Stainsby Neighbourhood Nursery

Garden discoveries, cookie baking and familiar stories give Stainsby Neighbourhood Nursery a practical, playful character in its September 2022 account of daily life. Babies explored natural objects, while older children followed their interest in recipes into baking. These were experiences children could touch, try and talk about.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its September 2022 inspection. Based at West Middlesbrough Children's Centre on Stainsby Road, Middlesbrough, it has capacity for 60 children, with an accepted age range of 0 to 96 months.

In September 2022, learning involved different experiences for different stages: babies investigated conkers and fir cones, toddlers practised climbing and riding outdoors, and older children baked cookies. The garden offered materials for discovery as well as opportunities to move.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care. Here, the September 2022 examples connected those expectations with play, conversation, movement and practical tasks.

During that month, favourite five books gave children familiar stories to revisit, joining in with actions and remembering the sequence. An indoor soft-play area added opportunities for physical activity. Children also explored cultural and religious celebrations and tried foods from other countries, bringing unfamiliar experiences into their day.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified precise teaching plans for children with SEND that supported excellent progress. Staff understood how to respond to welfare concerns, and managers monitored accidents and incidents to help identify hazards.

In September 2022, familiar staff offered affection and encouragement, and children sought them out for hugs. Parents received detailed feedback about learning. Everyday independence mattered too: younger children practised feeding themselves, while older children took responsibility for their belongings. These small tasks gave children opportunities to manage more for themselves.

The address is West Middlesbrough Children's Centre, Stainsby Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 4JS.

In September 2022, the nursery operated throughout the year on weekdays, with session times of 7.45am to 6pm. It also provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Those arrangements describe that inspection period.

• Teaching at the right level. In September 2022, some mathematics activities used numbers beyond some participants' understanding. Teaching needed closer adjustment to children's existing knowledge, so that each child could build on what they understood.
• Changes between activities. In September 2022, waiting between routines sometimes led to restlessness and disrupted concentration. Smoother changes were an improvement priority, with a direct bearing on how much uninterrupted play children enjoyed.
• Attendance planning. Funded early education formed part of the September 2022 offer for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Which attendance and funding arrangement would suit your child now?

Stainsby's September 2022 picture will appeal to families who value practical play, repeated stories and opportunities for children to become more independent. The garden and indoor soft-play area gave physical activity a concrete place in the day. Balance those strengths against the two teaching priorities: matching activities more closely to children's understanding and reducing interruptions between routines.