Shire House Nursery

Shire House Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2861108
Address: Shire House, 1A West Common, Gerrards Cross, SL9 7QN
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 22/09/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Tinies U.K. Limited
Inspection report: 8 September 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
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children respond well to clear instructions from staff. They line up and wait appropriately
when moving between indoor and outdoor areas. Children develop independence skills,
such as serving their own food and using cutlery confidently. They also develop appropriate
self-care skills that help to prepare them for the future. For example, older children know
how to find their own placemats and seating place at lunchtime. Children form positive
relationships with staff and confidently seek help when needed. Staff respond to children's
needs promptly. Leaders and staff follow up unexplained absences and monitor attendance
patterns for any concerns.
Staff support children to behave well and develop positive relationships with them. When
children become unsettled, staff provide reassurance that helps them to settle quickly.
Children understand behavioural expectations and are encouraged to use good manners.
Staff support children to take turns and wait patiently during activities. As a result, children
play cooperatively, show kindness towards their friends, and warmly welcome others as they
arrive. Children demonstrate a clear sense of belonging.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders prioritise children's physical health, safety and emotional wellbeing throughout the
day. Staff follow safe-sleep procedures and place children in designated sleep spaces. They
work with parents and carers to support children's weaning and manage allergies effectively.
Dietary needs are clearly displayed, and colour-coded plates help to prevent cross-
contamination. Children with allergies have detailed care plans in place, enabling staff to
respond quickly if concerns arise.
The key-person system is effective. Staff are caring and build trusting relationships with
children, who confidently approach them for comfort, support and play. Positive interactions
are evident throughout the day, contributing to a calm and nurturing environment where
children feel secure and ready to learn.
All children, including those known or previously known to children's social care, are
supported well. Staff share regular information with parents and carers, including updates on
children's emotional wellbeing. They provide additional reassurance when needed,
particularly during periods of change. As a result, children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, feel supported
and cared for.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Children's achievement is mixed. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that
children do not consistently develop the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of
learning. Although children typically make progress from their starting points, rates of
progress vary. Some children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, do not develop the knowledge and skills
they need to be fully prepared for the next stage of learning, including school. Children
generally develop the early literacy and mathematical skills expected for their age.
Some children make sound progress in their personal, social and emotional development.
They show positive attitudes towards learning and enjoy playing with their friends. For
example, older children work together to complete puzzles, sharing pieces and solving
problems. Children also benefit from opportunities to develop early literacy skills. Babies
enjoy looking at books with staff, pointing to pictures and responding to familiar words. Older
children listen attentively to stories and join in with repeated phrases. As a result, children
develop an enjoyment of books and stories from an early age.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently across the nursery.
As a result, the quality of teaching varies and children's learning experiences are not equally
effective. Some staff interact warmly with children and support their learning well. However,
support for older children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is
inconsistent. Staff do not always build effectively on what children already know and can do.
Consequently, gaps in learning are not addressed quickly enough.
While leaders have designed a curriculum that outlines what they want children to learn,
effective practice is not consistent across the nursery. The communication and language
curriculum is not sequenced effectively, and some children with delays do not receive the
support they need. As a result, they do not make the progress they are capable of in this
important area of learning.
The curriculum has a focus on physical development, personal and social skills, and
developing early literacy skills. For example, toddlers benefit from well-planned singing
activities and join in enthusiastically.
Staff provide a wide variety of engaging activities that support all areas of learning. They
encourage children to balance on beams, make paint marks with dabbers and look in
mirrors at their own reflections. During these exciting activities, staff help children to explore
and develop their curiosity and enjoyment in play.
Inclusion Needs attention
Weaknesses in teaching do not promote high-quality interactions that support children's
learning. Leaders do not ensure that staff use the targeted strategies they have planned for

some children. Staff do not review them frequently enough to ensure they continue to meet
children's changing needs. These inconsistencies in practice mean that children do not
always receive the individual support they need. This has a negative impact on children's
experiences. For instance, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) do not consistently receive effective support from staff to enable them to access an
equally ambitious curriculum. Some children wander around the room with little engagement
and receive limited encouragement or support from staff to join in with activities or interact
with others.
Leaders do not take swift enough action to implement appropriate adaptations that ensure
all children benefit from an equally ambitious curriculum. While they understand the
processes for working with external professionals to secure additional support, their
approach is not consistent for all children who face barriers to learning. As a result, children
with SEND and those with other barriers to learning do not always receive the support they
need to achieve their next steps in development. Although leaders liaise with local authority
advisers to create individualised plans, inconsistencies in practice mean that these do not
have the intended impact on children's progress.
Staff use observations and assessments to identify children who need additional support.
They complete the required progress checks for children aged 2-years-old and identify gaps
in children's learning. For instance, they recognise that some children require greater
support with their communication and language development.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Changes within the leadership team have affected the consistency of teaching and support
for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to
learning. Leaders do not ensure that identified targets and strategies are consistently
implemented. As a result, some children do not receive the support they need to achieve
their next steps. Although leaders have identified the necessary improvements, these are
not yet embedded in practice.
Leaders do not evaluate the impact of professional development effectively enough. As a
result, weaknesses in teaching and staff interactions remain in some areas of the nursery.
Leaders create a positive culture where staff feel valued and supported. Staff describe them
as approachable and report that their wellbeing is considered. Leaders encourage feedback
from staff, parents and carers and provide a general range of training opportunities.
Leaders generally understand the provision's strengths and areas for improvement. They
have plans in place to improve the quality of care and education. They work well with
parents, carers and other professionals. Parents feel supported and are kept informed about
their children's experiences and progress. Leaders promote regular attendance and make
adaptations, where possible, to support the wellbeing of children and their families.

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's experiences are not equal across the nursery because the quality of teaching
varies. Staff do not consistently respond to children's ideas, extend their thinking or build
effectively on what children already know and can do. Children learn and participate in some
of the nursery's routines. However, opportunities are sometimes limited, particularly for
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers
to learning. Communication between staff and children is not consistently effective. Children
do not always benefit from high-quality interactions, which limits opportunities to extend their
learning and development. Consequently, some children do not develop the breadth of
knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning and are not fully prepared for the
next stage of their education.
Children are happy, feel safe and have their care needs met. They benefit from caring
relationships with staff, particularly babies, which help them to feel emotionally secure.
Children form secure attachments with staff, enjoy playing alongside their friends and
develop positive attitudes towards learning. Those who need additional reassurance, such
as babies, benefit from calm, responsive and sensitive support to help them settle.
Throughout the day, staff respond warmly to children's care and emotional needs, helping
them to feel safe, valued and supported.
Children demonstrate enjoyment in some of the activities that are planned for them. For
example, babies enjoy exploring shiny materials that make sounds when they touch them.

Inspectors:
Older children enthusiastically crush flowers and use their imagination in the mud kitchen in
the garden.
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:
Action Completion Date
improve arrangements to support children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who
face barriers to learning to ensure they make steady
progress
30/10/2026
improve the quality and consistency of teaching so that
staff implement the curriculum effectively and all
children experience ambitious and well-sequenced
learning, particularly in regards to communication and
language
30/10/2026
strengthen oversight of practice to identify staff's
development needs and ensure that professional
development improves the quality of care and education
children that receive
30/10/2026
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children and those with roles, such as
the special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding lead 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.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.

Mandy Cooper
Nicky Butler
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2861108
Address:
Shire House
1A West Common
Gerrards Cross
SL9 7QN
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 22/09/2025
Registered person: Tinies U.K. Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Buckinghamshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 8 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
125

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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