Chestnuts Childcare

An emotion basket gives Chestnuts Childcare a memorable starting point: in December 2023, older children used it to show how they felt, opening a conversation with their key person. Small routines made room for feelings as well as learning.

Chestnuts Childcare, in Shirebrook, Mansfield, has 81 places in total for children from birth to five years. At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with SEND, made good progress.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, the December 2023 activities included stories, songs, physical play and conversation. These gave children different ways to practise communication and coordination.

During that month, staff introduced vocabulary through everyday exchanges: a lunchtime discussion about vegetables led to talk about what an allotment was for. Children also used simple signs for please and thank you, giving them another way to communicate. Story sessions involved children asking questions and discussing pictures and characters, rather than simply hearing a book read aloud. Familiar books supplied something to talk about. Conversations over food also drew on events at home, connecting nursery talk with experiences children already understood. Alongside singing and rhymes, these exchanges made language practice part of ordinary activities, with opportunities both to listen and to contribute.

Outside, large play equipment supported balance and climbing in December 2023. Indoors, squeezing and shaping play dough exercised hand movements. Activities followed children's interests and existing skills, while the pre-school room placed emphasis on preparation for school. Learning had a practical thread. Staff set learning targets and arranged the curriculum so that experiences built towards the next stage. The school preparation described here concerned children's developing skills. For parents, the useful connection is between an activity a child enjoys and the next thing staff want them to learn: interests provided the starting point, while targets gave the activity a purpose. Physical experiences also worked at different scales, from whole-body movement outdoors to the smaller hand movements involved in manipulating dough.

In December 2023, the key person and SENDCo worked together on individual targets when observations highlighted developmental delays. Children learning English as an additional language also received focused support. This linked everyday observation to a specific next step for each child. Staff followed development through repeated observations and tracking, using the SENDCo's advice to help decide what to work on next. The mechanism matters: a concern about development led to an individual plan rather than leaving every child to follow the same next step. Emotional support had an everyday expression too. The emotion basket gave older children a way to signal their feelings, and their key person could use that signal to begin a discussion.

Mealtimes offered another opportunity for independence that month: older children served food and poured drinks, while staff sat with babies at lunch to encourage communication. Baby snack activities needed better organisation so that every child could participate fully.

Behaviour guidance also needed attention in December 2023. Adults helped children cooperate, but explanations about inappropriate behaviour were sometimes inconsistent. Children needed clearer reasons as well as direction. Staff also took part in training, with supervision and appraisal meetings used to identify further development needs. At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood how to raise safeguarding concerns, including concerns about a colleague, and kept their knowledge refreshed through online training. Safeguarding procedures and contact information were displayed for staff to consult. These were specific arrangements supporting the dated safeguarding judgement, alongside the separate improvements needed in behaviour guidance and baby activities.

The address is 48 Byron street, Shirebrook, Mansfield, NG20 8PJ. Opening hours are 5am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening. That broad window matters for parents whose working day starts early or finishes late.

In December 2023, the nursery accommodated children receiving early education funding and closed for three days over Christmas.

• Baby group activities. December 2023 snack routines needed to engage babies more fully. On a visit, ask how these activities now involve each child.
• Behaviour explanations. Consistency was an improvement point in December 2023. Ask how practitioners explain boundaries and share their approach with families.

Chestnuts suits families seeking early opening and evening childcare in Shirebrook. Its December 2023 picture combines practical learning, attention to communication and opportunities for growing independence. Baby group routines and consistent behaviour explanations are the useful points to explore when assessing the nursery today.