PATA, Penguins

Family contributions and practical preparation for school give PATA, Penguins a recognisable character in Sedbury. Based on the Offa's Mead Academy site in Sedbury, it combines play-led learning with opportunities for parents to contribute to the nursery day. There are 40 places in total.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good overall and personal development Outstanding. Children attending at that time were aged two to four; the strongest decision value lies in the detail behind those judgements, including communication with families, support for individual needs and experiences beyond the setting.

Attendance is term time only, with three-hour and six-hour sessions. This is a practical choice for families whose childcare needs follow the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop skills through play, conversation, exploration and activities that build on their interests. It is the shared foundation for early years provision. Here, children can choose how to use some activities, while practitioners guide others, giving the day a mixture of independent discovery and adult support.

In February 2024, conversation was woven into hands-on learning. During a Chinese New Year food-tasting activity, children discussed how noodles and rice smelled, tasted and felt. Questions encouraged them to explain their ideas rather than give a single short answer. Older children explored the opening sounds in their names, while repeated favourite stories gave them opportunities to remember a narrative and tell it themselves.

The same February 2024 assessment identified a weakness in adult-led planning: staff recognised children's next learning steps but did not consistently use them to shape those activities. That matters because an enjoyable group task also needs to move each child forward. The improvement required was more ambitious planning that matched the intended learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is a substantial part of the current day, with outdoor equipment and clothing expectations that include waterproof layers in winter. Families supply wellies, and children practise managing their own outdoor clothes. These are useful opportunities to combine physical activity with everyday independence.

In February 2024, walks included woodland trails and the local library. Community activity also included a penguin parade with parents encouraged to participate. Welsh songs and St David's day celebrations connected learning to the border community and the languages and cultures of children attending. These examples gave children ways to recognise their own backgrounds while learning about other people's lives.

Relationships and Communication

A key person approach gives each child a consistent relationship through which staff can plan activities around individual interests. Family information has a clear route into that planning: Wow vouchers let parents share achievements or significant moments from home. A small success outside nursery can therefore become part of the conversation about a child's development.

Parents can also volunteer, whether to read, garden or share a skill or interesting job. Drop-in sessions are held where possible, and occasional workshops explore how learning at home connects with time in the setting. This gives families several ways to participate, rather than relying solely on a brief exchange at collection.

In February 2024, communication included daily diaries, consultation meetings and termly newsletters. Staff also reviewed learning each term and gathered information from families about children's interests and events outside nursery. Together, these arrangements created opportunities to discuss both day-to-day experiences and longer-term development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong SEND provision, with individual support planned alongside parents and external professionals. Current arrangements include a SENDCo role and plans that take account of a child's special educational needs or disability; the coordinator works with families and professionals involved in their care.

In February 2024, staff used picture sequences showing what would happen now and next, signing and non-verbal communication to make expectations understandable. Children received help to identify feelings and manage their responses. These are concrete mechanisms for support, useful to discuss in relation to an individual child's communication needs.

Staff training covers paediatric first aid, child protection, food hygiene and online safety, with further professional development opportunities. School preparation also includes weekly PE, allowing children to practise dressing and undressing as well as physical skills. Families leave a named PE kit at the setting; preparation centres on growing independence, expressing needs and managing relationships.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Offa's Mead Academy, Beachley Road, Sedbury, Chepstow, NP16 7DT. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3pm on Friday, during term time only. Three-hour and six-hour sessions are sold, so session length and the overall opening window are separate considerations.

The contact form provides an enquiry route, alongside telephone and email contact. Children need a change of clothes in a suitable bag, a water bottle and wellies. Uniform is encouraged but optional, allowing families to choose suitable play clothes instead.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use funded entitlement throughout the six core hours each day without an additional core-hours charge. The funding offer includes working-parent entitlement for two-year-olds and for children aged three to four, Early Learning for 2 Year Olds and Universal NEF. Private sessions are also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the fees and funding page explaining the charge structure.

Lunch comes from home, while snacks carry a separate optional charge; families who decline that charge must supply a snack meeting the setting's requirements, and the nursery publishes a nut-free policy for packed lunches. Parents also supply nappies and wipes when needed, plus a sunhat and sun cream in hot weather, so these consumables form part of the family's preparation for attendance.

School preparation takes place within the grounds of Offa's Mead Academy, but attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority's school admissions process.

• Planning for the individual child. The February 2024 improvement point concerned the ambition and relevance of adult-led activities. On a visit, ask how staff now connect a child's next learning steps with group activities.
• Term-time routine. Opening finishes earlier on Fridays, and attendance follows term time. Weigh the three-hour and six-hour patterns against your working day and school-holiday arrangements.
• Food and allergies. Lunch is supplied from home and the snack charge can be declined if a suitable snack is supplied instead. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and the requirements for food brought into the setting.

PATA, Penguins suits families choosing either the 3 Hour Session or the 6 Hour Session during term time, with active participation in their child's learning. Wow vouchers, volunteering and practical school preparation give that partnership substance. The February 2024 planning concern deserves attention: adult-led activities need to reflect individual learning goals as well as engage the group. For families who value play, independence and a close exchange between home and nursery, this is a setting with a clear character.