Pindar Nursery, Specialist Nursery 2-5 years

Communication takes centre stage at Pindar: pictures, signs and carefully chosen words featured in its March 2023 provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is specialist early-years care, with capacity for 16 children aged two to five.

At its 21 March 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Its practical character comes through in the detail: interactive animal puzzles, illuminated building boxes and movement activities adapted to individual children.

In March 2023, the soft playroom gave children daily opportunities to practise climbing and balance. A sensory room used animal puzzles projected across the floor and walls, linking children's movement with changing images. These were different ways to explore through physical activity and sensory play.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the March 2023 activities included building towers with illuminated boxes, choosing toys and exploring chocolate sauce with their hands. Staff encouraged children to rebuild their towers higher, adding a fresh challenge to familiar play.

Communication was a central curriculum aim in March 2023, supported by pictures, single words and Makaton signs used to help children understand requests. The March 2023 improvement priorities were a shared understanding of the curriculum's aims among staff and more timely interaction to develop quieter children's play. For families, the important distinction is between having suitable resources and consistently using them to advance learning.

In March 2023, home visits before children started helped staff gather information from parents to support settling. Staff also worked with parents and the professionals involved in children's care, while families received updates about learning and development.

For non-mobile children, March 2023 provision included daily movement sessions using sound-making and illuminated toys to encourage reaching and stretching. Staff adjusted the pace to each child. Behaviour support also varied with individual needs, with reminders about kindness and taking turns.

Allergies were considered in both sensory activities and meals and snacks in March 2023; staff had also trained to use an adrenaline auto-injector in an emergency.

The address is Early Years Support Centre, New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester, LE3 9RN. Attendance is term-time, with closure during school holidays.

In March 2023, sessions ran from 8.50am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. At that time, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four.

• Term-time attendance. Closure during school holidays makes the annual calendar an important part of the childcare decision.
• Teaching consistency. The March 2023 improvement priorities concerned shared curriculum aims and extending quieter children's play. Both matter when assessing how individual learning targets translate into daily activities.
• Individual arrangements. At a visit, how would settling, communication support and attendance be organised around your child's particular needs?

Pindar suits families seeking specialist provision for a child aged two to five, alongside a term-time attendance calendar. Its March 2023 practice brought together sensory resources, adapted movement and several ways to support communication. The Good judgement provides a dated quality reference; consistency in teaching and attention to quieter children remain the key points to explore.