Headstart
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Walsall for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2022. Open since 2003, with 30 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 Walsall
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Walsall 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
WS9 9NAWhat 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, 20 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle well. Staff greet them warmly. Children build a great repertoire of fairy tales, stories and songs. They use visual props to retell stories. Children pull faces to show expression. They understand how characters in songs may feel.
Children loudly sing 'The Grand Old Duke of York' as they march upstairs. Music and song play an integral part in the children's routine. They develop good communication, language and literacy skills. There is a real sense of happiness among staff and children. This positively impacts well-being.
Children behave well and staff fully support them to practise their manners. For example, staff sign 'thank you' to reinforce expectations. Children are confident within a secure routine. Children take turns among peers. They work well as a team during play. For example, children show high levels of concentration as they carefully stack large construction blocks to build a high tower. They develop an awareness for height and measure. Children say, 'it is taller than me'. They develop good mathematical concepts. Children learn to count to 14 as they walk up the stairs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide parents with ideas and suggestions to help them to support further children's ongoing learning and development at home n support all staff to consistently develop children's independence skills throughout the session n improve terminology and the explanations given to children by staff, to ensure language used does not negatively impact children's developing ideas.
- 20 May 2022Good
- 29 September 2016Good
- 8 October 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Headstart
- 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.