Nanny Bear Childcare, Buckfastleigh

Stories, conversation and close relationships give this Buckfastleigh nursery its character in the July 2023 account of daily life. Babies shared books with adults, while older children brought familiar stories into their play. The emphasis was on children’s interests and their next steps, rather than activities detached from what they were learning.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and identified prompt, targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with children making good progress from their starting points. Today, it has capacity for 28 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: here, the July 2023 examples included conversation, stories, creative play and outdoor exercise. These show how learning can sit within familiar activities rather than separate lessons.

In July 2023, adults repeated children’s speech with clearer pronunciation and talked through their play. Books also fed into making and storytelling: children sang about a worm while shaping worms from play dough, and used props to retell The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Familiar words and stories gave children material to reuse in their own play.

Outdoor exercise took place daily in July 2023. Children also explored the languages and cultures represented within the nursery and marked festivals from different parts of the world.

In July 2023, key people helped children settle, offering comfort when needed. Adults encouraged children to recognise feelings and consider how their actions affected others, using reminders about gentle behaviour and sharing during play.

Daily diaries and conversations connected parents with their children’s experiences and development in July 2023. Leaders also sought parents’ views when reviewing provision, giving communication a role beyond the daily handover.

Fresh meals were prepared by staff, including a trained cook, in July 2023; children practised handwashing and discussed dental care. These routines brought health into ordinary parts of the day.

The nursery is on Duckspond Road, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0NL. Opening hours are 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week over Christmas.

In July 2023, it provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That is a dated participation detail, rather than a promise about an individual child’s entitlement.

• Independence at meals. The July 2023 inspection asked for mealtimes to give children more scope to manage their own needs, and for more opportunities to think through problems independently. Both concern how much adults do for children versus what children attempt themselves.
• Your child’s daily routine. With care spanning babies from 3 months to children aged 60 months, ask how settling and the day’s activities would be organised for your child.

For families seeking weekday childcare across the year, the opening window is a practical strength. The July 2023 picture gives the nursery a recognisable character: books woven into play, frequent conversation and communication with parents. Greater independence at meals and more demanding thinking opportunities were the two clear development priorities.