Playpals Childcare Centre
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Solihull for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2023. Open since 2009, 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 Solihull
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Solihull 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
B91 2LJWhat 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, 27 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The staff are kind, welcoming and attentive, which supports children to arrive happy and eager to learn. The manager has devised a broad, ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning, and it is based on the learning needs and current interests of the children who attend. Staff plan exciting activities based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive swift targeted support. All children settle well, flourish and make good progress from their starting points.
Staff plan a wide range of experiences and opportunities to support children's continual learning. For example, babies are curious and enjoy developing their physical skills as they crawl, reach, roll and grab interesting materials, instruments and toys. Younger children benefit from regular group times and singing sessions.
This supports their communication, social and listening skills. Older children learn about minibeasts. They develop their understanding of the world as they reflect on previous learning about life cycles and the process of changes from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Children talk about the whole process and further build on this learning as they learn about symmetry by looking at pictures of butterflies and discovering that the patterns on their wings are the same on both sides. This supports children to develop their understanding of new words and extend their vocabulary.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance support for staff to ensure that their teaching is consistently good, particularly in promoting children's developing independence skills.
- 27 June 2023Good
- 2 November 2017Good
- 19 December 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Playpals Childcare Centre
- 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.