Highview Baby Unit

In August 2022, dedicated spaces for feeding, sleep and personal care shaped Highview Baby Unit's baby-centred provision. At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, found care responsive to individual children and judged safeguarding effective. Those findings describe care at that date.

The nursery serves children from birth to 24 months, with 18 places in total, at Hall Green, Upholland, Skelmersdale.

In August 2022, open floor space gave children room to practise crawling and walking. Physical activity also included pedalling bicycles and negotiating steps. These gave children opportunities to practise movement.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its everyday relevance includes learning to communicate, move and explore through play. In August 2022, staff used conversation and action songs, including Wind the Bobbin Up, to support language. Actions gave children another way to join in alongside words.

A comfortable reading area was another feature in August 2022. Children chose Spot the Dog, pointed at illustrations and handled pages carefully. Books offered both a quiet activity and opportunities to practise early reading habits.

In August 2022, children could play on their own and return to familiar adults when they needed help. Separate areas for eating, sleeping and personal care supported different routines within the unit, an important practical distinction when caring for very young children.

Partnership with parents in August 2022 included attention to weaning and each child's dietary requirements. An open-door approach gave parents opportunities to discuss their child's development and seek guidance. Staff also met the manager to discuss what individual children should learn next and the help they needed.

The address is Hall Green, Upholland, Skelmersdale, WN8 0DX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with full-day attendance offered. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. That Christmas closure needs to sit alongside families' working calendars.

• Toileting opportunities. In August 2022, children were not given opportunities to practise using a toilet, limiting development in this area. For a child approaching toilet learning, ask how this is supported now.
• Staff involvement in improvement. In August 2022, practitioners had too little involvement in evaluating the provision and did not consistently understand improvement priorities, limiting how far they extended learning. This was an improvement point alongside the Good judgement.
• Christmas closure. A week-long Christmas break forms part of the annual attendance pattern. Families needing care throughout that period will need to plan around it.

Highview Baby Unit suits families seeking full-day care specifically for babies and very young children. Its August 2022 account brings together space for movement, familiar adults and attention to feeding and sleep. The judgement was Good, but the toileting and staff-development points matter too: they concern how children's next steps are supported, rather than cosmetic details.