Smartys Toddler Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Stone for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2001, 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 8QFWhat 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, 15 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and parents receive a warm welcome when they arrive at this friendly nursery. Children quickly settle into the routine of the day and become engrossed in their play. Babies and toddlers are keen to explore the environment and enjoy making choices about what they would like to do. Children develop good relationships with staff and feel safe and secure in this nurturing nursery. This is because staff take their time getting to know the children and have good attachments with them.
Children enjoy being outside in the fresh air. They are developing their physical skills through their enjoyment of using outdoor equipment. For example, they skilfully move along the balancing beams and manoeuvre bikes around the track.
They choose a variety of activities, such as digging and water play, filling and emptying containers with water. Children are keen to look at the woodlouse they find. They have a lovely conversation about the creature and carefully return it to its habitat. This shows children's interest in the world around them. Children are busy, display high levels of curiosity and remain consistently engaged. For instance, once they finish an activity, they eagerly move on to the next one to explore and learn.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the planning of some activities, to help children to express their ideas and develop a wider and more varied vocabulary.
- 15 November 2022Good
- 23 November 2016Good
- 26 November 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smartys Toddler Nursery
- 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.