Westhill Nursery Pre-School

A pretend grocery shop, outdoor water play and books shared between children give Westhill Nursery Pre-School its character in the November 2022 account of nursery life. At its 16 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding and found that teaching helped children sustain attention and develop their ideas. The detail matters more than the label: children had time to talk, explore and contribute.

Based at West Hill House in Braunton, EX33 1AR, the nursery has capacity for 24 children, with an age range from birth to five years. That is the whole-setting capacity, rather than the size of an individual group.

In November 2022, learning combined imaginative play with practical challenges. Children acted out buying and selling produce, while puzzles encouraged them to work through problems. Discussions gave willing participants time to contribute; children who preferred something else could choose another activity. Participation did not depend on everyone doing the same thing.

Clay and wooden sticks became spiders during another shared activity in November 2022. Children talked through their designs and passed materials between them, bringing conversation and cooperation into the same task. Making something involved decisions as well as handling materials. Staff also planned learning around what each child could already do and what they needed to learn next. For parents, that gives the dated account an individual dimension: the activities sat alongside attention to each child's next steps.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the November 2022 examples show what that meant in practice: conversation, stories, imaginative play and physical exploration rather than learning confined to adult-led tasks.

Books were an important part of the day in November 2022. Staff introduced vocabulary through questions and reading, and children also shared stories with one another. Outdoors, younger children played with water in a pretend kitchen; older children used a climbing frame and slide. Forest-based outdoor learning took place twice a week at that time, adding another setting for exploration.

Poetry, rhyme and word games also featured in November 2022. Children made a playful rhyme linking a member of staff's blue coat with a trip to the zoo. This was language used for amusement as well as answering questions. Regular reading and a substantial choice of books gave children further ways to engage with words, while their attempts to read to each other made stories a shared experience.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including links with local support agencies and excellent progress. Those are dated judgements, relevant to families weighing the nursery's experience of supporting different needs.

Communication in November 2022 extended beyond brief conversations. Families received daily information about development, individual learning packs each week and progress meetings each term. Parents also contributed information about their children's interests and abilities, giving staff a fuller picture of life beyond nursery.

Those different rhythms gave families several points of contact: everyday updates, learning material to take home and scheduled conversations about progress. Annual parent feedback was also gathered and used to inform changes at the nursery in November 2022. Parents' contributions therefore extended beyond describing their own child to commenting on how the setting worked.

Safeguarding practice in November 2022 included recruitment procedures, staff inductions, appraisals and checks on suitability. Staff understood signs of possible harm and the procedures for raising concerns, including contacting other agencies. These details explain the safeguarding judgement through the adults' responsibilities and actions. They concern the arrangements assessed at that visit.

The address is West Hill House, Braunton, EX33 1AR. Opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, across the year.

In November 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That describes its provision at the time of the visit.

• Your child's daily care. For a baby or younger toddler, ask how settling, sleep, meals and non-food consumables would be organised within the proposed attendance pattern.
• Outdoor learning. Twice-weekly forest-based learning was part of nursery life in November 2022. Discuss how outdoor experiences fit into your child's prospective week.

Westhill suits families seeking year-round childcare within a 9am to 5pm opening window. Its strongest evidence is the November 2022 picture of thoughtful conversation, imaginative play and active outdoor learning. The dated care and communication findings add substance, especially for parents who value individual feedback alongside their child's day-to-day experiences.