Little Dragon's Nursery

Three connected rooms for children under two, a two-tiered outdoor play area and a curriculum centred on communication give Little Dragon's Nursery a clear character. Play follows children's interests, while outings bring Stourport-on-Severn into their learning. This is a setting where the local community forms part of the nursery day.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that children were progressing well and judged safeguarding effective. There were also clear priorities: stronger teaching confidence, routines that preserve children's play choices, and better exchanges with parents about learning at home.

At 4 New Street, Stourport-On-Severn, DY13 8UN, the nursery has capacity for 36 children aged two months to five years. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside term-time attendance, giving families different ways to organise care.

Rooms and Ages

For children under two, three rooms connect with one another rather than forming isolated spaces. They are open and spacious, giving the youngest children room to explore. The two-tiered outdoor area has taken different forms, including pirate ships, pumpkin patches and garden picnics: familiar space can become the starting point for new play.

In March 2025, babies explored dough and sand and used pretend-play toys. Older children joined yoga and stories, while bubbles attracted their attention outdoors. These examples show the balance between sensory exploration, movement and shared activities at that time; they also give parents concrete experiences to discuss alongside their child's interests.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, with communication, physical development and social and emotional learning supporting experiences such as counting, stories and creative play. Little Dragon's places communication at the centre of its curriculum. Its Every Child a Talker Program (ECAT) supports that emphasis on language as a foundation for other learning.

Activities and resources are arranged around children's interests, with practitioners using questions and observation to extend play. Staff use assessment and review to adapt activities to children's interests. The practical intention is that a child's curiosity helps shape the learning, rather than every activity following the same adult plan.

A March 2025 example makes that approach tangible. Interest in a laptop prompted a craft activity in which children made their own versions, practising scissors and pencil movements along the way. However, daily routines sometimes restricted the choices children could make. Following interests worked well within activities; organising the whole day to protect that freedom remained an improvement priority.

Outdoor and Community Life

Stourport Meadows provides opportunities for park visits and participation in a local litter pick. Little Big Town Role Play is another outing destination, while visits to Slippery Sales have involved seeing fish and exploring a local business. These are different experiences from repeating play within the nursery's own rooms.

The Christmas Rhythm and Rhyme visit at Stourport Baptist Church adds a seasonal activity. A post person and a police officer have also visited the nursery. In March 2025, community outings were being used to explore road awareness, the work of the police and water safety, linking trips with practical ideas about staying safe.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who gathers information about their interests, achievements and development. Progress records and everyday information are shared during handovers, and families can discuss development in more detail. The two-year development check is shared both verbally and in writing, giving parents something to refer back to as well as a conversation.

In March 2025, babies settled readily and older children were relaxed with staff. The nursery employed 13 childcare staff at that point. Teaching confidence varied across the team, making continued staff development a relevant consideration alongside the reassuring relationships observed then.

Daily handovers provide a regular point of contact, but communication needs to do more than recount the day. In March 2025, plans for closer collaboration with parents were not yet established in everyday practice. The outstanding task was to connect learning at nursery with what children could explore at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff used signs and flashcards to support communication, assessed children on entry and provided early help when needed. The current key-person arrangement also includes discussing developmental concerns with the manager and family, creating a defined route for raising questions about a child's progress.

Potty training follows the child's pace and stays as close as possible to the family's routine. For sleep, parents supply a blanket and any familiar soothers. These arrangements allow everyday care to retain connections with home rather than requiring children to adopt entirely different habits.

Meals are prepared and cooked on the premises, with menus responding to children's nutritional needs and preferences. The nursery's approach includes responding to allergies and difficulties with tastes or textures.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 5.30pm. Operational hours currently end at 5.30pm. That distinction matters when matching care to a working day.

Attendance can continue through school holidays, although the nursery closes for Christmas and bank holidays. Term-time attendance is also offered; extra holiday sessions incur an additional charge and depend on space. Families can make enquiries by telephone on 01299 21 31 33 or through the contact form.

Parents should notify the nursery promptly if collection will be late. Repeated late collection leads to charges for additional hours. Following sickness or diarrhoea, children must remain away for 48 hours after their final symptom, a practical consideration for arranging backup care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible three- and four-year-olds, including the 15 to 30 hours entitlement. Families complete and return a funding form each term. Additional holiday attendance outside a term-time arrangement is paid separately; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Parents provide nappies, wipes and nappy cream, together with a water bottle and spare clothing. Sunscreen must also come from home: reapplication requires a completed consent form and a labelled product matching that consent. Wellies and suitable outdoor clothes support participation in outdoor play across different weather.

• An afternoon finish. Operational hours end at 5.30pm, and the afternoon session ends then too. Assess that finish against work and collection arrangements, including the policy on repeated lateness.
• Children's choice and teaching confidence. March 2025 priorities included developing staff confidence and reorganising routines that narrowed play options. On a visit, ask how the day now protects uninterrupted play and how staff development supports it.
• Learning between home and nursery. Key-person records and handovers provide regular communication, but closer collaboration remained a March 2025 priority. Ask for an example of how a child's current learning is shared and extended at home.
• Funding and care supplies. Parents supply nappies, wipes, cream and sunscreen. Request a written quotation covering the intended attendance pattern and how funded hours, meals and additional charges fit together; allergy-affected families should also confirm current meal arrangements.

Little Dragon's suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those organising attendance around term time. Connected spaces for the youngest children, communication-led play and outings to places such as Stourport Meadows give the offer substance. The March 2025 Good judgement supports that picture, while the priorities around teaching confidence, children's choices and home learning give families specific points to assess. The 5.30pm operational finish is an equally important part of the decision.