Elizabeth House Day Nursery and PreschoolOfsted report card, 4 Aug 2026

Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2799637 Address: Elizabeth House, Reading Road, Cholsey, Wallingford, OX10 9HA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 09/08/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Pitco 005 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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Achievement Expected standard

Children are often curious and confident. They demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning. They typically select activities independently and are learning to become resilient and persevere to achieve their desired outcomes. For instance, babies respond well to encouragement to hold one hand, rather than two, when walking with staff. Older children access different cutting implements until they are successful in removing unwanted parts of paper or card when crafting. These skills combine to help prepare children for their next stage in learning, including eventually starting school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities use visual resources and simple sign language to support communication. This successfully supports children to become effective communicators.

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Achievement Expected standard

Generally, children achieve well from their starting points. They gain positive personal and social skills, forming trusting bonds with their key person and firm friendships with other children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. Older children know to wash their hands before eating and to line up when it is time to go out to the garden. Younger children are encouraged to put books back onto shelves when they have finished with them. These activities help children to develop some independence skills. At other times, however, staff complete tasks without recognising the opportunities to encourage children to master these skills themselves.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

In general, staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They act as positive role models, promoting good manners and empathy. As a result, children are polite and treat others with kindness and respect. For example, children share tweezers willingly when collecting items from the water tray and take turns to speak and offer their ideas about how to make models from recycled materials.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff know children well and make adaptations to support them in their engagement. When some children struggle to join in with large group activities, staff offer alternatives, such as playing a game or sharing a book. Leaders and staff have established positive relationships with families. They work closely with parents to ensure that children attend the setting regularly. This helps children to build strong links with their key person and gain confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In general, leaders design an engaging curriculum that sparks children's curiosity. Staff work closely with parents and use observations to identify what children already know and can do. When appropriate, adaptations to activities, resources or practice are made to support children who face barriers to their learning. For instance, staff engage in targeted work to

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Needs attention

support children to regulate their emotions, using books and props in small groups. This helps children to learn how to play more harmoniously with others.

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Needs attention

Staff typically support children's communication and language development well. They narrate children's play and ask pertinent questions. Staff use stories and songs to encourage early literacy skills. Babies babble with delight in the 2-way conversations that they have with staff, and staff provide mirrors to encourage interactions and explore facial expressions. Older children develop a love for books, often asking staff to share these with them. However, there is a degree of inconsistency in the quality of staff interactions with children at these time. Some staff are more confident than others in engaging children and extending their learning. This does not fully promote children's speaking and listening skills.

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Needs attention

Children are sociable and respectful to each other and staff alike. They have lots of fun when being physically active in the large outdoor spaces. They skilfully navigate climbing equipment and throw and catch balls. This helps to support their strength and coordination. Mathematical development is well supported. Staff weave mathematical language and ideas into children's play. They talk about how 'full' or 'empty' containers are, and count bricks as they build towers. Babies enjoy bobbing along as staff sing simple number rhymes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically provide a welcoming and inclusive environment. They identify the needs of all children swiftly and effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known to children's social care and those facing barriers to their learning. Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate training and support to help them to identify individuals who require adaptations to the provision and ensure that all children benefit from equal access to the nursery.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use observations and assessments to identify next steps and any potential gaps in what children know and can do. Staff work in close partnership with parents and other professionals to share strategies and seek advice from specialists when required. Leaders and staff generally monitor children's development and the impact of any interventions in place over time. This helps them to ensure that all children are making progress and to determine whether further adjustments may be needed to children's individual support plans.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff celebrate children's uniqueness and teach them about different cultures and celebrations. This helps children to respect and value diversity. Leaders make parents aware of any additional funding that could be accessed for eligible children. They understand that this funding is to be used appropriately to provide identified children with new experiences and reduce any barriers to learning that they may face.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Although relevant policies and procedures are in place, these are not always implemented well enough by staff to consistently support children's wellbeing, particularly during free play and at mealtimes. Staff are deployed well at these times but do not provide children with all the support they need while they are eating. For example, food for pre-school children is not cut into appropriate-sized pieces, or children are asked to do this for themselves to prevent choking. In addition, at times, staff are not clear about the potential risks to children during play. For example, this includes the potential to trip over discarded toys. Leaders understand their responsibility in relation to protecting children from abuse and neglect. They know how to report concerns about children's welfare and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff understand and implement safe-sleeping practices for babies and children. They provide nutritious meals and implement secure hygiene practices. Older children know the importance of washing their hands and tell staff that it is to 'wash the germs away'.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff support children in being physically active, inside and out, with a wide variety of age- appropriate climbing and balancing apparatus. They form secure relationships with children who come to them for reassurance when required. Children facing barriers to their learning are offered adaptations to ensure that their wellbeing is prioritised and that they obtain equal access to the provision.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders' oversight and assessment of the provision and staff practice are not yet robust enough. They do not have an accurate understanding of where improvements are needed to further support children's safety and experiences within the setting. Leaders have not recognised gaps in the knowledge of some staff, or in the effectiveness of some practices. For example, they have not identified the need to ensure that all staff understand how to identify risks to children during free-play. They have also not taken effective action to address weaknesses in the arrangements to promote children's safety at mealtimes.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff wellbeing is prioritised. Staff feel valued, supported and report that their workload is manageable. For example, leaders ensure that staff have the time they need to complete personalised plans for children who need them. Leaders provide training to help staff to improve their delivery of the curriculum. Staff welcome these opportunities for their professional development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders communicate effectively with a range of external professionals, such as health professionals and the local authority. This helps them to secure additional, expert support for children and their families when required. Leaders promote respectful relationships across the nursery, with all staff demonstrating warm and positive interactions with children.

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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

Leaders' oversight of the provision is not fully effective. There are weaknesses in the organisation of some arrangements, including the supervision of children, and the preparation of snacks and meals, that impact on children's safety and wellbeing. In addition, staff do not consistently manage risks to children. As a result, there are times when children play and learn in areas where potential hazards have not been identified and removed. For example, discarded toys and resources remain on the floor for prolonged periods, making it difficult for children to navigate the space safely.

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

Overall, leaders and staff successfully promote children's learning. Children arrive enthusiastically at the nursery and are welcomed warmly by staff. Babies enjoy cuddles with their key person while older children readily join in with their friends, settling swiftly. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and generally play happily with each other. Staff form warm and positive relationships with children, ensuring they feel secure and gain confidence over time. Babies and children facing barriers to their learning particularly benefit from the flexible settling-in arrangements that leaders offer. Children make sound progress during their time at the setting and are typically well prepared for their onward journey to school.

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

Staff know the children well and gather valuable information from parents to help new children to settle and gain a sense of belonging. Staff work effectively across the rooms to support children's transitions and ensure that they are ready for their next stage of development. Leaders and staff work collaboratively with parents, the local authority and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This helps them to refine their

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2799637 practice when supporting children who face barriers to their learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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

ensure that all foods provided to children are prepared and served in a way that reduces the risk of choking 24/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement effective risk assessments, to ensure that all hazards are identified, minimised and managed effectively, to ensure all areas of the nursery are safe for children 24/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the arrangements to identify when staff would benefit from targeted support and mentoring to more effectively promote children's safety, wellbeing and learning 04/09/2026

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke to leaders, staff, parents and children 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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Address:

Elizabeth House Reading Road, Cholsey Wallingford OX10 9HA

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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.

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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

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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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