Blue Skies Private Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Stoke-On-Trent for children from birth to 5, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2007, with 31 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Cheshire East
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cheshire East from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
ST7 2JAWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 5 January 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 24 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The manager and staff know that children learn best when they feel safe and secure. Children's laughter and conversations echo throughout the nursery. Staff are kind and place children at the centre of everything they do. Babies seek out staff for reassurances when they feel unsettled. Staff are nurturing and give babies the comfort they need. As a result, babies settle quickly. Exciting learning opportunities ignite children's interest and thirst for learning. For example, children learn about farm animals from real hands-on experiences. They enjoy caring for the lambs and talking to the farmer. This helps children to gain a greater insight into the world around them.
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They use effective methods to praise and reward children. This helps children to learn positive behaviours, such as sharing and taking turns. Furthermore, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Staff support children to understand their own feelings and emotions. As a result, children are confident and have a sense of pride in their achievements.
Songs and rhymes are a constant throughout the nursery. Staff and children spontaneously burst into songs. For example, when children are washing their pretend babies, staff sing 'wash, wash, wash your face'. This provides great opportunities for children to develop their speaking skills as they join in with songs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- tighten the support for the manager to help sustain and maintain the improvements across the nursery n strengthen the systems to ensure that children receive their full educational entitlement.
- 24 April 2024Good
- 3 May 2023Needs improvement
- 15 November 2022Inadequate
- 6 February 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Blue Skies Private Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.