Little Explorers Day Nursery at Queens Hospital

Ice became pretend ice cream, while an egg-and-spoon race had children cheering for one another in June 2023. These small moments capture the play and shared experiences at Little Explorers Day Nursery at Queens Hospital in Romford. Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its June 2023 inspection.

The nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has 50 places in total. Its hospital address is a useful practical consideration for families whose routines centre on Queens Hospital.

In June 2023, termly themes shaped activities: people who help us introduced children to the work of dentists, firefighters and doctors. Storytelling included the Gruffalo, with pauses that encouraged children to remember what came next. These examples brought vocabulary and recall into play.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the June 2023 day included imaginative play, stories and physical activities, giving children different ways to practise communication and movement.

Outside, in June 2023, children had a spacious area for jumping and balance activities, alongside sack-race practice for sports day. Indoors, babies used brushes and shaving foam on pictures of teeth, combining hand movements with an introduction to dental care.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that early communication was supported well, the special educational needs coordinator worked effectively with parents and staff to arrange early help and external support, and safeguarding arrangements were effective.

In June 2023, adults offered very young children a choice between toys, named the objects and acknowledged their selection. This gave children a concrete way to communicate their preferences.

Room changes also received attention in June 2023: information about care and development passed to the next key person, and children in the rising twos room spent longer in adult-led activities before moving to preschool routines. Preschool children helped with table setting and held doors for friends. However, adults needed to create more chances for children to manage tasks themselves.

The address is Queens Hospital, Rom Valley Way, Romford, RM7 0AG. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In June 2023, the nursery received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position rather than a promise of a funded place for an individual child.

• Extending learning. In June 2023, adults did not consistently build on children's contributions during group activities. On a visit, look at how practitioners develop a child's answer or idea beyond the initial exchange.
• Independence. The June 2023 improvement priorities included giving children more opportunities to do tasks themselves. Everyday routines deserve attention alongside organised activities.
• Planning care around Queens Hospital. The weekday opening window runs from 7am to 6pm. What attendance arrangement and written quotation would cover your child's hours, meals and consumables?

Little Explorers merits consideration by families seeking weekday childcare at Queens Hospital, including those needing an early start. Its June 2023 examples give substance to the Good judgement: communication through toy choices, physical play outdoors and preparation for room changes. Consistency in extending learning and opportunities for independence were the counterweights. Those are useful priorities for a visit.