Oaks Day Nursery

Oaks Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2502386
Address: The Willows, Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, BR8 7BT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 26/03/2019
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Edseco Ltd
Inspection report: 23 June 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Children are well supported to thrive by staff who continue to enhance practice. This
includes being proactive in completing training on specialised areas, such as strengthening
mathematics even further. Staff implement a highly successful curriculum to minimise
barriers to children's learning and make the plans individualised to children who attend.
Therefore, all children make rapid progress in relation to their starting points and staff
support children to develop skills in all areas of learning. This includes children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding.
Children develop impressive skills which support them in preparing for their next stage of
learning. For instance, all children confidently communicate their needs, including those with
SEND. All children are highly independent, including the youngest children. They complete
tasks with high levels of maturity, such as washing up their utensils after snack time.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff expertly identify the needs of all individual children, including those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional
funding. Additional funding is used effectively to support children's individual needs. This
includes providing additional resources to support their individual development, such as the
tree swings to support physical development. Staff rigorously assess individual children's
progress and ensure they meet their individual needs. Staff make effective adaptations to
ensure all children reach their full potential and achieve. For example, staff adapt activities
so all children can get the most out of their learning experiences. This includes providing
different resources to help children reach the same intended goal.
All children are extremely well supported to make progress from their initial starting points
and staff provide individual teaching and learning opportunities and experiences. This
supports all children to make progress and achieve. Staff complete training specifically to
meet the needs of and benefit children who attend the nursery. This includes learning about
different ways to communicate with children, such as sign language. All staff have strong
links with outside agencies and families. They share and implement useful and effective
ideas and strategies. For example, they use a range of techniques to help children
communicate and manage their feelings, as well as managing changes in routines. This
includes using sign language and visual aids. Staff purchase equipment to give to parents to
help provide children with a high level of consistency to care and learning between home
and the nursery.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
All staff are positive role models and most children behave well and follow instructions
maturely. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently help children to fully understand
why they are being asked to stop a particular action, such as throwing an object. Therefore,
although children typically behave well, they do not always fully understand the expectations
of their behaviour. Children are kind and caring towards each other and are understanding
of each other's differing needs.
All staff are skilful in swiftly identifying how to support children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND) during all activities. This is evident when staff engage
children in more individual interactions instead of larger group activities, which they find
overwhelming. Children with SEND are settled and well supported to regulate their
emotions, and feel happy and safe. Leaders and staff establish positive relationships with
children. Even the youngest children are happy and settled. Staff know children's routines
and meet their needs well. This includes ensuring that mealtimes and toileting practices are
effective and safe.
Staff closely monitor children's attendance and ensure they follow up any unexplained
absences. They help parents understand the importance of being punctual to help with
routines for school. This enables staff to highlight any concerning patterns that may need
further attention.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children of all ages are settled and confident, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have successfully created spaces where children can feel
safe and learn happily. This is demonstrated when children with SEND independently
access tree swings when they feel overwhelmed. Staff deploy themselves well during
activities and during transitions, such as moving between the indoor and outdoor learning
environments to ensure that they supervise children effectively and keep them safe. All
children know the routines and follow these with maturity.
Children learn about the importance of following thorough hygiene practices. They talk about
the importance of washing away germs during handwashing routines. Staff teach children
how to support their physical health and wellbeing. This includes having discussions about
healthy eating and how to remain safe during the sun. Children talk about ensuring they
wear sun protection and the need to remain hydrated. Staff support all children and families
to feel included and children learn to respect and understand other people's similarities and
differences outside of their own communities and experiences. This includes other cultures
and language. For example, children listen to music from around the world, such as Italian
songs.

