City Road Community Childcare

In June 2022, a Sensory Den and weekly sessions supporting language and physical development gave City Road Community Childcare a recognisable character. Its June 2022 provision combined children's own interests with practical learning, from dinosaur activities to counting during pretend baking. Everyday play carried the learning.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 14 June 2022. The setting at 720 City Road, Sheffield, S2 1GJ has capacity for 136 children and accepts children from six months to five years.

In June 2022, Phonics Bear and Kick provided weekly sessions supporting language and physical development. The Sensory Den offered a space explored by children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These were concrete additions to the children's day, rather than simply names for an approach.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care. In June 2022, that learning took practical forms: older children discussed shapes and quantities while pretending to bake cupcakes, while younger children heard counting and size vocabulary as they built towers. Number songs brought mathematics into shared activities.

Children's interests also shaped activities that June. Staff developed dinosaur play from children's ideas, giving them a say in what they explored. Makaton supported communication, alongside staff modelling speech and introducing vocabulary. Children practised cooperation through play and formed friendships as they grew older.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and recognised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through the Sensory Den and developmental interventions. Staff training, knowledge of reporting procedures and risk assessments contributed to the safeguarding judgement.

In June 2022, babies had close relationships with their carers, and staff responded to tiredness or a need for reassurance. Parent communication combined conversations with an app carrying photographs and learning updates, helping families understand what their children were doing.

There were important weaknesses that June. Support for children struggling with emotional regulation was inconsistent. Younger children also needed more chances to attempt tasks themselves, while play resources did not adequately represent every child's individuality. These concerns matter alongside the positive overall judgement.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm. It operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas.

In June 2022, it provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That dated provision should be kept separate from a family's present funding arrangements.

• Emotional regulation. In June 2022, staff did not consistently respond appropriately when children struggled to manage their emotions. On a visit, ask how practitioners now recognise and support those moments.
• Independence and representation. The June 2022 findings called for more opportunities for younger children to try tasks themselves and for play to reflect children's individuality. Look for both in the activities and resources children use.

City Road Community Childcare suits families who value learning built around children's interests, practical mathematics and communication. Its June 2022 activities give that judgement substance. The June 2022 Good rating sits alongside specific concerns about emotional support, independence and representation, making those the most useful priorities for a visit.