Dalemor Explorer Nursery

Dalemor Explorer Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2805369
Address: The Essex Golf & Country Club, Airfield, Earls Colne, Colchester, CO6 2NS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 23/09/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Wilkin, Louise
Inspection report: 3 July 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 make rapid progress in their learning as a result of attending nursery. This includes
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those that face other barriers to
learning and/or wellbeing who make excellent progress from their starting points.
Children are confident, settled and happy. They feel safe and secure in the environment and
support they receive from nurturing and attentive staff. Children flourish in the language-rich
environment, and participate in meaningful conversations with staff and their friends. The
use of signing and picture prompts ensures all children have a voice. This has a very
positive outcome for all children and contributes to their speech and language development
effectively.
Children have every opportunity during the daily routines and activities provided to learn
skills needed to be independent and curious learners. Children learn in a most relaxed and
calm atmosphere. They are well prepared and supported ready for the next stage in
learning, for example when they move rooms with the nursery or transition to school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff consistently role model the high expectations they have for all children
attending. Children are keen and eager learners. They show curiosity and focus on learning.
They are absorbed in their play throughout their time at nursery. As a result, children's
behaviour is exemplary. Children have a sense of belonging and self-worth. They receive
consistent encouragement, reassurance and praise for their efforts. This significantly boosts
children's confidence and self-esteem. Highly-skilled staff identify children who face barriers
to their learning and wellbeing and anticipate their needs. For example, they support them to
maintain the expectations of the nursery through subtle guidance, reassurance, visual
prompts and resources provided. This helps build on children's skills gradually to help them
settle into the daily routines.
Leaders work effectively with parents and carers to ensure that they understand the
importance of regular attendance. They support families and offer a flexible drop-off to
ensure that children benefit from their time at nursery. Staff are aware of the policy and
procedures in place and take swift and thoughtful action if needed.
Children have formed trusting and mutually respectful relationships with the small team of
staff at nursery. They have made friendships with other children attending. Children
confidently approach staff for reassurance when needed as strong bonds are formed with
their key person.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children benefit from a wide variety of rich learning opportunities that support their physical
development. For example, they engage in regular sports activities outside of the nursery.

They have space to run at speed. Children develop hand-eye coordination as they learn the
skill of using bats and balls and learn how to master obstacle courses safely. These
sessions are adapted to ensure they are fully inclusive and enable all children to fully
participate.
Children learn the importance of staying healthy as staff engage them in conversations at
mealtimes about healthy choices. They learn the importance of sitting still and not talking
while eating, so as not to choke, as staff gently remind them of how to stay safe. Staff are
sensitive and respectful to children's personal needs during care routines. For example, staff
ask babies if they may change their nappy, and ensure children's privacy and dignity at this
time. Attentive staff are responsive to children's needs, for example, babies are cuddled and
soothed when they are tired. They are offered their comforters and are able to sleep
peacefully uninterrupted.
Children develop a sense of emotional wellbeing. Children feel safe and secure and are
effectively supported by staff to express their emotions and describe how they are feeling.
Staff are subtle in their approach as they support children to understand the impact of some
behaviours on others. Staff interactions with children are very positive and significantly
contribute to children's emotional wellbeing.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Children experience an inclusive, well-rounded and sequenced curriculum. Leaders ensure
the flexible, ambitious curriculum is consistently evaluated and understood by the
knowledgeable team. This ensures all children including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities or have barriers to learning, make significant progress.
Leaders ensure there is a sharp focus on promoting children's social, emotional
development and speech and language. Children play in a harmonious, language-rich
environment. They access a wealth of books. Children join in spontaneous singing, which
helps language development. Children learn signing to communicate their needs. They
engage in meaningful conversations with the staff which supports them to become confident
communicators and ask lots of questions. Staff introduce new words during activities to
extend vocabulary, such as 'pipette', 'experiment' and 'bicarbonate'.
There is a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and forest school participation. Children
show increasing independence and perseverance as they enthusiastically dress in
preparation for forest school. They understand the rules to keep them safe when walking to
the wooded area. They thrive in the outdoor space, running, digging, making dens and
engaging with the forest school leader as they listen intently to instructions. Babies and
toddlers enjoy daily walks in the local environment and even the very youngest children
show kindness as they help their friends put on their sun hats ready for garden play. Staff
ensure mathematical learning is woven through all activities. For example, children make
their own dough and learn about quantities, weight and measurement. They count
spontaneously and make size comparisons when using mathematical resources, such as
number rods.

Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders are committed to promoting a continuous, inclusive culture across the nursery. This
passion is shared and understood by all staff and children consistently receive high-quality,
inclusive practice. Staff complete robust assessments and ongoing observations of the
children. They are knowledgeable in child development and this means strategic next steps
for learning are in place. Any gaps in learning or specific individual needs are also swiftly
identified. Staff are highly responsive to children's changing needs and ensure strategies are
in place to support them and have a positive impact on outcomes. This is successfully
achieved through stringent monitoring of progress and ongoing and meaningful discussion
with parents and carers. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and external
professionals to ensure a collaborative and consistent approach.
Leaders promote ongoing, quality training for staff to ensure they are highly skilled and feel
confident in their role supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
effectively. Leaders' use of any additional funding received, such as early years pupil
premium funding, is purposeful and targeted. For example, the provision of additional
activities outdoors, provided by a sports coach and forest school leader, enable
disadvantaged children to access enrichment activities. This helps to improve children's
physical skills. They learn about turn taking by working in teams and build their confidence.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are passionate about their role. There is an embedded culture of self-evaluation.
They strive for excellence and rigorously reflect on practice, identifying the setting's
strengths and swiftly addressing any areas to improve and develop. Children are placed at
the centre of all decisions made. Leaders support staff through consistent monitoring of
practice and participation in ongoing professional development opportunities. Staff share the
high expectations for quality care and education, and speak with enthusiasm about their
role. They are dedicated to providing children with the best possible start. Staff comment
that their workload is considered and their wellbeing is supported. Leaders share their
expertise effectively with staff, including how to assist children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders and staff engage effectively with parents and carers, who are included in all aspects
of the nursery. They value and positively encourage their contribution in their child's
development. For instance, staff share a wide range of activity ideas with parents to
continue learning at home. Staff regularly consult with parents regarding children's individual
needs. They provide parents with resource bags and information about stages of
development, such as guidance with potty training, and provide meaningful support. Any
additional funding received is used to great advantage to support children's welfare and
close any gaps in learning. This collaborative approach creates an enabling environment
that meets the diverse and unique needs of all attending.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive and thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery. They arrive with confidence and
enthusiasm to start their day. They are warmly greeted by happy, caring staff who know
them well. Children excitedly check on the nursery ducks they have watched hatch from
eggs. Children enjoy a wealth of opportunities for self-directed play. They are encouraged to
explore, investigate and follow their interests within the safe and inclusive nursery. The
nursery ethos underpins the curriculum. For example, activities help nurture children to grow
in confidence and independence. In addition, some principles of Montessori teaching are
reflected in the ambitious curriculum. Staff encourage and support exploration, active
learning and critical thinking. Children make rapid progress and consistently achieve from
their starting points. Staff strengthen learning through revisiting activities and targeted
interventions. Children benefit from the ambitious and challenging curriculum and the
importance of attendance for their learning and welfare is promoted. As a result, children are
well prepared and ready for the next stage in learning and transition to school.
There is a strong focus on ensuring the environment is inclusive, inspiring and welcoming
for children. Leaders and staff understand the importance of children feeling safe and settled
for them to learn. They work closely with parents and carers. Appropriate information is
shared and an individual settling-in process is arranged to meet each individual child's
needs and ensure attendance. Staff follow children's interest when planning learning as they
know what will capture their attention. For example, a variety of water play activities provide
children with opportunities to learn the skill of pouring accurately while having fun. Children
enjoy a range of sensory experiences, such as making gloop using water and flour. They
show fascination as they compare consistency once water is added. Children are confident
communicators. They discuss how dry flour is like snow and it feels 'silky' when water is
added.
Parents speak highly of all aspects of care and education provided for their children. They
comment on the excellent progress their children have made, and of the kind, caring and
approachable staff. Parents speak of their gratitude for the support provided and early
interventions their children receive to ensure significant progress.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove
barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all
children's achievement and wellbeing.

Inspector:
Lynn Hartigan
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2805369
Address:
The Essex Golf & Country Club
Airfield, Earls Colne
Colchester
CO6 2NS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 23/09/2024
Registered person: Wilkin, Louise
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 18:15
Local authority: Essex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 3 July 2026
Children numbers
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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.

Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 5
Total number of places
63
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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