URN EY560966 · Inspected 2026-07-09 · Published 2026-09-03 · Inspector: Michelle Lorains
Burnholme Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY560966 Address: Mossdale Avenue, York, YO31 0HA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/05/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Burnholme Community Nursery Committee Inspection report: 9 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 Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children's behaviour is extremely positive throughout the day. Staff are excellent role models and behave with kindness, empathy and respect towards children, families and each other. Children copy these positive behaviours and are polite, helpful and well mannered. They are keen to play with and alongside others and willingly include them in their play. For example, older children help each other to choose clothing from the dressing-up boxes and offer compliments to their friends as they dress up. All children show consistently positive attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic to join in with activities and have positive levels of focus and concentration. All children share regular parts of their daily routine, such as mealtimes. They demonstrate exemplary behaviour and show enjoyment of the social aspect of this, as they see their siblings and friends from other rooms, for instance. Children are regular, punctual attenders. This has a positive impact on their wellbeing and helps to prepare them for future routines, such as starting school. Leaders support families to help children attend their sessions and make adjustments to support this, if needed. Staff consistently promote children's personal, social and emotional development. They prepare children for different routines and transitions extremely well. For example, staff know when babies will begin to feel tired and make sure the area is suitable for sleeping. This promotes their emotional wellbeing and helps them settle to rest in comfort. Toddlers listen out for the tidy-up song and show pride as they clear up, ready for lunch. Older children recognise their names and use the self-registration board. Staff use visual cues, such as 'first, now and next' pictures, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff consistently prioritise children's safety and emotional wellbeing. For example, they are aware of the changing circumstances of children and families, and make swift adaptations to meet their needs. Staff are acutely aware of the need to provide safe- sleeping areas for children and monitor the temperature of the room carefully, particularly in times of extreme heat. Leaders complete specific risk assessments and healthcare plans for children with additional medical needs. They regularly share these with staff, parents and carers to ensure information is up to date and staff know how to support children. Staff's checks of the premises, indoors and outdoors, are robust, ensuring all children can access the curriculum safely. For example, staff put up a large gazebo outdoors to protect children from the sun and make adjustments to the environment so that children with any specialist equipment can also access activities of their choosing. Staff consistently promote children's personal, social and emotional development. Babies benefit from secure bonds with their key staff, who know their routines well. Babies show they feel safe with staff and seek them out for comfort. Staff rest a hand on children's shoulders when there are unfamiliar faces in the room, offering calm reassurance, for instance. Staff help young children to become aware of their emotions and ask them if they want a quiet space or cuddles when they say they feel 'grumpy'. Older children demonstrate very effective self-care skills and high levels of independence. They use the toilet, wash their Expected standard hands and show an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, such as why they need sun cream and plenty of water during hot weather. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders promote an inclusive, nurturing and harmonious environment for all children. This particularly supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive. Leaders and staff carefully assess children's individual needs and work in close partnership with everyone involved in their care, learning and welfare. For example, parents and carers are asked about the best way to spend extra funding, and staff receive training from medical professionals to meet children's individual care needs. Children show that they enjoy their one-to-one time with staff and happily play alongside others. Staff know how to help all children access every part of the curriculum. They carefully adapt the environment and use specialist equipment to help children take part in activities inside and outside, for instance. Leaders ensure they complete any documentation precisely and swiftly to help children receive the full support they need from an early age. Parents say they are grateful for the support they receive as a family and describe their children's progress as 'astonishing'. Leaders support staff who have specific inclusion roles very well. For instance, they reduce staff's other responsibilities and organise provision so that staff consistently spend time with their key children. Achievement Expected standard Children generally make typical progress in their learning. For example, babies develop their physical skills as they learn to pull themselves up to explore resources. They begin to say single words and develop confidence as they experience new activities. Toddlers show a love of books from an early age and begin to retell simple parts of favourite stories, such as how a balloon pops. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities thrive. They make positive progress in relation to their starting points and benefit from focused interactions. Older children generally develop the skills they need to start school. They show the confidence to ask staff for help when they need it and have positive levels of focus and concentration. For instance, during story sessions and group times, children listen attentively and follow instructions. However, they do not consistently have opportunities to practise all of their developing skills, which occasionally limits the amount of progress they make. