The Old School House Day Nursery

Sand funnels for babies, songs in Spanish for older children and an emphasis on sharing books give this Knotty Ash nursery a recognisable character in its November 2022 account. At its 23 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found good progress across learning areas, with strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The Old School House Day Nursery has capacity for 90 children aged 3 to 60 months. Its breadth of ages makes the differences between babies’ experiences and older children’s growing independence especially relevant to families.

The early years foundation stage governs children’s learning, development and care: everyday play supports skills such as communication, movement and independence.

In November 2022, babies explored spacious rooms, poured sand through funnels and used toy hammers with wooden blocks. These were hands-on opportunities to practise concentration and coordination. Outdoors, children rolled balls between one another and practised catching with a partner.

Books linked the age groups, but the activities changed with development. In November 2022, babies practised turning pages while toddlers supplied familiar phrases during stories. Older children sang the days of the week in Spanish and recalled Ukrainian vocabulary, adding languages to their shared activities.

Independence also had practical expression that month: toddlers used cutlery themselves, and older children served their own drinks at the hydration station. Everyday routines gave children something useful to practise.

In November 2022, key persons planned individual next steps and discussed them with parents. A family app had recently been introduced to communicate children’s daily experiences, while staff suggested ways to support language at home. This connected nursery learning with family routines.

The same month, communication screening helped identify emerging needs. The special educational needs coordinator arranged referrals and worked with other professionals, with additional funding directed towards individual support. Tired, hungry or distressed toddlers received prompt attention and reassurance.

Safety learning in November 2022 included visits from firefighters and road safety officers, alongside evacuation practice. Two improvement priorities remained: clearer teaching-development targets through staff supervision, and helping children understand internet safety beyond nursery.

The address is 1b Thomas Lane, Knotty Ash, Liverpool, L14 5NX. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening except bank holidays and Christmas.

In November 2022, session times ran from 7am to 6pm and funded early education was provided for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That dated funding offer should be kept separate from decisions about a present-day childcare arrangement.

• Teaching development. In November 2022, staff supervision did not consistently produce clear targets for improving teaching. This is a useful priority to discuss when considering the nursery’s approach to staff development.
• Internet safety at home. November 2022 practice covered supervised internet use in nursery, but teaching about safe use at home needed development. Families using digital devices with young children may value that distinction.
• Your attendance pattern. With opening hours spanning 7am to 6pm, what session arrangement and funded-hours terms would fit your family, including meals and consumables?

This nursery suits families seeking care across the baby, toddler and preschool stages who value practical independence and communication with parents. Its November 2022 account gives concrete examples of both, from children serving drinks to individual learning steps shared at home. The Good judgement provides a dated quality reference; the teaching-development and home internet-safety priorities deserve attention alongside it.