Play 2 Learn Day Nursery

Inspection of Play 2 Learn Day Nursery St Clements Health and Community Centre, London Road, West Thurrock, Essex RM20 4AR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in this welcoming and friendly setting. Staff offer tailored settling-in processes to ensure that children build secure emotional attachments to them. During this process, staff gather key information about children when they first start to ensure continuity of care. Children move between rooms seamlessly. This is because staff carefully manage transitions to help children to develop strong and secure attachments with their new key person. Staff consider all children's interests and learning needs. This is central to the planning and delivery of an ambitious and sequenced curriculum. This helps all children to make very good progress.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from an incredibly broad variety of activities and experiences that help them understand the world around them and nurture their individual talents. For example, children learn to dribble, tap and kick a ball during their weekly sports club. Staff use this team activity to help children to develop their physical strength and important social skills, such as making friendships through a shared interest. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence, such as when they excitedly jump high in the air and say 'goal'. Staff champion children's efforts and achievements and give them a 'high five'. This further boosts children's self-esteem and motivates them to keep up a positive attitude to discovering and learning new skills.

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need to do better?

n Staff are knowledgeable about how children learn and understand the skills they need to develop to support successful transitions to school. For example, children mould dough and develop strength in their fingers in preparation for later writing skills. Staff use an autumn-themed dough activity to introduce babies and young children to new words, such as 'rolling' and 'leaf'. Staff repeat these words and show children pictures in books. This helps babies to attempt to copy and learn new vocabulary through purposeful and enjoyable activities. n Overall, staff plan environments that are inviting and stimulating. Resources are high quality and safe. Children feel empowered to discover their creativity and try out new ideas with resources they have chosen. For example, they proudly tell visitors that they have collected the conkers and sticks, which they are using to make pictures, from home. However, at times, staff do not fully consider how

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need to do better?

to organise the environment or resources to enhance children's engagement and learning outcomes further. For example, staff do not consistently provide mark- making tools, such as chalks for the outdoor blackboard. For those children who prefer to learn outdoors, this limits their opportunities to foster their creativity and practise skills to support their early writing skills. n Staff use assessments and share their children's progress regularly with parents and carers. They support children with special educational needs and/or

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need to do better?

24 September 2025 disabilities (SEND) well. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of individual children's needs. They work closely with a wide range of external professionals to provide bespoke support tailored to each child. n There is a very strong leadership and management structure in place. Managers use regular observations, high-quality supervision meetings and reflection processes to give staff ongoing support and training. Staff report excellent well- being. They praise a positive and collaborative culture, where they work together to give children the best start in life. n Managers and staff go the extra mile to ensure that communication with parents is highly effective. This is achieved through daily face-to-face discussions and online updates shared with parents. This collaborative working means there are procedures are in place to support the overall well-being of all children, including

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need to do better?

those with complex health needs or SEND. n Children become increasingly independent in their personal self-care. For example, older children serve their own food at mealtimes. Staff implement meticulous routines that prioritise children's safety and well-being as they eat. However, the organisation at mealtimes means that children sometimes wait for long periods of time to be served their food. This causes young children to get frustrated and those who are learning new routines to feel a bit unsettled. n Staff introduce positive affirmations, where children repeat statements, such as 'I am kind', to themselves at shared group times. Staff also act as positive role models, promoting turn-taking and sharing. Overall, this approach helps children to develop good behaviours, which are evident in children's cooperative play and polite manners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n support staff to extend children's participation and learning of the intended curriculum, such as by considering the organisation and choice of resources n review the organisation at mealtimes, to consider all children's needs and reduce the length of time children spend waiting.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY296858 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 10407326 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 103 Name of registered person Play 2 Learn Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01708 891133 Date of previous inspection 6 January 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Play 2 Learn Day Nursery registered in 2004 and is located in West Thurrock. The nursery employs 27 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens all year round, from 7.30am until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. It provides government funded childcare for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The management team and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the intentions for children's learning. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the management team and also discussed their self-evaluation. n Staff and the special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n Parents and carers shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector held a meeting with the management team and discussed self- evaluation. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the nursery and key records.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

24 September 2025 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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