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff typically provide an ambitious curriculum for all children. There is a balance of child-initiated and adult-led experiences, which typically consider children's next steps in learning. Staff know what children need to learn next and generally support them well. For example, older children independently access mark-making materials, and staff help them begin to write their name, showing them how to copy from their self-registration card. However, during some planned activities, children are not encouraged to build on and practise their skills across different areas of learning, as staff focus entirely on a narrow learning intention. Toddlers are supported to develop their language skills and are confident communicators. Staff model clear words to them and use stories and songs to extend their vocabulary. Babies show enjoyment in activities, and staff use books to show pictures of animals. They teach them the names of baby animals and encourage them to copy the animal sounds. However, staff do not always use open questioning or engage deeply with children during their play to consistently extend their language and encourage them to share their ideas and knowledge further. Staff support all children to be prepared for the next stage of their learning, such as starting school. Leaders attend meetings with teachers, parents and carers, sharing relevant information to help children experience a smooth, seamless transition. For example, they provide detailed information on how they have supported children with specific care and medical needs. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are positive role models for staff. They have high expectations for all children and know the community well. Leaders and staff work together to evaluate the strengths and areas to improve in the nursery. For example, they have recently enhanced the outdoor area to further support children's learning outdoors. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and staff meetings that help them reflect on their practice and share experiences with the team. They say they are happy with the support they receive from leaders and enjoy working in the nursery. For instance, leaders support staff with any challenging aspects of their roles and promote their wellbeing. Staff access a wide range of training and professional development opportunities, which typically enhance their skills and knowledge in working with children. For example, some staff complete courses that help them to care for babies, while others consider how they can support children's behaviour. All staff receive regular training to help them keep children safe and meet their additional needs. Leaders recognise that they need to provide further guidance to staff to help them maintain high-quality teaching, particularly around supporting children's communication and consistently maximising all areas of their learning. Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and carers and all other professionals involved with children, such as teachers, home visitors and healthcare professionals. They gather and share all relevant information to promote continuity of care for children. Parents are happy with the regular updates and information about their children's progress. They say they feel fully included in decisions made about their children and are grateful for the support they receive from leaders. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children show they feel safe and happy in the nursery. All staff know children and their families well, build positive relationships with them and share information about children with their parents and carers. This helps staff to understand children's individual needs and any changes to family circumstances. Leaders work closely with families and encourage them to bring children to the nursery regularly and on time. This helps children to become familiar with staff and routines. All children benefit from continuity of care in the nursery. Staff are highly trained to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders promote an inclusive environment and ensure all children have access to the full curriculum. Additional funding is used effectively to provide children with one-to-one support, for instance. This helps every child to develop their social skills and feel a sense of belonging in the nursery. Children make suitable progress in relation to their starting points and enjoy a wide range of experiences. For example, babies explore sensory activities and develop physical skills as they stand up to splash in water trays and scoop coloured oats into pots. Toddlers show an interest in outdoor learning as staff take them on bug hunts, armed with their lists and magnifying glasses. Children excitedly point out bugs and insects in the potted plants, and staff help them carefully to examine them closely. Older children develop the skills they need as they prepare to start school. For example, they learn to use the toilet and show confidence in asking for help when needed. Inspector: Michelle Lorains About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY560966 Address: Mossdale Avenue York YO31 0HA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 29/05/2018 Registered person: Burnholme Community Nursery Committee Register(s): EYR, CCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30 Local authority: York Next steps Leaders should help staff understand how to maximise all areas of children's learning during planned activities so children can practise their skills and build on their existing knowledge even further. Leaders should help staff to consistently promote all children's communication and language skills during play and planned experiences. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, designated safeguarding leaders, children and parents and carers 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 9 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 30 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. 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. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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