Shaping Futures Day Nursery

Pretend passports, bean planting and visits to an organic grocery shop give Shaping Futures Day Nursery a recognisable character: learning connects imaginative play with everyday life. These were features of its January 2023 provision, rather than a description of today's activity timetable.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Based in Warsop, Mansfield, the nursery has capacity for 120 children aged 3 to 60 months. That is a whole-setting figure, not the size of an individual group.

In January 2023, children planted beans in compost and experimented with electronic toys, combining practical coordination with learning about movement and position. A pretend journey began with making passports and continued through baggage checks to rooms representing Kenya, Spain, Australia and the Arctic. Imagination gave children a reason to use literacy skills and explore other countries.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the January 2023 activities illustrated learning through play, conversation and practical exploration. Visits to an organic grocery shop introduced fruit, vegetables and their origins; library visits included enrolling children so that books could be borrowed for reading at home.

A sports coach provided daily exercise sessions in January 2023. Physical activity therefore had a planned place alongside stories and imaginative experiences. Children also sustained interest in activities they chose themselves, leaving room for their own curiosity within the planned day.

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that one-to-one work from the special educational needs coordinator supported progress for children with SEND and children learning English as an additional language. This was individual support directed towards future learning, including preparation for school.

In January 2023, staff used mirrors to help children discuss their features and emotions, while specific encouragement reinforced behaviour expectations. Home learning packs connected nursery activities with learning alongside parents. Two-way communication gave families a part in that work.

Questioning needed refinement. In January 2023, staff sometimes asked questions so frequently that children disengaged from conversation. The improvement point was about making exchanges more responsive, rather than simply introducing more vocabulary.

The address is 34 - 36 Sherwood Street, Warsop, Mansfield, NG20 0JW. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year, with bank holiday closures. This opening window helps families assess the fit with their working day.

In January 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That dated provision should be kept separate from decisions about a child's current funded attendance.

• Conversation and listening. Refining staff questioning was the January 2023 improvement priority. On a visit, ask how practitioners now balance questions with time for children to think and respond.
• Your child's attendance. The nursery opens throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. Ask which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangements would fit your child's age and your working week.

Shaping Futures suits families needing an all-year opening calendar. Its January 2023 strengths included imaginative activities, community visits and links between home and nursery learning. The questioning improvement point adds a useful consideration: engaging activities work best when children also have space to lead the conversation.