Smartys School Club
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Walton, Stone for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 1997, with 32 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 and 30 hours, plus 2-year-old funding.
Worth knowing. Meal supplements for fully funded days: £8.50 full day, £7.00 school day.
What childcare usually costs in Staffordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Staffordshire 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
ST15 0AAWhat 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, 10 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
On arrival, children are greeted by an inspirational team of staff with huge smiles and an abundance of enthusiasm. Children confidently find their own pegs and hang up their belongings. They rush through the door to greet their friends and quickly engage in their enriching learning environment. Children flourish in this highly engaging setting. Relationships between staff and children are extremely positive. Staff are exemplary role models and nurture confidence and curiosity in children.
Children thoroughly enjoy a wide range of imaginative play experiences. For instance, they learn positional language as they pretend to be pirates and use their telescopes to search 'under' and 'over' outdoor objects to find the pirate's missing golden pants. Staff support children to be independent problem-solvers. They set a challenge to build a plank for the pirates to walk on. Children share ideas with their friends and think critically about what materials would work best. Children are fully immersed in their learning.
Children's behaviour is superb. All children demonstrate high levels of concentration in carefully planned activities, skilfully adapted by key persons to meet children's individual learning goals. At the shake of a tambourine, all children stop what they are doing and wave their hands in the air. They wait for the next instruction from staff. Children have a deep understanding of rules and expectations.
- 10 July 2023Outstanding
- 29 November 2017Good
- 30 July 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smartys School Club
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- 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.
- 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.