Roundstone Nursery School

An outdoor creation station and children making mud pies give Roundstone Nursery School's June 2022 account its character: practical play, creative choices and conversation with staff. At its 21 June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective.

Roundstone has capacity for 20 children aged 12 to 60 months, at 17 Polebarn Road, Trowbridge, BA14 7EG. Its term-time calendar makes the school holidays an important consideration for working families.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday routines provide opportunities to develop skills. In June 2022, children selected activities for themselves, while staff used conversation and questions to extend their thinking.

The outdoor creation station held art and craft materials that children could choose independently. Mud-pie making added another practical activity. These examples put creative choice alongside hands-on exploration, rather than making the day depend entirely on adult-directed tasks.

In June 2022, staff also adjusted the layout of the role play area when children showed little interest in using it. That gives a concrete example of adapting the space to children's responses. Children practised sharing and taking turns, and used resources to recognise and discuss their feelings.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective partnerships with parents and strong support for children needing additional help, including work with other agencies and visual aids for communication.

In June 2022, staff gathered information from families and observed children to plan their next steps. Progress updates kept parents involved, with closer collaboration where a child needed extra support. Children learning English could also use their home language, and staff learnt words from them: communication worked in both directions.

The same month's observations included staff modelling considerate relationships and discussing manners. Children demonstrated care for each other, including fetching a friend's sun hat. These small interactions made social learning part of ordinary play.

The address is 17 Polebarn Road, Trowbridge, BA14 7EG. Opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays.

In June 2022, Roundstone received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. That dated participation should be distinguished from the arrangement a family would use now.

• Independence before school. In June 2022, children had fewer opportunities to do things for themselves at meals and snack time. This was an improvement priority, especially for children approaching their next educational stage.
• Curriculum understanding. In June 2022, leaders understood the curriculum more fully than staff. Developing staff's understanding was another improvement priority because it affected how far they could extend children's learning.
• Term-time planning. School-holiday closures shape the childcare commitment. At a visit, what attendance and funded-hours arrangement would apply to your child's age?

Roundstone suits families seeking a term-time routine, with a June 2022 account centred on creative play, children's choices and close communication with parents. The Good judgement sits alongside two specific development priorities: independence at mealtimes and staff understanding of the curriculum. Those details give families a useful basis for assessing the nursery's fit.