Sanderlings Day Nursery

In May 2024, books to borrow and a bug garden gave Sanderlings Day Nursery a recognisable character: reading connected nursery and home, while outdoor play brought children into contact with growing plants and small creatures. At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective.

Based at 59 North Parade, Hoylake, Wirral, CH47 3AL, the nursery has 32 places in total. Children attending in May 2024 were aged one to four; that is the age range at that visit.

In May 2024, literacy ran through practical experiences. Children borrowed books from the nursery lending library, listened to adults reading and practised making marks; older children wrote their names and letters. The lending arrangement gave families a concrete way to continue reading together at home.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, care and development. Here, the May 2024 activities included conversation, early writing and outdoor exploration. Staff introduced unfamiliar words through discussion and narrated younger children's activities, giving language a place in everyday play.

Outside, the bug garden offered opportunities to investigate minibeasts. Children planted fruit and vegetables, worked out how to operate a water butt and used watering cans to tend their plants. These were practical tasks with a visible purpose.

Free play needed sharper direction in May 2024: staff did not consistently connect it to the intended learning. The improvement required was more precise teaching during those periods, rather than simply adding more activities.

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person approach generally worked well and children with SEND made progress, but cover staff sometimes lacked knowledge of individual support strategies. That weakness matters for a child whose usual adult is absent.

In May 2024, staff reviewed development termly and worked with the SENDCo, who contacted external professionals when additional help was needed. Electronic devices enabled children learning English to hear words in their home language. These were specific support mechanisms rather than a single approach for every child.

Parents received information about development and suggestions for extending learning at home. Some visited to explain their jobs, bringing family experience into nursery activities. Staff supervision and training also took place, although feedback on individual practice needed greater accuracy.

In May 2024, opening hours were 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with closures for bank holidays and a week over Christmas. Families planning regular care should distinguish that opening window from an agreed attendance pattern.

At that time, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This describes its participation at the visit, rather than a current funding or charging arrangement.

• Learning during free play. In May 2024, teaching did not consistently build on children's existing skills during these periods. Ask how staff now connect children's chosen activities with their next learning steps.
• Continuity of support. Cover arrangements needed better sharing of individual strategies in May 2024, alongside more accurate feedback to staff. Families using additional support should explore how those strategies reach every adult caring for their child.
• Attendance planning. The May 2024 opening window ran from morning into early evening. Which booking patterns and closure dates would apply to your child's proposed attendance?

Sanderlings merits consideration for families who value the book borrowing, practical gardening and links between home and nursery learning observed in May 2024. Those features gave its May 2024 daily life substance. The Good judgement sits alongside clear improvements required in free-play teaching, support-plan continuity and staff feedback; those are the useful subjects for a visit discussion.