A Nursery for Wem Families
Twenty minutes south-west, in the open countryside
Wem isn't our closest catchment town — that's a 20-minute drive south-west, longer than most of the families we serve. We're writing this page for the Wem families who've specifically chosen to make that drive, because the reasons they give are genuinely worth thinking through.
The journey from Wem
We're about ten miles south-west of Wem, typically an 18 to 22 minute drive via the B5063 and connecting lanes through Loppington. The route is open countryside — quiet, no major junctions, no town traffic.
For families whose work takes them west toward Oswestry, the A5, or Mid-Wales, the drop-off is broadly on the way. For families commuting south on the A49 toward Shrewsbury, the drive is in the wrong direction — in those cases a Wem-based nursery usually makes more practical sense, and we'd be the first to say so.
Why some Wem families choose Bojangles
Wem is well-served for early-years care. We don't pretend to compete on convenience for families based in town. The Wem families who do come to us tend to be in one of three situations:
- Baby Room from a few months old. Several Wem nurseries take children from age 2 or older, with limited true baby provision. If you're returning to work after maternity leave with a child under 18 months, your local options narrow considerably.
- Year-round, full-day care. Many local settings are term-time-only or close at 4pm. If both parents work outside teaching, that doesn't add up — we're open 48 weeks a year, 8am to 6pm.
- The setting itself. Walford Campus has fields rather than yards. For some Wem families used to country living, the setting genuinely matters more than the 15 extra minutes of driving.
We accept all government-funded childcare hours, including the 30-hour entitlement for working parents from 9 months.
About Wem and why some families come west
Wem is a market town of around six thousand people sitting on the A49 north-east of Shrewsbury. It has a Wednesday market that's been running for centuries, a long brewing heritage (Wem Ales is a name old residents will mention), Thomas Adams secondary school as the area's comprehensive, and a network of primaries serving the surrounding villages. For a town of its size, the early-years offer is genuinely solid — multiple registered nurseries and pre-schools, sessional and full-day, plus active childminders.
We're not the obvious first choice for Wem families. Local options are closer, and for most working patterns they make more sense. The Wem families who do drive south-west to Bojangles tend to share specific reasons: a baby under 18 months when local true-baby provision is thin, a need for genuine 8am to 6pm cover that some local settings can't match, a working pattern that takes both parents out of the area daily so a Bojangles drop-off lands en route, or a strong preference for a rural country-grounds setting over a town-centre footprint.
We mention this not to talk anyone out of considering us, but because we'd rather you make the right choice for your family than the convenient one for us. The 18 to 22 minute drive is real, every working day, both ways.
School transitions for Wem children
From Pre-School, Wem families typically move children on to Wem Thomas Adams Primary or one of the surrounding village primaries. We share learning records with each receiving school and run pre-school routines that mirror reception so the move feels familiar. Older siblings already at Wem schools shouldn't complicate the transition — we've handled this many times.
Practical information
- Ofsted: Good across all areas — URN EY370743, most recent inspection January 2022
- Address: Walford Campus, Walford & North Shropshire College, Baschurch, Shrewsbury, SY4 2HL
- Phone: 01939 260006
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am–6:00pm
- Open weeks: 48 weeks a year
- Funded hours: all government-funded entitlements accepted
- Parking: on-site, no permit needed
Current availability
Availability changes week by week across our Baby, Toddler, and Pre-School Rooms. Please call 01939 260006 or message through the site to confirm what's currently open in the room you need before booking a visit. Our most up-to-date place-by-place position is on the main Baschurch page.
Frequently asked questions
About ten miles south-west, typically a 18 to 22 minute drive via the B5063 and local lanes. It's the longest of our usual catchment journeys but still well-managed for families on a regular working pattern.
Most don't, and that's fair — Wem has its own settings. The families who do make the drive tell us it's usually for one of three reasons: they want a baby room with a 1:3 ratio under 2, they want full year-round daycare rather than term-time only, or they want a rural setting with extensive outdoor grounds. If your child is in our Pre-School Room and ready for school, the drive often becomes more justifiable as the alternative town nursery places fill up.
Yes. We have families travelling in from Wem, Loppington, Shawbury, and the hamlets between. The drive is similar from any of those points.
Availability shifts week by week as families confirm starts and as children move between rooms. Please call 01939 260006 or message through the website to confirm what's currently open in the room you need before booking a visit.