Pant Pandas Childcare Centre

Paint chosen from cupboards, puzzles tackled independently and questions about birds and donkeys: the April 2023 picture of Pant Pandas was of children taking an active part in their learning. At its 20 April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding overall. The detail behind that judgement gives parents more to consider than the grade alone.

Based in Pant, Oswestry, the centre has 48 places in total and accepts children aged 24 to 60 months. Independence and communication were prominent in its April 2023 nursery day.

The early years foundation stage brings together children's learning, development and care, so everyday play and routines have an educational purpose. In April 2023, staff planned learning in developmental steps and adjusted activities to children's interests. Children selected painting materials from cupboards themselves, giving them practical responsibility for what they wanted to make. Planning that month linked activities to a sequence of developing skills, while staff kept track of children's progress and used it to decide what to teach next. This made the child's current learning the starting point for adult support. Staff also received support directed at their own development, with listening skills a shared priority for the team.

Furniture mattered too. In April 2023, staff had adapted it after noticing that children preferred kneeling to write. That is a concrete example of changing the environment around how children actually used it. Two-year-olds experimented with jigsaw pieces, while older children persisted with extracting play dough from a narrow container. Adults offered possible ways forward rather than immediately completing the task.

Questions about rain and observations of birds and donkeys also featured that month. Staff encouraged children to propose their own explanations, making conversation part of exploration. Painting brought another opportunity to talk: children described the colours they had made and considered whether friends wanted to use them. Choosing materials was therefore also a chance to explain a choice to someone else.

In April 2023, learning about differences included exploring families, expressing opinions and speaking up when something felt unfair. These experiences connected understanding other people with having a voice of one's own. Children also tidied resources away, giving them a part in caring for the space they used. Responsibility involved both making choices and dealing with what followed.

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These were judgements about practice at that time.

In April 2023, language work included helping children describe emotions and listen to their friends, connecting communication with resolving disagreements. Parents received information about children's progress alongside the next steps staff planned. That combination helped families understand both what their child could do and what came next.

Everyday care also gave children responsibility that month: they poured drinks when thirsty and separated used cups. Independence extended beyond activities to looking after themselves and shared resources. Separating cups after use connected a familiar routine with hygiene, so practical responsibility had a care purpose too.

In April 2023, staff positioned themselves to keep children under close supervision, and checks of the premises formed part of the safety arrangements. Staff understood how to recognise possible abuse and raise concerns, including allegations involving a colleague. Policy reviews took account of local safeguarding procedures, alongside checks on new and existing staff. For parents, these details explain the working arrangements behind the dated safeguarding judgement: supervision, recognising concerns and knowing how to act on them.

The address is Bryn Offa C of E Primary School, Rockwell Lane, Pant, Oswestry, SY10 9QR. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with a Christmas closure.

In April 2023, the centre received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. This describes its funding participation at that time.

• An April 2023 judgement. The Outstanding grade and examples of children's learning date from that month. On a visit, explore how the furniture adaptations and independence in choosing materials work today.
• Your attendance pattern. The opening window runs from 8am to 6pm on weekdays. What booking pattern would fit your child within those hours?

Pant Pandas suits families with children aged 24 to 60 months who value independence and communication. Its April 2023 examples make those priorities tangible: choosing resources, persisting with practical problems and learning to explain feelings. The weekday opening window also matters for families organising care around work.