Blue Willow Day Nursery Horlicks Quarter

Blue Willow Day Nursery Horlicks Quarter
Unique reference number (URN): 2810079
Address: 1 Memorial Avenue, Slough, SL1 3GS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 20/09/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Blue Willow Day Nursery Horlicks Quarter Ltd
Inspection report: 4 August 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children make steady progress from their starting points, including children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are confident and curious learners.
They show growing concentration as they take part in a range of activities. Children
demonstrate social confidence and secure relationships as they play together in imaginative
games.
Children generally progress well in their communication and language. They use increasing
vocabulary, join simple conversations and join in with action songs. However, younger
children do not consistently develop their communication and language skills.
Children with SEND show sustained concentration during group times. Older children
demonstrate confident mathematical understanding as they count, compare and explain the
various sizes of objects. Babies crawl and develop their physical skills in readiness for later
walking. They develop their small muscles in their hands as they learn to pull back and push
toy cars. Older children are growing in confidence and becoming increasingly independent.
All children are learning skills in readiness for their eventual move to school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff create a positive environment for children to learn. Children have
developed trusting and secure relationships with the staff as they give plenty of praise as
children play and explore. This raises children's self-esteem. Staff are positive role models
and adapt their interactions so that they are age- and stage-appropriate to support children's
behaviour. As such, children understand what is expected of them, behave well and are
polite. For example, children pass their friends the pegs as they take turns clipping them to a
small line. Staff support children to recognise and manage their feelings. Children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from sensory resources and
quiet spaces that help them to regulate their emotions.
Staff use routines of the day to typically help children develop their independence. Older
children are confident and know these well. However, routines for younger children are not
always consistent. This means that younger children are not sure what is expected of them.
For instance, sometimes, routines are not organised to support children's self-care skills.
Leaders encourage parents and children to arrive on time and attend every day, building
positive habits for later life. This helps to ensure that all children benefit from the routines
and learning offered in nursery.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of how to promote children's welfare and
wellbeing. They get to know the families and children that attend the nursery. This helps staff
to support children's individual care routines. As such, children's sleep, care and feeding are

managed thoughtfully and safely. As a result, children feel safe and secure in their
environment.
Generally, staff support children to develop personal skills, such as self-care and
independence. Older children know the routines well. Staff provide them with clear
expectations and guidance, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities. Staff adapt their communication and use visual prompts to support their
understanding. This promotes children's wellbeing. However, some routines for younger
children are not consistently embedded. This means that staff tend to do a lot for the
children, rather than teaching children how to support their self-care.
Leaders and staff place high priority on children's emotional wellbeing. Children are
supported to recognise and regulate their feelings through calm, consistent approaches.
Staff respond to children who may become a little unsettled, offering them warm
reassurance. This helps children to quickly settle back into their chosen play. Staff teach
children how to keep themselves safe. They gently remind children of the dangers of
climbing and how to carefully carry their plate for mealtimes. This helps children understand
safe procedures.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders plan a highly ambitious curriculum that focuses on children's exploration and
curiosity. Alongside this, staff prioritise children's physical and personal, social and
emotional development in particular. They complete regular observations and assessments,
particularly to monitor children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As
such, teaching is generally purposeful and supports children's next steps of learning,
including adaptations for children with SEND.
Staff typically build on children's vocabulary and communication skills. Older children are
confident. They are articulate and talk about the activities they are exploring. For example,
children talk about the wings on a butterfly as they take part in small-group sessions.
However, leaders have not considered how to support staff to develop younger children's
language skills.
Younger children giggle and smile with joy as they balance over a small climbing frame and
play hide and seek, developing their physical skills. Older children are confident in their
abilities. They run and jump in the well-organised outside environment. Staff are skilful at
teaching children early maths as they play. This helps children to learn to count and
recognise shapes in the environment.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff place inclusion at the centre of their practice. They create an inclusive
environment where children feel valued and supported. Leaders and staff gather a wealth of
information before children start. They use ongoing assessment to assess children's
individual needs. This helps them identify children's needs early and take effective action to
secure the support children need. Leaders work closely with external professionals,
including speech and language therapists and the local authority, to plan and ensure

children receive any statutory support that they are entitled to. This two-way approach
provides consistency for children's development.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress from their starting
points. Staff use their knowledge of each child to adapt their teaching and provide well-
matched support. For example, staff provide targeted strategies, including sessions to
support their communication and language development. However, leaders have not
considered how to support staff to consistently adapt their teaching to support younger
children to develop their language skills.
Leaders are secure in their knowledge on how to allocate any additional funding to support
children's needs. For example, leaders consider any training or resources that may
strengthen children's learning and development.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have accurate oversight of the strengths and their priorities for improvement of the
nursery. They have a clear vision for the curriculum and what this means in practice. This
helps leaders to typically evaluate and plan training and support for staff in their roles.
Leaders are proactive and work effectively with professionals and with the parents of
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to
learning. This helps to ensure that children receive the support they need. Parents positively
praise leaders and staff on the support for their children. They particularly comment on how
their children's confidence and social skills have developed. They appreciate the regular
communication about children's progress. These positive partnerships contribute to
continuity between home and the setting.
Staff report that leaders support their wellbeing and professional development. New staff
benefit from an induction to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities right
from the start. Leaders have systems in place, such as regular supervisions and regular
meetings. They typically identify training for staff to support children's development. For
example, staff have completed training in Makaton to support children with their learning and
development. Leaders also focus training on enhancing the nursery for children with SEND.
However, leaders have not considered how to support staff to develop their knowledge of
how to support younger children in their communication and language.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children flourish at this warm and nurturing nursery, including children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They explore the inspiring and curious
environment with ease, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Babies have ample
opportunities to develop their physical skills as they crawl, climb and learn to walk. Older
children have plenty of fresh air and exercise. Children develop the small muscles in their
hands as they share one-handed tools in the sand tray. They are friendly and take turns as
they learn how to use pegs to attach to a small line inside. This helps children develop their
muscle groups for later learning.
Children know the friendly staff well. They snuggle in for stories and sing songs. Older
children take part in planned daily interventions. They develop their listening skills and
repeat familiar phrases. Children develop their knowledge of early maths. They count in their
play and learn about the difference between big and small. This helps children, including
children with SEND, make progress from their individual starting points. Children learn about
the community they live in on regular trips. This helps them to learn about the wider world.
Children understand the importance of making healthy choices as they develop life skills in
preparation for their move to school. They typically know the routines well as they settle for
a healthy lunch. Children know to wash their hands and use the toilet independently. Older
children help set the table for lunch. They are supported to serve their meals and learn to
use cutlery. This promotes their independence. Children are kind and learning to share
resources as they play. Older children make relationships with their friends as they create
pictures in the outside area. Children's attendance is consistent. This helps them benefit
from the ambitious curriculum.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen the coaching and mentoring of staff to ensure that teaching is
consistent across the nursery, in particular supporting younger children's communication
and language skills.
Leaders should develop routines across the nursery, so that children have consistent
opportunities to develop their independence.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents 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.

Inspector:
Kelly Lane
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2810079
Address:
1 Memorial Avenue
Slough
SL1 3GS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 20/09/2024
Registered person: Blue Willow Day Nursery Horlicks Quarter Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 19:00
Local authority: Slough
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 4 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
90

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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