The Old Bank Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Shifnal for babies from 9 months up to school age, open 07:45 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 2018, with 38 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We offer free funded childcare hours for children aged 9 months – 5 years, subject to Government funding criteria.
What childcare usually costs in Shropshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Shropshire 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
TF11 9BEWhat 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, 2 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly greet children and parents as they arrive. They spend time talking to parents about their children and sharing information. As a result, children separate from parents with ease and settle quickly. Staff know children well. They recognise when they are tired or need reassurance and are close at hand to offer hugs and cuddles. Staff and children build positive relationships. Children are eager to share their achievements with staff, and they receive praise and encouragement in return. This builds children's self-esteem and helps them to feel valued. Staff teach children the importance of being kind to their friends. Children learn to share, take turns and play nicely together.
Staff plan a wide range of interesting activities for children to enjoy. Consequently, children have fun as they learn and are eager to participate. Even the youngest children concentrate for prolonged periods. During circle time, babies look for the photo of themselves and place it on the registration board. They pretend to put on goggles so they can look outside at the weather and sway and bounce excitedly as they sing a song about the days of the week. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive additional support. Staff work with parents and professionals to ensure that children make the best possible progress.
Children are very well prepared for the move on to school. Older children who are going to school move to the sister nursery for the term beforehand. Here they make friends with other children who will go to the same school, which helps to build their confidence and ease the transition process.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider the organisation of activities and daily routines so that they do not impact on children's overall enjoyment and learning
- provide babies with more opportunities to be involved in making choices and leading their own play.
- 2 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 26 October 2021Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Old Bank Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.