Strode College Day Nursery

Sixteen places give Strode College Day Nursery a small whole-setting footprint in Street, Somerset. It accepts children aged two to four. That capacity describes the nursery as a whole, rather than the number of children attending together or the size of any room.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. Play, friendships and outdoor exploration gave that assessment its practical character: children experimented with water, invented pretend cakes and helped younger companions balance outdoors. These are examples from September 2021.

In September 2021, the nursery occupied its own premises on the Strode College campus. A pirate ship climbing frame gave children opportunities to climb, stretch and slide, while outdoor guttering extended water play into careful pouring. Movement and experimentation sat alongside one another.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play supports learning alongside children's physical and emotional needs. In September 2021, filling containers introduced empty and full, and handling extra resources gave children practice coordinating their movements.

Imaginative play also had substance. During that same month, children combined rice and cornflakes in pretend baking, spooned their mixtures into bowls and shared them with adults. Water play with toy sea creatures introduced the effect of rubbish on marine life and sorting materials for recycling. Stories and counting rhymes gave children opportunities to listen and join in. These examples connected ideas to things children could handle, discuss and try.

In September 2021, a sensory area helped children settle, and predictable routines supported conversations about feelings. Children practised saying whether they were happy, sad or tired. Staff encouraged sharing and kindness; older children also helped younger friends on an outdoor balance beam. The emphasis was on learning to manage relationships through ordinary play.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff recognising welfare concerns, understanding reporting procedures and assessing risks in play spaces. In September 2021, staff also used induction and ongoing supervision to support their practice.

Two improvement priorities qualified the positive picture that month: tracking learning closely enough to arrange support promptly, and broadening children's understanding of differences and similarities between people's lives. Both matter beyond the activity itself: one concerns timely help, the other how children understand their community.

Church Road, Street, BA16 0AB is the nursery's address. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure during school holidays. Families whose working year continues through those breaks need to factor that calendar into their childcare plans.

In September 2021, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact rather than a guarantee of an individual child's entitlement.

• Term-time calendar. The nursery closes during school holidays. This makes the holiday pattern a substantial part of the decision for parents working across the year.
• Learning and inclusion. The September 2021 improvement priorities concerned timely learning support and understanding people's differing lives. During a visit, ask how progress tracking and everyday activities now address those priorities.

Strode College Day Nursery suits families seeking a small setting for children aged two to four whose childcare needs fit a term-time calendar. Its September 2021 strengths were concrete: exploratory play, outdoor movement and support with friendships and emotions. The improvement priorities make the way learning is tracked and inclusion is taught equally relevant to a family's decision.