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Early years · Report card

Lake View Nursery Ltd

Inspected 5 Mar 2026 · URN EY454697

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Sharon Wilcox

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Strong standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Strong standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Expected standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Strong standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Strong standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Lake View Nursery Ltd

  • Inspection datesingle source

    5 Mar 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Sharon Wilcox

  • Postcode verified

    HR2 6JT

  • Name on report verified

    Lake View Nursery Ltd

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY454697

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • AchievementStrong
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesStrong
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected
  • Curriculum and teachingStrong
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+73Very positivemore positive than 50% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisehigh-qualityfeel safeexcellentpositiveextremelyenthusiasmhigh expectationssupportive
Criticismconcernsweaknessesgaps

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings1459w+81
  • Leadership232w+44
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve52w0

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,792
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 44, typical 43
Average sentence
15 words
Next steps
2
typical 3
Hedged sentences
1%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 64%Leadership 10%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 22%

Full report text

Lake View Nursery Ltd

Unique reference number (URN): EY454697 Address: Thorn Business Park, Rotherwas, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 6JT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 04/01/2013 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Lake View Nursery Ltd

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning, make excellent progress in all areas of development. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Babies and children develop a love of books. They actively engage in story times and choose to look at books independently. They become familiar with the text of core books through linked activities. Babies babble as they look at board books. Toddlers carefully turn pages and copy the words and actions they have heard. They explore textures as they recall a story about a bear hunt in sensory play. Pre-school children relax and read books in the garden. This all helps develop children's vocabulary and build firm foundations for their future literacy development.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are highly active, motivated learners. They have time, space and resources to develop their physical skills inside and outside. Pre-school children learn about sea creatures and explore concepts such as floating and sinking in water trays. Children practise their creative skills as they draw, paint and make marks in the garden. They develop their imagination as they role play with staff and their peers. Children with specific interests confidently share their knowledge and teach their friends. Babies and children gradually develop the skills required to share, participate and cooperate respectfully with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are incredibly motivated learners. They become highly engaged in all activities, participating with joy and enthusiasm. Leaders have identified behaviours, attitudes and routines as key areas for further development. Adjustments to routines have had a positive impact on staff, interactions and all children's engagement in learning. Leaders are planning to build an additional outdoor classroom to provide a quiet space for children to engage in focused activities to help prepare them for school even more effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff play alongside children. They remind children of the behavioural expectations of the setting and assist them in following them in line with their age and stage of development. Staff help children develop an understanding of their emotions. They use cuddles, positive reinforcement and praise to sensitively support children in learning how to regulate their emotions. This approach is supported with the use of emotional-regulation toys and stories throughout the setting. Staff plan precise activities to support children's social interactions, including turn-taking and sharing. Leaders have plans underway for all staff to receive social, emotional and mental health training to support these elements of children's care and learning even further. Leaders closely monitor and promote the importance of children's attendance and punctuality and have procedures in place if they identify concerns.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have extremely high expectations for and of all children's learning. They ensure that all staff understand how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning. Leaders identify areas for improvement and have successfully implemented action plans to improve the quality of teaching. Leaders have developed a curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. Leaders evaluate, review and adapt the daily routine to maximise children's learning. Staff seize learning opportunities throughout the day, including at routine times. For example, they engage children in songs at tidy-up time, during nappy changing and while they wait for lunch. They help older children identify numbers, such as those on the nursery toilet doors, by counting the corresponding dots.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff play alongside children, expertly supporting their communication and language skills. Through observations and assessments, they monitor children's development, promptly identify concerns and plan next steps. High-quality one-to-one interactions maximise children's progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff plan opportunities for children to be physically active. Babies engage in dance sessions and climb low-level climbing frames. They negotiate slides and push and pull toys around. Toddlers enjoy large-scale mark making on outdoor chalkboards. They join in with dance sessions led by visiting specialists before exploring further challenges in the nursery garden. Pre-school children pedal toy tractors, climb, and develop their physical skills. Staff have received gymnastics training to learn how to further develop children's core strength and balance.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff explicitly teach mathematical concepts. This builds children's mathematical confidence and gives them a firm foundation for future learning. Children join in with counting songs, count accurately and identify numbers. Children practise and embed this knowledge when they play cooperatively with their friends. They pretend to be bus drivers selling tickets for 5 pounds, showing 5 fingers, and they kindly help their younger peers to count accurately.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

