Kristaval Daycare

A garden train made from crates and an old turntable dismantled with real tools give Kristaval Daycare's October 2022 nursery day its character: practical exploration, with counting and careful hand movements built into play. These are concrete examples of how ordinary objects became learning resources.

At its 21 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. Kristaval Daycare accepts children from birth to five at 19 Warrenhouse Road, Brighton-le-Sands, Liverpool, L22 6QN.

In October 2022, activities followed children's interests. Staff helped children count the carriages of their crate train in the garden, while taking apart the turntable gave them practice using tools and making small, controlled movements. These activities connected counting and fine motor practice with hands-on exploration.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in parent terms, play and everyday routines are opportunities to develop skills. In October 2022, preschool children used Rainbow Fish to explore friendship and sharing, then made fish with different materials, counted their scales and identified colours. One story connected conversation, creativity and number work.

During that month, children also attended forest school, exploring woods and learning safety rules. Books featured in play and circle time, with props helping children join familiar parts of stories. These examples show the different settings in which learning took place, from the garden to shared reading.

In October 2022, staff comforted unsettled children with cuddles and helped them join activities. Babies received attentive support as they explored. Children were encouraged to try the indoor slide; older children practised explaining their feelings. Care and growing independence sat alongside each other.

Staff also modelled respectful conversation that month. Children waited for turns in a matching-pairs game and acknowledged one another's successes. Questions and attentive listening gave children opportunities to speak, while stories supplied further vocabulary. These are useful examples of the everyday interactions parents can look for when considering care.

The address is 19 Warrenhouse Road, Brighton-le-Sands, Liverpool, L22 6QN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

In October 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That dated participation should be distinguished from a current funding arrangement when planning attendance.

• Challenge as children develop. In October 2022, staff did not consistently turn their assessments into activities that stretched children sufficiently. On a visit, how do practitioners use what your child can already do to plan the next challenge?
• Oversight of teaching. In October 2022, leaders needed to identify more precisely how staff could improve their practice. This makes the way teaching is observed and supported a useful consideration alongside the activities themselves.

Kristaval Daycare suits families seeking care across the year who value practical play, books and outdoor exploration. The October 2022 examples give substance to that appeal: counting a homemade train, working with tools and discussing friendship through a story. The same dated account identifies a clear limitation around consistent challenge and closer oversight of teaching. Both deserve weight in a family's decision.