Overndale Nursery

Real herbs, a role-play vets and a child-built combine harvester give Overndale Nursery's July 2023 daily life its character: practical play with plenty for small hands to do. At its 6 July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that children progressed well and judged safeguarding effective.

At 19 Chapel Lane, Old Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6NQ, the nursery has capacity for 110 children and accepts ages from 2 to 84 months. Those whole-setting places are separate from the numbers attending any individual room.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the July 2023 examples show learning woven into play and everyday routines: counting portions at snack time, handling tools and talking through ideas.

In July 2023, children used tweezers in the role-play vets and scissors to cut herbs in the outside kitchen. These gave hand movements a purpose. Blocks and crates became a combine harvester through shared imaginative play, while questions about apples prompted children to recall how fruit grows.

Snack routines also developed with age. In July 2023, babies received prepared fruit, toddlers helped with cutting, and preschool children prepared and served fruit themselves. This made an ordinary part of the day a chance to practise independence.

Planning in July 2023 began with each child's learning needs, rather than treating every child as ready for the same activity. Staff used children's interests to draw them into learning and kept familiar routines across age groups. The fruit preparation is a useful example of that continuity: a recognisable daily task gained more responsibility as children developed. For parents, this connects the youngest children's experiences with the skills older children were practising.

Number work in July 2023 had an everyday purpose. Children used the number beside a snack bowl to work out their portion, then counted food onto their plates. Conversation also returned to things they had learnt before. Asked about apples, children described blossom dying back before fruit grew. Together, these examples show two different demands: using numbers to complete a task and explaining a remembered sequence in words.

In July 2023, staff responded to children's attempts to communicate, introduced vocabulary and followed their interests during play. A baby handing over a book prompted an adult to name it and read. Support for language was embedded in these small exchanges.

Independence extended beyond snack time in July 2023: babies collected painting aprons, older children changed for physical education, and babies tried balancing and climbing on rocks in the sensory area. Adults helped when needed, leaving room for children to attempt things themselves.

In July 2023, staff used an alarm to prompt sleeping-baby checks every 10 minutes, discussed safeguarding scenarios and undertook training; recruitment included checks on staff suitability. Families also received advice on supporting learning at home and developmental steps such as toilet training.

Language support in July 2023 included adults positioning themselves at children's level and paying attention to communication before children could express themselves in words. The book exchange illustrates the practical response: the adult recognised the baby's request, supplied a word and began a shared activity. This gave the child a way to participate before speech was established. During play, adults added comments and encouragement while allowing children's ideas to guide what happened next.

Help in July 2023 was matched to the task. Collecting an apron did not mean a baby could put it on alone; babies sought adult assistance with that step. Older children also received help with changing when necessary. These examples distinguish practising independence from being expected to manage everything unaided. Advice about toilet training extended that practical support to families, linking nursery learning with a developmental task also taking place at home.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on Bank Holidays.

In July 2023, it received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position rather than a statement of today's entitlement arrangements.

• Learning about the wider world. In July 2023, opportunities to explore different people and events needed extending. This matters for families who value learning about lives beyond the nursery.
• Matching attendance to your week. The opening window spans 7.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays. Which booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your child's routine?

Overndale suits families who value practical play and increasing independence: the July 2023 examples connect imaginative activities, everyday tasks and conversation. Its weekday opening window also makes it relevant to parents balancing childcare with work. The dated Good judgement provides a useful assessment, with broader learning about people and events the clear development point.