Windermere Nursery

Windermere Nursery is a Wembley setting for children aged two to five, with 33 places in total. It operates from the Church of the Annunciation on Windermere Avenue. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, judged it Good and found safeguarding arrangements effective. The clearest strength was belonging: children settled well, felt secure and developed confidence and independence.

That inspection also found a well-sequenced curriculum, good progress including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and positive partnerships with parents. The main qualification is equally useful. Staff were asked to apply their communication-and-language strategies more consistently and give children enough time to think and respond.

In September 2023, staff built learning from discussions with parents, observations of play and children's existing interests. This is the practical shape of the Early Years Foundation Stage here: adults identify what a child can already do, plan the next steps across early learning and adapt activities as development unfolds.

The evidence is strongest on tangible experiences. Children mixed and kneaded malleable materials, painted, drew and made pencil marks, strengthening fine-motor control and hand-eye coordination. Outdoors, they ran, balanced, jumped, spun hoops and danced. Less-confident children received sensitive key-person support to join unfamiliar activities, while younger children worked in small groups.

Independence ran through ordinary routines as well as planned activities. Children self-registered, cared for their belongings and helped put toys away. Staff also used children's preferences and experiences to explore their community, charity and life in modern Britain. These are modest details, but together they show a curriculum reaching beyond tabletop tasks into responsibility and social understanding.

Relationships carried real weight at the 2023 visit. Children were pleased to see their key person and peers, looked after their belongings and helped tidy toys. Staff modelled polite, respectful behaviour and helped newer children understand expectations. Parents received information about learning, development and care, and families could be directed to local help such as the family hub.

Communication support included repetition, songs and visual picture cues. However, Ofsted found these tools were not used consistently enough, and adults did not always allow sufficient response time. Families whose child needs communication support should weigh the positive range of strategies against that specific improvement point.

Health and safety practice was also examined. Staff worked with families so packed lunches met dietary requirements, and safeguarding training, supervision, suitability checks, first-aid qualifications and attendance monitoring contributed to the effective safeguarding judgement. Leaders reviewed risk assessments, while staff understood the procedures for reporting concerns and whistle-blowing. Regular training and supervision were part of the inspection's positive account.

Staff training was found to improve outcomes for children, and the team was described as dedicated and enthusiastic. That matters because the curriculum depends on practitioners noticing interests, identifying next steps and helping children engage. The inspection evidence supports that sequence, while still making consistent language practice the priority for improvement.

The nursery is at Church of the Annunciation, Windermere Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8QT. It has capacity for 33 children and accepts ages two to five.

The booking model should be discussed as part of an enquiry, alongside the precise sessions a family needs. Current nursery-specific prices are supplied in the provider's written quotation. Families will also need that current information to understand how funded hours, meals and non-food consumables are handled for their chosen attendance pattern.

• Communication practice. The September 2023 inspection asked staff to use language-support strategies consistently and allow more thinking time. Families seeking targeted communication support should discuss how that improvement is now embedded.
• Attendance and costs. Ask whether a full-day or half-day session can be booked, along with clock times, minimum attendance pattern, funded-hours delivery and a written breakdown of what families provide or pay for.
• Place planning. Availability changes by age and day, so ask about the particular pattern your family needs rather than treating the setting's total capacity as a vacancy figure.

Windermere Nursery's strongest documented qualities are secure relationships, cooperative behaviour and learning that starts with children's interests. The outdoor movement and fine-motor work make the inspection account concrete, while the communication improvement point prevents an unqualified endorsement. It is best suited to families seeking care from age two who value key-person reassurance and active play, and need an attendance pattern that can be agreed directly with the setting.