Building Blocks Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Birmingham for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2025. Open since 2004, with 58 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
2-Year Funded Places (15 Hours); 3- and 4-Year-Old Universal Funded Places (15 Hours); 30 Hour Funding (3 and 4 Year Olds).
Worth knowing. We do ask parents to make a small contribution towards meals and consumables on the 30 hour funded places. Funding is given for 15 hours per week during term time or 12 hours per week all year round. Places are usually allocated as three full days during term time at our Kingstanding branch but our Handsworth Wood branch and Great Barr branch has more flexibility as they stretch the entitlement over 48 weeks and offer up to 24 hours per week all year round.
What childcare usually costs in Birmingham
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Birmingham 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
B20 2LBWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 2 April 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children have great fun in this nurturing setting. Staff take time to get to know children well, which helps them to support their individual needs. Children are comfortable and confident as they get involved in the interesting play opportunities on offer. They know how to play cooperatively with their friends. For example, they take turns as they explore the newly arrived play house. Staff are excellent role models and their interactions with children are respectful. This helps children respond positively to staff and communicate effectively with their peers. Children demonstrate kindness and compassion for each other as they learn and play together.
Babies confidently explore the environment around them. They are keen to use their developing fine motor skills to uncover items that have been hidden by staff.
Babies focus intently on peeling back tape and show delight in finding new objects.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to build children's independence and extend the opportunities for developing self-care skills even further.
- 2 April 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 27 October 2022Good
- 14 August 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Building Blocks Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.