Smilers, Wainscott

Books beside pretend cooking, an interactive globe for exploring animal habitats, and balance bikes outdoors give Smilers, Wainscott a practical, play-led character. These were features of daily life in October 2024. The nursery has capacity for 70 children, from birth to five, on Wainscott Road in Rochester.

At its 29 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, were progressing well. The main improvement concerned how staff extended learning when children chose their own activities.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing these together in their daily experiences. In October 2024, staff planned from children's existing abilities and what they needed to learn next, then discussed whether activities had achieved their intended purpose.

Books served more than story time. In October 2024, recipe books supported pretend cooking, while expressive storytelling and questions about characters encouraged children to discuss emotions. Staff also supplied words for younger children during play, helping them connect language with objects.

An interest in animals prompted an exploration area combining pictures, books and an interactive globe. Children investigated habitats and creatures including turtles, penguins and snakes. Dough-making offered a different kind of discovery: changing the balance of flour and water let children experiment with the mixture.

Daily outdoor play in October 2024 included digging, running, sliding and steering balance bikes. Indoors, handling tongs at snack time and using drawing and painting tools gave children further practice controlling their hands. Trips to a nearby shop for snacks and visits to a care home broadened experiences beyond the nursery.

In October 2024, staff modelled manners and helped children talk through difficult feelings. A coin-posting game gave children practice sharing and waiting for a turn. The emphasis was on showing children how to cooperate, alongside helping them express frustration.

Communication with families included photographs, updates about development and ideas for continuing activities at home in October 2024. This gave parents something concrete to discuss and try with their child, connecting nursery experiences with family life.

The address is Wainscott Road, Wainscott, Rochester, ME2 4JY. Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, with an all-year opening schedule.

In October 2024, the nursery provided funded early education and care for children aged nine months to four years. That describes participation at that date, rather than an entitlement or attendance arrangement for an individual family.

• Learning during self-chosen play. In October 2024, staff sometimes missed opportunities to develop children's investigations, including while they mixed rice and dough. Ask how practitioners now recognise and extend an emerging interest.
• Experiences beyond the building. October 2024 activities included care-home visits and shopping for snacks. These may appeal to families who value everyday community experiences alongside indoor and outdoor play.

Smilers suits families drawn to learning through books, conversation, practical experimentation and outdoor movement. Its October 2024 strengths were concrete: animal investigations, expressive storytelling and activities that exercised both hands and bodies. The point to examine is how consistently staff build on children's own discoveries. That matters alongside the planned activities, especially for a child who learns by pursuing an absorbing idea.