Smart Start Childcare
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Birmingham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 19:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2018, with 95 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 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
B34 6HEWhat 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, 23 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at this nursery because staff are kind, caring and respond well to their individual needs. Children arrive at the start of the day and happily separate from their parents ready to make their choice where they would like to play in the well-resourced environment. There is a strong focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. Staff make good use of stories, songs and general conversation and discussions throughout the day.
This helps children to become confident communicators. Good partnerships with other professionals help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) to make the progress they are capable of. All children develop the skills they need to help prepare them for their eventual move to school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support shyer, quieter children to join in during group activities to help them make the best possible progress in their learning n provide more opportunities for children to do things for themselves to develop their independence further.
- 23 October 2024Good
- 21 October 2021Good
- 31 October 2019Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smart Start Childcare
- 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.