This is a highly inclusive setting. Leaders ensure that all staff have an in-depth understanding of the individual needs of babies and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning. They work with parents, carers and staff to promptly identify and assess gaps in children's learning and implement targeted strategies to support and close them. Leaders ensure that staff follow an appropriate approach to monitor the impact of interventions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work in close partnership with parents, signposting them to and engaging specialist support when needed. They proactively work with a wide range of professionals. Parents of children with SEND value this collaborative working and the support they receive. Leaders ensure that care plans are in place to support the next stage of children's education. Additional funding is specifically targeted for maximum impact. For example, resources and activities encourage children's social interactions, and visiting music specialists and books help develop vocabulary and listening skills. Leaders seek permission from parents to speak to other professionals involved in their children's care before they join the setting. This enables them to identify staff training needs and make necessary adaptations to staff roles and the provision. This ensures that children's needs are met from the very start.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear oversight of the provision. They robustly monitor the setting, ensuring that it meets the requirements of the early years foundation stage. When weaknesses are identified, leaders swiftly respond and make changes to improve the provision. They review assessments and the quality and impact of staff teaching. Despite changes to the staff team since the last inspection, leaders have developed a secure team with a shared vision. Leaders carry out regular supervision sessions with staff, support their wellbeing and monitor their ongoing suitability. They identify staff's strengths and areas for further professional development. They seek specialist training for staff that is specifically targeted to the ongoing and emerging needs of children attending.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have created a supportive, trusting ethos in the staff team. They recognise the challenges staff face, both professionally and personally, and offer bespoke support. Staff reflect on practice and provision and contribute to action plans to further improve outcomes for all children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children, especially children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning. Parents of children with SEND appreciate the support they receive from leaders. They describe how this support extends beyond the nursery and has a positive impact on children at home. Parents value the professionalism of staff and the child- centred care and education they provide.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Close, supportive key-person relationships help children feel safe and secure. Leaders invite parents and carers to open days to meet the whole staff team. This helps build trusting parent partnerships. Staff understand how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, and they adapt the provision to accommodate children's individual needs. They sensitively support children in developing their social skills and interacting with their peers. Children of all ages spend extended periods playing outside every day in the very well-resourced outdoor provision. Covered outdoor spaces and all-weather clothing make this possible all year round. This promotes children's physical health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff teach children the importance of personal hygiene. Older children discuss the need to wash their hands before eating to prevent germs from entering their bodies. Children receive healthy, nutritious meals prepared by the nursery cook. Families receive recipes and sample pots, which parents say have helped children try different foods at home. Staff liaise closely with parents to safely guide babies through the weaning process. Leaders work with parents to create care plans for children with specific medical and dietary needs. They ensure that all staff clearly understand these. Staff have received training to support children with allergies, and they clearly understand the emergency procedures. Staff identified some allergens in art and craft resources and have removed them from the provision to minimise risks to children. Staff follow stringent safety measures at mealtimes to prevent the cross-

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

contamination of food. On occasion, staff place children's snacks directly onto tables without using plates, which does not help children develop the best possible eating habits for the future. Leaders now recognise this practice as an area for development and plan to introduce changes at snack time.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Babies and children are extremely happy and content in this nurturing, inspiring setting. Staff warmly welcome children and their families into the nursery. They have developed nurturing and responsive key-person relationships with babies and children. This helps children feel safe and secure and thrive. Leaders and staff work in close partnership with parents and carers to understand children's starting points. They strive to identify any barriers children may face to learning before they join the provision. They meticulously adapt and arrange the provision to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff help all children achieve well and reach their developmental milestones.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff carefully plan activities to match the interests of children of all ages, leading to high engagement. They skilfully pace activities, leading with enthusiasm, which motivates children to participate. Babies and children benefit from personalised, high-quality interactions with staff who know them well. Babies happily join in with zoo-themed story time activities. They search for animals that match the pictures and giggle as they roar and hiss, imitating the animal sounds. Toddlers count cars as they race them down pipes. They think

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Address:

Thorn Business Park Rotherwas Hereford Herefordshire HR2 6JT carefully as they try to work out why large vehicles become stuck. Pre-school children develop their mathematical skills as they dig in the garden. They learn about capacity and weight as they transfer soil around, using words such as 'heavy', 'light', 'full' and 'empty'. Children become involved in complex imaginary play, where they cooperate, take turns and kindly support each other.

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Address:

Staff promote positive behaviours and attitudes to learning extremely well. They understand the challenges some children face and sensitively support them in developing the necessary skills to form positive relationships with their peers. Leaders promote the benefits of regular and prompt attendance with parents and emphasise the positive impact it has on children's future success.

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Next steps

Leaders should enhance the already stringent measures in place to promote children's health and help them develop healthy habits for life.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, special educational needs coordinators, staff, children, parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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. Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Lake View Nursery Ltd

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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