Nursery praised for lively learning environment and strong community links

A Taplow nursery has been praised for giving children a lively start to life, with activities ranging from water play to community celebrations.

The Old Station Nursery in Lake End Road looks after children up to age four, employing 24 staff who work directly with children.

After an Ofsted inspection in July, the inspector has rated it Good across the board, including for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and management.

The Old Station Nursery was rated Good at its last inspection too.

In the latest report, inspectors wrote: “Children arrive at nursery excited for the day ahead.”

Youngsters make a splash with a range of activities such as cookery, gardening and playing with water.

Babies ‘laugh with excitement’ as they splash in a water tray, while older children suck up the water with syringes and shoot it into the air with ‘delight’.

Children enjoy learning new skills – they ‘concentrate intently’ while pouring milk from a jug onto their cereal. Children’s interests are used to make learning fun.

They have the opportunity to learn new words through a variety of activities, including singing.

Staff broaden children’s knowledge of the community they live in. For example, children visit the local care home to sing with the residents.

In addition, they recently celebrated Vaisakhi and took part in local community celebrations. They also decorate stones and place them in the community for other children to find. 

Meanwhile, there is a well-rounded curriculum, in which children make good progress.

Leaders are ‘passionate’ about the provision, Ofsted wrote, and staff have high expectations of all areas of children’s development.

Moreover, staff know the children well. They celebrate and praise children’s efforts as they accomplish their goals, which gives them a sense of achievement.

Children’s behaviour is good; staff support children to take turns and be kind to others.

Staff organise daily routines and transitions consistently, so children know what is expected throughout the day.

Overall, staff’s communication with children is good – however they ‘do not always consistently support children’s early language development,’ wrote Ofsted.

“For example, at times staff do not ensure children hear the correct pronunciation of words to further extend their vocabulary,” they wrote.

To improve this, the provider should role model the correct pronunciation of words.

All staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work with other professionals to meet children’s next steps in development.

Children’s emotional well-being placed at the centre of their care at the nursery. Transitions from one age group to another are managed carefully.

For example, staff organise settling-in sessions in the children’s new room to help them become familiar with their environment. Additionally, they all celebrate with a ‘room move party’.

“Parents express how happy they are with the nursery provision,” wrote the CQC. “The staff work hard to build parent partnerships with an open flow of communication.”

Staff ensure that parents understand their children’s next steps in learning, while parents provide updates on what their child does at home – which staff use to enhance learning.

In addition, the leadership evaluates staff’s knowledge and skills, and provides training to bridge any gaps – for example, staff attend conferences to build upon their knowledge.

Commenting on the result, nursery manager Maria  Manez said:

“I am so proud of our team for their hard work and commitment. Every day they go above and beyond to give our children the very best start in life. This ‘Good’ grading reflects the dedication and passion shown by the whole nursery community.”