The Nursery

A wooden spoon frozen into ice gave preschool children a practical problem to solve at The Nursery in November 2023: what could they use to release it? That small example captures the setting's approach at the time, using children's discoveries as starting points for discussion and investigation.

At its 30 November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The Nursery has capacity for 46 children, with an age range of 2 to 60 months, at 29 Lodge Lane, Aston, Sheffield, S26 2BL.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the November 2023 activities illustrate what that meant in practice: stories, puzzles, counting and opportunities to explore physical materials.

Babies practised handling wooden rings and putting them onto a stand. Two-year-olds worked on ordering shapes by size, while preschool children arranged coloured shapes to reproduce patterns. These were different challenges for different stages of development, rather than one task applied across the age range.

Stories also connected listening with conversation. In November 2023, babies chose books to share with staff, and older children answered questions and recalled familiar language. Repeated core stories supplied ideas for further activities, although the baby-room activities needed better adjustment to babies' abilities.

In November 2023, staff encouraged practical independence through eating, dressing and preparing food. Older children served meals and cut fruit with safety knives. However, some equipment was too large for younger children, and encouragement with self-care varied between practitioners. Independence therefore depended partly on which adult was supporting the activity.

Weekly newsletters at that time explained children's learning and offered ideas for extending it at home. Staff also used supervision meetings to identify their own development needs. For parents, the newsletters provided a concrete connection between nursery activities and conversations or play at home.

The address is 29 Lodge Lane, Aston, Sheffield, S26 2BL. Opening hours are 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for a week over Christmas and New Year.

In November 2023, session times ran from 7am to 7pm, with core hours from 8am to 6pm. Funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four at that time.

• Babies' story activities. In November 2023, linked activities were less successfully adapted for babies than for older children. During a visit, ask how practitioners now match these activities to a baby's abilities.
• Practical independence. The November 2023 improvement points included more consistent support for self-care. Look for appropriately sized equipment and opportunities for children to attempt tasks themselves.
• Your attendance pattern. Opening hours span 7am to 7pm. Ask which booking pattern, funded-hours arrangement and written quotation would fit your family's week.

The Nursery suits families looking for learning through stories, hands-on exploration and everyday practical skills. Its November 2023 inspection gives concrete examples of those experiences, alongside two useful cautions: adapting activities for babies and making independence a consistent part of staff practice. Those are worthwhile priorities for a visit, especially for parents choosing care for a younger child.