Start Right Nursery

Play dough houses, action songs and children serving their own lunch give Start Right Nursery a practical, hands-on character in its December 2023 account of daily life. Based on Trent Road in Grantham, it accepts children aged 3 to 60 months.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and described staff working with families to identify learning needs, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There were also clear areas for development. Outdoor learning needed more deliberate planning, support during children's chosen play was uneven, and leaders needed stronger oversight.

Today, personalised settling arrangements and learning shaped around children's interests are central to the offer. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, with weekday operation across the year and closure on bank holidays.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play builds language, physical skills and growing independence. Alongside it, the group-wide In The Moment Planning approach involves staff responding to children's interests and changing resources and the environment accordingly. Its practical value is that a child's current curiosity can shape the activity rather than simply fitting into a fixed plan.

Creative, messy activities form part of the current offer. Children's work is displayed and their achievements recognised, giving their efforts a visible place in nursery life.

In December 2023, children shaped play dough with tools, experimenting with movement while learning words for the shapes they made. Dingle Dangle Scarecrow brought singing, actions, puppets and props together; children encouraged friends to participate. These examples connected physical practice and language with shared play rather than treating them as separate exercises. Children also experimented with shaving foam and natural materials to make pretend snowmen, then fetched water themselves to investigate melting.

Younger children explored a ball pit while adults supplied words for actions and colours. Staff also watched children play to establish what they could already do and plan their next learning steps. However, some children struggled to become involved because adults did not consistently recognise when more individual help was needed.

Outdoor and Community Life

During December 2023, preschool children used ride-on toys to explore traffic signals and crossing-road routines. This gave outdoor play a concrete connection to everyday safety.

The outdoor area nevertheless needed a clearer educational purpose. Much of the learning happened by chance, rather than through activities planned around what children should gain. That distinction matters: outdoor space offers opportunities, but the adult's role determines how fully children use them.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is tailored to each child and family, with extra settling sessions offered where needed. Parents can contact the nursery during the day. This gives families a way to maintain contact while their child becomes familiar with the setting.

A group-wide key-person arrangement gives each child a designated adult responsible for their engagement and wellbeing. In December 2023, parents received information about children's interests, their next learning steps and what they had eaten. Communication therefore covered both the practical day and the child's development.

Care routines also provided opportunities for independence at that time. Children washed their hands before lunch, helped distribute tableware and served themselves with utensils. Staff sought children's agreement during nappy changes, bringing respect for the child into an ordinary care task.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Education Needs Lead role supports arrangements for children with additional needs, and the nursery can work with local authorities and charities to organise training and support. These are concrete mechanisms for responding to an individual child's circumstances.

Medication is kept in a locked cabinet or a designated fridge when necessary; families are asked to tell the room leader about medication given before nursery. All team members, including the chef, have first-aid training, and staff repeat safeguarding training annually. These describe arrangements rather than a guarantee of safety.

Food is prepared on the premises, with provision for special dietary requirements. For children, meals also sit alongside the practical independence developed through everyday routines.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 350 Trent Road, Grantham, NG31 7XQ. The nursery operates Monday to Friday throughout the year, except bank holidays; its opening window is 7am to 6pm.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01476 577115. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Purposeful outdoor learning. In December 2023, outdoor activities needed clearer planning around learning intentions. At a visit, ask for an example of how an outdoor activity is planned and adapted for different children.
• Support during play and leadership. The December 2023 inspection identified inconsistent help for children who struggled to engage, alongside gaps in leaders' oversight and the effectiveness of their development. Families should explore how staff recognise those moments and how managers review practice.
• Attendance and the total cost. The opening window runs from 7am to 6pm. Which booking pattern would fit your family, and how would funded hours, meals and non-food consumables be treated in the written quotation?

Start Right suits families seeking interest-led play and a settling process that can accommodate extra sessions and contact during the day. Its weekday, year-round operation is also useful for parents whose childcare needs extend beyond term time.

The December 2023 picture combines practical independence, sociable play and clear development priorities. Outdoor planning, individual help during play and management oversight deserve attention alongside the appealing examples of children learning through ordinary activities.