Olivers Lodge

Coloured spaghetti, water play and a garden mud kitchen give Olivers Lodge's February 2023 nursery day a recognisable character: hands-on exploration, with adults adding language and counting to children's play. The Newport setting has capacity for 25 children, with a current age range of 4 to 56 months. These are whole-setting places, not the size of an individual group.

At its 7 February 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged Olivers Lodge Good overall, with a positive assessment of its education and two priorities: explaining boundaries and giving children more chances to manage tasks themselves. Those priorities matter alongside the engaging activities. They concern how adults help children understand their day and gradually take responsibility within it.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; in everyday terms, this means learning through play alongside support for communication, physical development and growing independence.

In February 2023, activities connected children's interests with their next learning steps. Coloured spaghetti became pretend seaweed, handled with fingers and tongs. Adults supplied vocabulary for the texture, linking a new word to something children could feel. This was learning through a concrete experience rather than a detached explanation.

Water play offered another route into language. As children played with a pirate ship, staff explained vocabulary about its movement and demonstrated what the words meant. Babies also exchanged sounds with familiar adults. The examples show attention to communication at different stages: a baby's response mattered as well as an older child's expanding vocabulary.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2023, the garden combined movement, imaginative play and early counting. Children dug for plastic insects and counted their legs with adult help. At the mud kitchen, they selected bowls and utensils for pretend baking, making decisions about the equipment their play required.

A swing gave children another physical experience, using their bodies to move backwards and forwards. Taken together, these examples make the outdoor space more than somewhere to expend energy: it supported number language, pretend play and movement. They remain a picture of the nursery day at that date.

In February 2023, babies received close, responsive attention. Staff supported them to reach a water tray, allowing even the youngest children to participate, and soothed tired babies with cuddles and rocking before sleep. Care and participation sat together: adults adjusted the activity so babies could join in.

Key persons provided emotional support, and parents received information about the day and guidance on supporting learning at home. For families, that connection matters because nursery experiences can become something to build on beyond the setting, rather than an account of activities alone.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, supported by staff knowledge, recruitment checks and procedures for raising concerns about adults or children. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assurance about present practice.

Everyday health learning also featured in February 2023. Babies practised cleaning dolls' faces and teeth, while older children were encouraged to clean their hands before meals. However, staff did not consistently prompt children to put on wellington boots or remove coats themselves. This reduced opportunities to practise independence.

The address is Newport CP School, Frambury Lane, Newport, Saffron Walden, CB11 3PU. Being based at a school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Opening hours are 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Olivers Lodge operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. That opening window is useful for assessing whether the setting fits a working day, but it should be kept separate from the attendance pattern a family books.

In February 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-year-olds. This is a dated funding position. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Learning to do things independently. In February 2023, staff did not consistently encourage children to manage coats and wellington boots themselves, limiting opportunities to practise independence. Everyday self-care deserves attention alongside planned activities.
• Understanding garden boundaries. In February 2023, children were told where not to cycle without an explanation of the reason. Clear instructions need an understandable purpose if children are to learn how to make safe choices.
• Planning attendance. The year-round opening window runs from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. At a visit, what booking pattern and funded-hours arrangement would fit your child's routine?

Olivers Lodge suits families seeking year-round nursery care in Newport who value practical play and close adult interaction. Its February 2023 day offered tangible examples of language, sensory exploration and outdoor learning, backed by a Good judgement. The balance deserves attention: adults supported children warmly, but needed to explain rules more clearly and leave more everyday tasks for children to attempt themselves.