Cut and Paste Childcare

Mud-and-seed potions, shared stories and children serving their own snacks give Cut and Paste Childcare's September 2022 snapshot its character: practical play with opportunities to make choices. Based at Putson Baptist Church in Hereford, it has capacity for 26 children aged 24 to 60 months.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its inspection on 30 September 2022. The main improvement concerned staff deployment when individual children needed help managing their behaviour. That matters alongside the positive picture of children choosing activities and seeking comfort from adults.

In September 2022, children chose resources for mixing mud with seeds and brought books to adults to share. Pretend tea in the role-play area gave them opportunities to play together and take turns. These examples put children's own choices alongside social learning.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the September 2022 examples included adults repeating important words, talking through play and responding in complete sentences, giving children language to use themselves.

Outside, in September 2022, equipment offered opportunities for crawling and climbing, while open space allowed running games. Physical activity had both forms: negotiating equipment and moving freely with friends.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND provision good, with local-authority advice and referrals to medical and speech therapy services helping children make progress. These were findings about practice at that time.

In September 2022, key persons planned children's next learning steps and exchanged information with families about interests and achievements at home. Parents also received activity ideas to use themselves, connecting learning at nursery with home life.

Food offered another opportunity for independence in September 2022: children selected fruit and vegetables, served snacks into bowls and poured milk or water before eating together. Adults provided reassurance when children were upset, but staff were not consistently positioned to help those needing extra support with managing behaviour.

Putson Baptist Church, Web Tree Avenue, Hereford, HR2 6HQ is the nursery's address. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; it closes for school holidays. This makes the calendar a central consideration for families needing care throughout the year.

In September 2022, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. That dated offer should be distinguished from the current opening arrangements.

• Support with behaviour. The September 2022 improvement action concerned where staff were deployed to help individual children regulate their behaviour. On a visit, ask how adults now organise that support.
• Term-time calendar. School-holiday closures mean families needing year-round childcare must account for those breaks.
• Booking pattern. Which attendance patterns can families book within the 8.30am to 3.45pm opening window?

Cut and Paste Childcare suits families whose childcare needs fit a term-time calendar. Its September 2022 picture combines child-led practical play, language-rich interaction and everyday independence. The staff-deployment improvement remains an important point to discuss when assessing how care works now.