Blackdown Children's Day Nursery

About this day nursery

Blackdown Children's Day Nursery, located in Chelston, near Wellington, provides a good standard of early years education for children aged 1 to 4 years. The nursery fosters a motivated learning environment where staff actively involve children in decisions about their play and learning, sparking their interests and encouraging their ideas.

The curriculum is ambitious and broad, with staff demonstrating a good understanding of children's next learning steps, effectively progressing their development. Young children are encouraged to explore and persevere, while older children develop mathematical language and critical thinking.

The nursery places a strong emphasis on children's emotional well-being, especially recognising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caring staff build strong bonds with children, providing consistent routines and small-group activities to ensure they feel secure.

The nursery effectively monitors children's progress, promptly identifying and addressing any learning gaps with tailored support, including close collaboration with parents and the special educational needs coordinator. Staff are nurturing, successfully meeting the care needs of the youngest children by gathering and regularly reviewing comprehensive information from parents.

Managerial oversight is strong, with the manager supporting staff development through observations and meetings and effectively monitoring teaching quality to maintain high standards. Parents speak positively about the nursery's support in preparing children for school and the strong relationships children form with adults.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with well-trained staff knowledgeable about indicators of abuse and prompt referral procedures, ensuring a safe and secure environment.

Our ethos

Blackdown Children's Day Nursery aims to foster a motivated learning environment where children are actively involved in decisions about their play and learning, sparking their interests and encouraging their ideas. They focus on an ambitious and broad curriculum, encouraging exploration, perseverance, mathematical language, and critical thinking. The nursery prioritises children's emotional well-being and provides a secure environment through strong bonds, consistent routines, and small-group activities.

What it's like

Children are motivated to learn. Staff create a curriculum that sparks children's interest, seeking their views and engaging them in decisions about their learning. Young children show great curiosity, testing their ideas and persevering in their attempts.

Pricing & funding