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The Cottage Private Day Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Jul 2023)
·
4.8(16 parent reviews) ·76 - 78 Bedford Street, DERBY, DE22 3PD · Derby
Number of places
68 places
Age range
2–5 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2023
Local authority
Derby

About this day nursery

The Cottage Private Day Nursery, established in 1990 by Debbie Bull, is a family-run childcare provider offering a warm and stimulating environment for children aged 0-5 years. With three locations in Derby, Mickleover, and Heanor, the nursery focuses on a hands-on approach to childcare.

Each location has a dedicated childcare manager: Olivia Howie in Derby, Karen Green in Mickleover, and Bridget Pilgrim in Heanor. The nursery provides care for babies, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.

They regular host diverse activities and events, which are highlighted in their news section, showcasing the engaging experiences available to children across all their nurseries. The website also provides avenues for inquiries, career opportunities, and general information about their services and locations.

What it's like

Children are happy and confident in the nursery due to an effective key-person system that fosters strong attachments with staff. They are encouraged to be curious and explore, demonstrating fascination with things like a ladybird. Children also engage in imaginative play, experimenting with mud and water to make potions, which develops their critical-thinking skills.

Family-runEstablished 1990Three locations

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured by location, with different rates for the Derby/Mickleover and Heanor sites. The nursery offers full day, morning, and afternoon sessions, with additional hours charged separately. Fees include tea for afternoon sessions, and breakfast is available for early arrivals.

Good to know

  • Breakfast is available for children arriving before 8:15am (Derby) or 7:45am (Mickleover/Heanor).
  • Tea is included in the afternoon session.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm

Age range

0-5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

1990

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for The Cottage Private Day Nursery

Last inspected 14 July 2023 · Mel Walker

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

Children are happy and confident in the nursery due to an effective key-person system that fosters strong attachments with staff. They are encouraged to be curious and explore, demonstrating fascination with things like a ladybird. Children also engage in imaginative play, experimenting with mud and water to make potions, which develops their critical-thinking skills.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff value and respect children's views, creating a children's council for them to contribute ideas and make decisions in the nursery.
  • Staff use assessment very well and swiftly identify emerging gaps in children's development, supported by a knowledgeable and skilled special educational needs coordinator (SENCo).
  • Staff have strong partnerships with parents and invite them to celebrate special events, boosting children's self-esteem and confidence.
  • Staff help children to develop an interest in books, promoting communication skills through reading sessions and sharing stories outdoors.
  • The dedicated manager is passionate about the nursery, fostering positive relationships with families and staff, who feel comfortable approaching her for support and advice.

Areas to develop

  • 1help staff to extend children's learning during routines and children's self-chosen play, with particular regard to helping children to understand healthy food choices and the impact of exercise on their bodies
  • 2strengthen children's understanding by giving clear explanations to help them make sense of instructions and expectations put in place by staff.
Inspection #10280764 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents are extremely happy with the care and education provided at the nursery.

They comment on how staff promote children's development and meet identified health needs.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff use assessment very well and swiftly identify emerging gaps in children's development. They are supported by a knowledgeable and skilled special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), who works closely with staff to implement targeted interventions and strategies to meet children's individual needs and help close gaps in their learning.

Outdoor space

Outdoors, staff and older children huddle under a slide and eagerly share a story. Although not fully elaborated, the report implies children have access to outdoor spaces for activities like story time and physical play, mentioned in the "areas to improve" section.

Parent Reviews of The Cottage Private Day Nursery

4.8
(16)
Mack Milly
8 months ago

Our Daughter loves it here, the nursery nurses are fantastic and we feel very comfortable with them looking after our little girl. She comes home and always talks about them. I've not got one negative thing to say about the nursery. She's progressing and growing into such a fantastic clever little girl. I don't want to write any of the nurses names, but Amelia has her special ones.

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Paige Gardner
a year ago

I’ve had 2 children in this nursery from baby room to the pre school room and I’ve not one bad thing to say! The staff are all amazing and caring and made my toddler blossomed being here, a special mention to Alison and Cheryl who are always making amazing meals. The nursery itself is one of the best in Derby and the space available is truly incredible and definitely worth driving out the way for. The outdoor areas are incredible, there is no where else I would want my children to be! 🥰

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Raj Lakhman
a year ago

Wonderful Experience at The Cottage Day Nursery! (Uttoxeter Rd, Mickleover, Derby DE3 9AX) Our child attended The Cottage Day Nursery from September 2023 to August 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with the progress they made. They had delayed speech, but the staff provided excellent support, and we saw significant improvement in language skills over the year. The staff are warm, attentive, and truly care about each child’s development. The nursery is well-managed, with fantastic facilities that keep the children engaged and learning through play. The meals provided are healthy and varied, which was a great plus for us. Overall, the nursery offers excellent value for money. The positive impact on our child’s development has been invaluable, and we’re so grateful for the care and attention they received. Thank you, Cottage Day Nursery, for making the year so special!

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K Chiz
4 years ago

Both my children went to the cottage nursery on Bedford Street with my daughter just graduating preschool to start in reception this year. We couldn't be happier with our children's development, they always loved going to nursery and the nursery staff have been fantastic over the past 7 and a half years. Staff are very passionate about the children and make parents feel very welcome and involved. Everyone is so friendly and the facilities are amazing, they constantly upgrade equipment and change the environment so the children never tire of themes or toys. We would highly recommend the cottage to anyone!

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Louise Henchcliffuu fr.
4 years ago

My son has attended the cottage day nursery from 9 months old till he started at school a couple of weeks ago. I always felt so comfortable leaving my son in the care of the wonderful girls, led by a fantastic management team who always looked after him so well with so much love and care and they develop a great relationship with us as parents too. My boy was always so happy and excited to go, which as a parent made me feel so happy to know he was happy and comfortable without me. The cottage facilities are absolutely fantastic especially the outdoor area..wow its amazing. I would recommend the cottage day nursery time and time again to anyone and everyone, my son was so happy here for over 3 years and i was gutted when it came his time to leave.

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Reviews from Google for The Cottage Private Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: September 2004

  • August 2023Good
  • July 2023Good
  • August 2017Outstanding
  • August 2017Outstanding
  • October 2013Good
  • August 2013Good
  • June 2011Outstanding
  • May 2011Good
  • September 2004Good

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