Shire House Nursery

Shire House Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2861108 Address: Shire House, 1A West Common, Gerrards Cross, SL9 7QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/09/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Tinies U.K. Limited

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children respond well to clear instructions from staff. They line up and wait appropriately when moving between indoor and outdoor areas. Children develop independence skills, such as serving their own food and using cutlery confidently. They also develop appropriate self-care skills that help to prepare them for the future. For example, older children know how to find their own placemats and seating place at lunchtime. Children form positive relationships with staff and confidently seek help when needed. Staff respond to children's needs promptly. Leaders and staff follow up unexplained absences and monitor attendance patterns for any concerns.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff support children to behave well and develop positive relationships with them. When children become unsettled, staff provide reassurance that helps them to settle quickly. Children understand behavioural expectations and are encouraged to use good manners. Staff support children to take turns and wait patiently during activities. As a result, children play cooperatively, show kindness towards their friends, and warmly welcome others as they arrive. Children demonstrate a clear sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's physical health, safety and emotional wellbeing throughout the day. Staff follow safe-sleep procedures and place children in designated sleep spaces. They work with parents and carers to support children's weaning and manage allergies effectively. Dietary needs are clearly displayed, and colour-coded plates help to prevent cross- contamination. Children with allergies have detailed care plans in place, enabling staff to respond quickly if concerns arise.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The key-person system is effective. Staff are caring and build trusting relationships with children, who confidently approach them for comfort, support and play. Positive interactions are evident throughout the day, contributing to a calm and nurturing environment where children feel secure and ready to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

All children, including those known or previously known to children's social care, are supported well. Staff share regular information with parents and carers, including updates on children's emotional wellbeing. They provide additional reassurance when needed, particularly during periods of change. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, feel supported and cared for.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children's achievement is mixed. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that children do not consistently develop the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning. Although children typically make progress from their starting points, rates of progress vary. Some children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, do not develop the knowledge and skills they need to be fully prepared for the next stage of learning, including school. Children generally develop the early literacy and mathematical skills expected for their age.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some children make sound progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They show positive attitudes towards learning and enjoy playing with their friends. For example, older children work together to complete puzzles, sharing pieces and solving problems. Children also benefit from opportunities to develop early literacy skills. Babies enjoy looking at books with staff, pointing to pictures and responding to familiar words. Older children listen attentively to stories and join in with repeated phrases. As a result, children develop an enjoyment of books and stories from an early age.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently across the nursery. As a result, the quality of teaching varies and children's learning experiences are not equally effective. Some staff interact warmly with children and support their learning well. However, support for older children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is inconsistent. Staff do not always build effectively on what children already know and can do. Consequently, gaps in learning are not addressed quickly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

While leaders have designed a curriculum that outlines what they want children to learn, effective practice is not consistent across the nursery. The communication and language curriculum is not sequenced effectively, and some children with delays do not receive the support they need. As a result, they do not make the progress they are capable of in this important area of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum has a focus on physical development, personal and social skills, and developing early literacy skills. For example, toddlers benefit from well-planned singing activities and join in enthusiastically.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff provide a wide variety of engaging activities that support all areas of learning. They encourage children to balance on beams, make paint marks with dabbers and look in mirrors at their own reflections. During these exciting activities, staff help children to explore and develop their curiosity and enjoyment in play.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Weaknesses in teaching do not promote high-quality interactions that support children's learning. Leaders do not ensure that staff use the targeted strategies they have planned for some children. Staff do not review them frequently enough to ensure they continue to meet children's changing needs. These inconsistencies in practice mean that children do not always receive the individual support they need. This has a negative impact on children's experiences. For instance, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently receive effective support from staff to enable them to access an equally ambitious curriculum. Some children wander around the room with little engagement and receive limited encouragement or support from staff to join in with activities or interact with others.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not take swift enough action to implement appropriate adaptations that ensure all children benefit from an equally ambitious curriculum. While they understand the processes for working with external professionals to secure additional support, their approach is not consistent for all children who face barriers to learning. As a result, children with SEND and those with other barriers to learning do not always receive the support they need to achieve their next steps in development. Although leaders liaise with local authority advisers to create individualised plans, inconsistencies in practice mean that these do not have the intended impact on children's progress.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Staff use observations and assessments to identify children who need additional support. They complete the required progress checks for children aged 2-years-old and identify gaps in children's learning. For instance, they recognise that some children require greater support with their communication and language development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Changes within the leadership team have affected the consistency of teaching and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Leaders do not ensure that identified targets and strategies are consistently implemented. As a result, some children do not receive the support they need to achieve their next steps. Although leaders have identified the necessary improvements, these are not yet embedded in practice.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not evaluate the impact of professional development effectively enough. As a result, weaknesses in teaching and staff interactions remain in some areas of the nursery. Leaders create a positive culture where staff feel valued and supported. Staff describe them as approachable and report that their wellbeing is considered. Leaders encourage feedback from staff, parents and carers and provide a general range of training opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders generally understand the provision's strengths and areas for improvement. They have plans in place to improve the quality of care and education. They work well with parents, carers and other professionals. Parents feel supported and are kept informed about their children's experiences and progress. Leaders promote regular attendance and make adaptations, where possible, to support the wellbeing of children and their families.

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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

Children's experiences are not equal across the nursery because the quality of teaching varies. Staff do not consistently respond to children's ideas, extend their thinking or build effectively on what children already know and can do. Children learn and participate in some of the nursery's routines. However, opportunities are sometimes limited, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. Communication between staff and children is not consistently effective. Children do not always benefit from high-quality interactions, which limits opportunities to extend their learning and development. Consequently, some children do not develop the breadth of knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning and are not fully prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Children are happy, feel safe and have their care needs met. They benefit from caring relationships with staff, particularly babies, which help them to feel emotionally secure. Children form secure attachments with staff, enjoy playing alongside their friends and develop positive attitudes towards learning. Those who need additional reassurance, such as babies, benefit from calm, responsive and sensitive support to help them settle. Throughout the day, staff respond warmly to children's care and emotional needs, helping them to feel safe, valued and supported.

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

Children demonstrate enjoyment in some of the activities that are planned for them. For example, babies enjoy exploring shiny materials that make sounds when they touch them.

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Inspectors:

Older children enthusiastically crush flowers and use their imagination in the mud kitchen in the garden.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

improve arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning to ensure they make steady progress 30/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the quality and consistency of teaching so that staff implement the curriculum effectively and all children experience ambitious and well-sequenced learning, particularly in regards to communication and language 30/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen oversight of practice to identify staff's development needs and ensure that professional development improves the quality of care and education children that receive 30/10/2026

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children and those with roles, such as the special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding lead 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.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Mandy Cooper Nicky Butler

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Address:

Shire House 1A West Common Gerrards Cross SL9 7QN

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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. 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

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Urgent improvement

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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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