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Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2024)
·
4.2(6 parent reviews)
·Downfield Lodge, Downfield Road, Stroud, GL5 4HL · Gloucestershire
Number of places
71 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2024
Local authority
Gloucestershire

About this day nursery

Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery in Stroud offers a full-time childcare experience for children aged 3 months to 5 years, fostering exploration, learning, and growth in a stimulating and secure environment. The nursery prioritises creating surroundings that encourage development and works in close partnership with parents, valuing collaborative relationships.

Emphasising the welfare of every child, the nursery maintains high standards of quality and safety. They also go the extra mile to enrich children's experiences, including extensive outdoor activities like forest school, to connect them with nature.

The dedicated team is carefully chosen for their qualifications and commitment to early years education, with all staff members trained in paediatric first aid, ensuring peace of mind for parents.

What it's like

Staff at Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery focus on building strong relationships with families and children, using home visits and settling-in sessions to ease transitions and ensure emotional security. They implement an ambitious curriculum focused on language development, physical activity, and personalised learning plans, enabling children to make good progress from their individual starting points.

Forest SchoolPaediatric First Aid Trained StaffFull-time Day Nursery

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured as a flat daily rate, varying depending on the specific room the child is placed in. The nursery cares for children aged three months to five years. Both government-funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare payments are accepted.

Funding accepted

30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)
  • Oak & Elm Rooms daily rate£75 / day
  • Willow & Maple Rooms daily rate£77 / day
  • 30 Hours Government Funding - Willow & Maple Rooms - Day 1 food and consumables charge£10 / day
  • 30 Hours Government Funding - Willow & Maple Rooms - Day 2 food and consumables charge£10 / day
  • 30 Hours Government Funding - Willow & Maple Rooms - Day 3 including food and consumables£62.50 / day

Good to know

  • Charges are based on a flat daily rate per room.
  • Government-funded childcare is available for eligible children.
  • Payments are accepted via the Tax-Free Childcare scheme.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, from 8am to 6pm.

Age range

3 months to 5 years

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

Last inspected 22 November 2024 · Gwyneth Keen

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Staff at Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery focus on building strong relationships with families and children, using home visits and settling-in sessions to ease transitions and ensure emotional security. They implement an ambitious curriculum focused on language development, physical activity, and personalised learning plans, enabling children to make good progress from their individual starting points.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff in the baby room create a calm and nurturing environment with planned sensory play.
  • Staff prioritise children's communication and language skills through songs, rhymes, and stories.
  • Staff teach children about healthy choices and lifestyles, promoting strong self-help skills and independence.
  • Staff support children in developing social skills, self-regulation, and an appreciation for diversity.
  • The setting highly values staff well-being and provides targeted training opportunities.

Areas to develop

  • 1develop the organisation of group times to ensure all children can participate effectively and maximise their learning opportunities
  • 2strengthen the quality of teaching for the younger children to consistently challenge them, enabling them to build on their existing knowledge and skills even further.
Inspection #10373369 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents speak highly of the nursery.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff collaborate closely with parents and external agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and help them make the best possible progress. The setting uses the additional funding effectively to support children's individual learning needs.

Outdoor space

The report mentions that the inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. There is no further detail regarding the outdoor space or physical play.

Parent Reviews of Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

4.2
(6)
Rachel Rawlings
8 years ago

My daughter has been at curious caterpillars for a few months now, she started when she was 2. It didn't take her long to settle in, staff are very attentive and I always feel listened to about any issues I have with my daughter. She's gone from a fussy eater to trying lots of new things, they offer a fantastic range of food. She has developed so much in just a few months the learning is clearly very good. On the whole a fantastic nursery which I do recommend!

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Helen Eddy
8 years ago

My daughter attends this Nursery. She cannot wait to go each day, which is a relief. The staff are incredible, and go out of their way to make her feel secure and happy here. The communication between the staff and parents is good. My daughter is currently transitioning rooms, and this process has been happening at her pace and all seems to be going smoothly so far. My only niggle is traffic at drop off can be a bit difficult, but we knew that would be the case - and makes school holidays an extra easy drop off treat!! We are very glad to have found curious caterpillars after looking at a variety of other local childcare options.

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Clare Papper
8 years ago

A lovely nursery. Staff are caring and enthusiastic about all the activities they do with the children. My son has been there for over a year now and he absolutely loves going to nursery which really helps. He does so many different things during the day and enjoys the lovely outdoor space too. The communication with home through their books is brilliant and gives you an insight into their day. I really recommend Curious Caterpillars.

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Rachael Bott
8 years ago

Our daughter started at Curious Caterpillars in September and settled in extremely quickly. This was particularly good news as she had just turned 4 and the pre-school children were already quite an established group. The nursery is extremely well organised with communication books, book bags for pre-schoolers, really efficient email correspondence and a great range of structured activities alongside free play. For me, aside from the really friendly, warm environment, what sets it apart is that the manager is really approachable and gets to know the children well. Also, there are parents' evenings and little social events where parents are welcomed in, e.g. Mother's Day tea and cakes and charity activities. I'd love to give the nursery a 5 star review and the only reason for not doing so, is that the outdoor area is quite small. Having said that, the nursery does forest school with a few sessions at the local park and recently did a sports relief day. This is definitely a nursery where your child can grow in confidence but also feel free to be themselves. I love the fact that the pre-school really encourages independence but in a nurturing way. Lara will be sad to leave in September, when she starts school, but will be leaving with the skills and confidence ready for that big step.

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Owen Smith
7 years ago

I found out one of the kids is anti vax, now i regret advising it to a friends parent. I find this despicable

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Reviews from Google for Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: March 2016

  • November 2024Good
  • June 2019Good
  • March 2016Good

Frequently asked about Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

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