The Playroom
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Nottingham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 18:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2022. Open since 2003, with 60 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 Nottinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Nottinghamshire 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
NG2 7PRWhat 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, 4 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
When staff open the door to this friendly, family run nursery, the children greet them with huge smiles and high fives. Children show that they have a sense of belonging as they go to their peg to hang up their coats and bags. They take off their shoes and add them to the shoe box, showing great independence. Babies confidently seek reassurance from familiar staff and demonstrate close relationships with them. This has a positive impact on children's emotional development and helps to ensure that they feel safe and secure. Children are polite as they ask their friends 'excuse me, please may I have some pine cones?'. They are kind to each other and share and take turns well.
Older children check the lunch menu in the hallway and think about what fruit might be in the crumble today. They comment that they hope it is not 'Gruffalo crumble' from a story they have read recently. With the help of staff, children are developing a good understanding of number, for example, as they count the number of stairs and recognise numbers during a game of bingo. Outside, children learn new words that are introduced by staff, such as 'full', 'empty' and 'decant' as they fill cups, buckets and watering cans, saying 'stop' when full to the top. They carefully negotiate the steps down to the mud kitchen and show pride in their achievement as they exclaim 'I didn't spill a drop!'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - support staff to recognise the importance of correcting any misconceptions to further develop children's language and understanding n help staff to organise some parts of the daily routine to ensure that children are engaged in purposeful play at all times.
- 4 April 2022Good
- 4 November 2015Outstanding
- 20 January 2011Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Playroom
- 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.