MEplace Big

Sand moulds, songs and learning to put feelings into words give MEplace Big its character. In August 2024, children experimented with spades of different sizes, filling and emptying moulds while playing together. Small experiences carried several purposes: exploring materials, sharing equipment and finding ways to cooperate.

At its 21 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. This Hackney Wick setting has capacity for 73 children at 7 Meldola Yard, London E9 5NW. The children attending at the inspection were aged 2 to 4; that age range describes the setting at that date.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning and everyday wellbeing into the same nursery day. In August 2024, staff built learning into ordinary routines and play: children explored word sounds, used numbers to solve problems and joined in familiar phrases during stories. These everyday opportunities helped children practise early literacy and mathematical skills for their next stage of learning.

Conversation was a substantial part of the day. Adults described what children were doing and invited them to talk about the weather and their feelings. There was a clear limitation, too: children sometimes needed longer to work out an answer than staff allowed. More questions did not necessarily mean more opportunity to speak.

Activities also introduced greetings in other languages and explored cultures and religions through staff members' backgrounds. Alongside stories and singing, these experiences gave children different ways to hear, use and understand language.

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children had formed close bonds with their key adults, made good progress and received effective SEND support through collaboration between staff, parents and outside professionals. One example concerned children moving from individual words to short sentences. For families weighing support for communication, that is a concrete account of what the work achieved at the time.

In August 2024, emotional learning included recognising feelings and practising ways to respond to them. Mindful activities sat alongside reminders about behaviour, so children had strategies to practise as well as rules to follow.

Everyday independence received attention too. Children practised brushing their teeth after meals, turning a care routine into something they could learn to do themselves. Staff assessed risks within the setting and on outings, and discussed road safety with children before trips. Those conversations connected adult supervision with children's developing understanding of risk.

The nursery's address is 7 Meldola Yard, London E9 5NW, near Hackney Wick in Tower Hamlets. Its total capacity is 73 places; this is a whole-setting figure, rather than the size of a room or group.

In August 2024, opening hours ran from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. These describe the opening arrangements at that time. The nursery also provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four at that inspection.

• Time to answer. The August 2024 improvement action concerned giving children longer to think before responding. During a visit, ask how practitioners now leave space for children to form their own answers.
• The everyday group. The 73-place capacity describes the nursery as a whole. Ask how the group your child would join is organised during play and care routines.
• Communication support. In August 2024, staff worked with parents and outside professionals to support children with SEND. Discuss how that collaboration would work around your child's particular communication needs.

MEplace Big merits consideration by families who value language practice, emotional learning and growing independence through everyday tasks. Its August 2024 assessment provides a positive quality judgement, backed by examples of cooperative play and communication support. Giving children enough thinking time is the practical teaching point to weigh alongside those strengths.