseries at Wolverhampton an outdoor identity that goes well beyond a patch of playground. Children can plant, explore natural surroundings and switch between active and messy play across two outdoor spaces. That breadth is the strongest reason to put this Compton Road West nursery on a family's list.

The nursery has capacity for 86 children aged 3 to 59 months, with four base rooms organised around babies, pre-toddlers, toddlers and preschool children. At its 19 July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective. Those are dated judgements, rather than a description of today's practice.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different attendance options. Parent communication also has a practical presence: eyLog supports contact between home and nursery, while NurseryCam provides parents with online CCTV viewing of their child.

Rooms and Ages

Four base rooms separate the broad developmental stages, rather than putting the whole age range into one shared room. Equipment and resources are selected for each stage, including apparatus for physical development. For parents, the useful distinction is between the nursery's overall capacity and the individual spaces their child will use: 86 places describes the whole setting.

The building has bright, spacious rooms, and wheelchair access is provided by a ramp at the rear. These are concrete parts of the environment, alongside the outdoor spaces, rather than claims about the quality of teaching.

Learning and Activities

The nursery must follow the EYFS, the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this means that play supports skills such as communication, movement, relationships, early reading and number understanding. It is the foundation of nursery education, rather than an additional programme unique to Shooting Stars.

In July 2022, everyday learning took recognisable forms: babies experimented with musical toys, toddlers acted out domestic scenes, and preschool children explored stories and the information on book covers. These examples show different stages of learning through play. The youngest children were discovering cause and effect; older children were using imagination and talking about books.

Mark-making also crossed the age groups in July 2022. Babies used thick chalk on a chalkboard, while preschool children put their names on their work. Staff introduced comparisons and counting during play. For families thinking ahead to school, these are useful examples of early literacy and mathematics developing through ordinary activities rather than formal lessons.

Outdoor and Community Life

The two outdoor spaces offer different kinds of activity. A grass area and trike track support movement, while the sand pit and mud kitchen provide materials for messy exploration. The allotment adds planting to the mix, giving children something to tend as well as something to play with.

A forest area brings natural surroundings into the nursery grounds; climbing structures and a tunnel add physical challenges and possibilities for imaginative games. Children have opportunities to use the outdoors in different weather conditions. This suits families who want outdoor play to be a regular part of nursery life, with more choice than a single fixed play structure.

Close relationships were visible in July 2022. Babies sought comfort from staff when unfamiliar adults were present, and staff responded warmly. Older children were comfortable starting conversations. For a parent considering the move into nursery, those observations offer a dated picture of how children used adults for reassurance and social contact.

Communication with families has both digital and conversational routes. The nursery uses eyLog to support regular exchanges with home, and parents can discuss their child's needs, development and interests with the team. Sharing what has caught a child's attention at home gives staff information they can use to connect the two parts of the child's day.

NurseryCam is a group-wide parental CCTV facility also used at Wolverhampton. It gives parents online visibility of their child in nursery rooms. Its practical value is an additional way to see part of the day; the July 2022 safeguarding judgement remains the separate assessment of safeguarding practice.

In July 2022, staff used pictures and their own language skills to help children learning English understand communication. They also narrated babies' play and repeated words for children to try. These are specific examples of language support, rather than a general promise about every child's needs.

Meals are cooked on site, with menus reviewed regularly. In July 2022, the chef adjusted meals for individual dietary requirements and staff gently encouraged children to taste unfamiliar foods.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Compton Grange, 55 Compton Road West, Wolverhampton WV3 9DU. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, throughout the year except Bank Holidays.

Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 7.30am to 6pm. A morning start at 7.30am can be booked in advance for an extra charge. Collection at 6.30pm is also offered for an additional fee. These extensions matter where a family's working hours extend beyond the standard session boundaries.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. The nursery also offers personalised tours by arrangement.

Getting There

A car park sits in front of the property, with an accessible bay close to the entrance. The rear access ramp provides a route into the building for wheelchair users.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts government-funded entitlement of 15 or 30 hours, subject to eligibility, as well as Tax Free Childcare. Private sessions are also offered. Funded hours and the costs attached to attendance need to be considered separately: food served during funded sessions is charged separately, including breakfast, the morning snack and lunch during morning attendance, and afternoon tea during afternoon attendance.

Fees are spread into equal monthly payments and are payable in advance. Reserving a place requires a booking fee and a refundable deposit. Bank Holidays and children's absences are charged at the usual rate, so a Bank Holiday or absence does not remove those charges. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Toddler participation. In July 2022, some toddler group activities did not keep every child involved. On a tour, ask how activities are adapted when a toddler loses interest or needs a different way to join in.
• Behaviour explanations. In July 2022, staff did not consistently explain why unwanted behaviour was unacceptable. Ask how the team now helps children understand boundaries, alongside sharing and taking turns.
• Funded attendance costs. Food during funded sessions is charged separately, and Bank Holidays and absences remain chargeable. Compare the written quotation with the mornings, afternoons or full days your family would actually book.
• Your child's care routines. With on-site cooking and four developmental stages, a personalised tour is a useful opportunity to discuss dietary requirements and how your child's sleep and settling routines would work in their base room.

Outdoor choice gives this nursery its clearest appeal: planting in the allotment, riding on the trike track and exploring the forest area offer different reasons to be outside. The four base rooms and communication through eyLog add practical structure around that experience.

It suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance, especially those who value substantial outdoor provision. The July 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, with toddler engagement and consistent behaviour explanations the two points to explore. Funded childcare is part of the offer, but separately charged food and charges for Bank Holidays and absences belong in the family budget.