Tots Junction Day Nursery

Mirrors for babies, cereal to crush and dough for animal footprints give Tots Junction Day Nursery a practical, hands-on character in its February 2022 account of daily life. Ofsted rated it Good on 25 February 2022. The useful detail lies in the play: children explored movement, textures and shapes through practical play.

On Grimshaw Lane in Middleton, Manchester, the nursery has capacity for 37 children aged 3 to 60 months. The inspection examples describe that earlier period; they give families concrete activities to discuss alongside their child's needs.

In February 2022, babies used low furniture to practise standing and crawling, with mirrors encouraging them to notice their reflections. Toddlers investigated cereal with their fingers and rolling pins, while older children used scissors and dough to practise movements needed for writing. These were different starting points for different stages of development.

In February 2022, children also turned small animal figures into tools for making footprints in dough, explaining their ideas to friends as they played. At lunchtime, they recognised a triangle made with cutlery. Learning crossed between activities: dough offered opportunities for hand control and imaginative play, while an everyday meal became a chance to recognise a shape. The examples give parents something more concrete than a list of areas of learning.

The February 2022 curriculum built on children's existing knowledge as well as their interests. Pirate stories and songs illustrate that connection: a subject children wanted to explore became material for shared reading and singing. The improvement point concerned how staff translated those interests into purposeful teaching, rather than whether children had opportunities to play.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports skills such as communication, movement and independence. In February 2022, children's enthusiasm for pirates shaped stories and songs. However, staff needed a clearer understanding of the intended learning, especially how to develop younger children's language.

Daily outdoor access featured in February 2022, but some outings into the outdoor area were brief. Staff needed to make better use of its resources for children who preferred learning outside. For those children, access alone was not enough to sustain involvement.

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, with children making good progress. Leaders involved families and outside professionals in referrals and reviews of children's development. They also considered how additional funding could have the greatest impact for children. This February 2022 account describes support involving both home and professional input, with children's development reviewed as part of that work.

In February 2022, staff used reminders about manners and sharing to guide behaviour, alongside praise when children succeeded. Children recalled that sharing toys and helping tidy earned them a golden star. These small examples show how everyday expectations were made understandable: sharing resources and helping clear up were recognised achievements, alongside the learning taking place through play.

In February 2022, staff built close relationships with children and encouraged independence through putting on outdoor clothing and helping prepare the lunch table. Children ate home-cooked food, and reminded one another to cool hot food before eating. Links with children's next schools supported preparation for moving on.

In February 2022, staff supervision and training supported work on practice, and leaders set aside time for apprentices to complete coursework. Leaders also included children's, parents' and staff views when evaluating the nursery. For families, these are useful examples of how development involved the adults as well as the children.

The address is Grimshaw Lane, Middleton, Manchester, M24 2AT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In February 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That dated funding offer should be kept separate from the nursery's current opening hours.

• Language teaching. In February 2022, younger children's communication needed more deliberate support. Ask how staff now turn stories and songs into planned language learning.
• Outdoor engagement. In February 2022, outdoor resources were not used consistently to keep children involved. On a visit, ask how a child who prefers outdoor play would spend their day.

Tots Junction suits families seeking year-round weekday care and interested in learning through practical play. Its February 2022 examples make that approach tangible, from babies practising movement to older children developing hand control. The balance is clear: the Good judgement sits alongside specific questions about language teaching and the depth of outdoor learning.