Cygnets Pre-School Nursery

Bird-spotting walks and counting through play give Cygnets Pre-School Nursery a concrete identity: a preschool where the local surroundings became part of children's learning in June 2023. At its 22 June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective.

Based in Swanscombe, it has capacity for 26 children aged 24 to 60 months. Its term-time calendar makes the school-holiday break an important practical consideration for families.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care; here, the June 2023 examples included practising numbers through play and exploring nature outdoors. Staff helped children recognise numbers up to 10 and encouraged counting within their activities, connecting early mathematics with things children were doing.

During June 2023 outings, photographs helped children identify birds, including coots and moorhens. Parents could join these walks, giving families a shared experience to talk about afterwards. Walking and climbing also gave children opportunities to practise balance and coordination. An outdoor space supported bat-and-ball play, with children concentrating on returning the ball to one another.

The organisation of larger outings needed attention in June 2023. Children moved at different paces, and some received more behaviour reminders than opportunities to explore. The improvement priority was to make these activities purposeful for everyone taking part.

In June 2023, children independently fetched their lunch boxes and washed their hands before eating. Staff used gentle behaviour reminders and helped children settle into story time after lunch. These examples show the everyday routines around which care was organised at that time.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through prompt referrals, specialist-teacher involvement and additional funding, but identified weaker support for children learning English as an additional language. Water-play resources supported sensory interests; the language improvement priority concerned helping children express their needs and use their home languages during learning.

Termly learning journals were shared with parents in June 2023, offering ideas for learning at home. Parents also joined children to bake biscuits associated with their cultures, connecting family experiences with nursery activities.

The address is Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council, Council Offices and Hall, The Grove, Swanscombe, DA10 0GA. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays.

In June 2023, the setting received government funding for early education for children aged two, three and four.

• Holiday coverage. Cygnets closes during school holidays. Families needing childcare throughout the year should factor those breaks into their plans.
• Learning on walks. Larger outings were an improvement priority in June 2023. On a visit, ask how staff now keep children engaged when the group moves at different paces.
• Home-language support. The June 2023 findings identified missed opportunities for children learning English as an additional language. Ask how home languages now feature in play and communication.

Cygnets suits families seeking term-time preschool care, with nature exploration and practical early learning prominent in its June 2023 account. The Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality; the organisation of outings and home-language support are the clearest points to explore when choosing it.