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff have a clear knowledge of the curriculum they have embedded which
covers all areas of learning successfully. Staff know all children well, including what they
have achieved since they started and what they are helping children to learn next. The
curriculum is precise for individual children. However, at times, staff do not consistently build
on spontaneous ideas from children to extend on what they already know, such as building
on children's interest of mathematics as they play even further. On the whole, children have
opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. This includes counting activities and
discussing colour and shape. Staff are undertaking further training to develop their
confidence in supporting children's mathematical development even further.
Leaders and staff support all children to develop their communication and vocabulary skills
well. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All staff use
effective ways to communicate with children. For instance, staff ask children thought-
provoking questions and give them time to think and then respond. All children communicate
with confidence and staff use visual prompts and sign language confidently. All staff ensure
all children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. This includes
children using safe and age-appropriate climbing and balancing equipment, such as
climbing walls and tree swings.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are evaluative and reflective. They are skilful in identifying areas to develop further,
and celebrate the changes they have made. They are proud to have strengthened the
learning between home and the nursery. They have provided children with a library and this
has encouraged families to read together and instil a love of books at home. Staff
successfully provide a consistent link between home and the nursery.
Staff establish positive relationships with parents and keep them fully informed. This
includes sharing children's achievements and next steps in their learning regularly. Staff
share helpful ideas with parents, such as sharing tips on how to keep children safe online.
Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and ensure that their workload is manageable. Staff have
time to complete regular training to keep their knowledge current, and build on their skills
even further. This includes developing their knowledge on how to support children to
communicate, and they plan to enhance their skills in supporting children's ongoing
mathematical development.
Leaders carry out regular observations on staff practice to monitor the quality of staff's
teaching and interactions with children. This enables leaders to support staff in helpful ways
for continuing to develop their practice.
There are thorough risk assessments in place which are reviewed regularly to ensure the
ongoing safety of children. Leaders and staff fully understand and take their roles and
responsibilities seriously to ensure they meet all requirements and help keep children safe.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are
confident, settled and engaged in the safe and welcoming nursery. Children are happy and
staff have successfully established an effective key-person system. This helps staff support
all children through individualised plans and individual knowledge, such as what children
like, dislike and what they need to help them thrive and develop in their learning. Children
are engaged and challenged during interesting learning opportunities that staff carefully plan
for them. This is demonstrated when children use tweezers to 'save' animals from a 'web' of
tape. Children, who are expected to find a snail, go on to look at nature through a
magnifying glass and learn facts about the snail.
Staff know children well; including knowing what makes them unique and fully
understanding their needs. This helps staff provide resources and experiences that they
know will motivate children to learn, including those with SEND. For example, staff adapt
activities, such as providing sensory equipment for children who require additional support
and encouragement to sit with their friends during group times. All children, make high levels
of progress in relation to their starting points, and develop new skills to support their future
learning. This is evident when all children are very independent. They are confident in
choosing their own play and completing their own tasks. This includes even the youngest
children applying their own sun cream with close supervision from staff.
All children are challenged as leaders and staff have high expectations of children's abilities.
Therefore, staff plan activities that they know will engage and challenge them. For instance,
children use different equipment to transfer water and use water runs, discussing directions
and speed. All children have a positive attitude towards their learning, including those who
are in receipt of additional funding and those with SEND. All children behave well and follow
the rules. For example, they help tidy up during changes in routine and are keen to help
each other to complete tasks. Children play happily together and enjoy each other's
company. They are understanding of each other's differing needs, and are kind and
compassionate towards each other. This is demonstrated when children kindly remind each
other that others are in the tree swing as it helps them to feel calm and happy.
Leaders and staff regularly monitor children's attendance to help to keep children's routines
and learning consistent. Staff share the importance of regular attendance with parents, and
support them to understand the expectations of school. Any absences are recorded and
followed up accordingly.

Inspector:
Kelly Hawkins
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2502386
Address:
The Willows
Hilda May Avenue
Swanley
BR8 7BT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 26/03/2019
Registered person: Edseco Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00
Local authority: Kent
Next steps
The provider should support some staff to develop confidence in building on children's
interests and what they already know, particularly during spontaneous conversations.
The provider should help staff to strengthen children's understanding of the expectations
of their behaviour.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
parents and children during the 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.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 23 June 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 4
Total number of places
39
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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