The Old Station Nursery and Pre-school St Neots

Nature exploration and practical independence give this Uxbridge nursery its clearest character: in August 2022, children explored a local stream, built storybook houses with natural materials and practised serving their own food. These were experiences that connected learning with things children could do for themselves.

At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The current age range runs from birth to 60 months, with the setting based on St Johns Road, UB8 2UR.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing everyday play and developmental support into the same framework. In August 2022, activities drew on children's interests, home languages and cultures, giving staff starting points that were familiar to individual children.

Small-group wow time supported listening and attention. Outdoors, children practised balancing, running and ball skills, with adults demonstrating movements before giving them room to practise independently. Nature outings included the local stream; natural materials also became houses inspired by The Three Little Pigs. These examples connected stories, movement and exploration rather than keeping learning at a table.

In August 2022, key persons built close relationships with children, while child focus weeks brought parents' knowledge of their children's interests into planning and assessment. Communication therefore served a practical purpose: it helped connect experiences at home with the next activities staff planned. Staff also tracked development and discussed achievements, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Independence took different forms across the age groups at that time. Babies practised feeding themselves, toddlers served their lunch and preschool children selected food from a food bar. Families contributed recipes for the chef, introducing food from different countries.

School preparation in August 2022 included dough disco, a fine-motor activity, alongside name writing. Staff exchanged information with destination schools, linking preparation within the nursery to the next stage of children's learning.

The address is St Johns Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2UR. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In August 2022, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of its funding participation.

• Language teaching. In August 2022, less-experienced staff did not consistently model language or introduce new vocabulary. Ask how practitioners now build extended conversations into play across the age groups.
• Explaining risk. In August 2022, adults did not always explain why an outdoor choice was unsuitable, limiting children's opportunities to learn from mistakes. A visit should explore how staff explain safer choices while preserving opportunities to experiment.
• Attendance and funded costs. The weekday opening window spans morning through early evening. Which booking patterns and funded arrangements fit your family, and what would the written quotation include for meals and consumables?

This nursery merits consideration for families seeking weekday care across the year, with an inspection-era picture of nature exploration, practical independence and parent contributions to learning. Its August 2022 strengths sit alongside two clear improvement priorities: more consistent language teaching and better explanations of risk. Those are useful questions against which to assess its present practice.