Partou St Mary's Day Nursery & Pre-School

Partou St Mary's Day Nursery & Pre-School
Unique reference number (URN): 2545639
Address: 65 Bawtry Road, Doncaster, Yorkshire, DN4 7AD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 14/08/2019
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Just Childcare Limited
Inspection report: 15 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
Achievement Expected standard
All children, including those who are disadvantaged, build positive relationships with staff.
Children show that they feel emotionally secure in their care. As a result, they become
confident and develop their independence in readiness for moving on to the next stage in
their education.
Babies who are new to the setting settle quickly with key persons and other staff. They
develop their physical skills well, learning to crawl, cruise and balance. Toddlers grow in
independence as they begin to serve their own portions of food at mealtimes. Children hold
simple conversations with each other and the adults who care for them. Pre-school children
show a wonderful sense of creativity. For example, children draw pictures of scenes from
their favourite books. They pay close attention to their drawings and add lots of interesting
details. Children learn how to share and take turns when playing with others, which, in turn,
supports them to build friendships with their peers.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff share the 'golden rules' with children. For instance, staff remind children that they
should use 'kind hands'. This supports their understanding of what is expected of their
behaviour. Consequently, children typically play and learn well together. If children do
become upset, for example when waiting for a turn with a toy, staff support them sensitively.
For instance, staff kindly ask if children would like to hold their hands, to help them to feel
better while waiting for their turn. This supports children to begin to understand and manage
their emotions.
Staff use clever strategies to help those children who need further support for their
behaviour. For example, staff use a sand timer to support children to understand when it is
time to stop and move on to the next daily routine. This helps to ensure smoother transitions
for those children who may find these times of the day difficult.
Leaders routinely follow up on children's unexplained or repeated absences. This helps to
ensure children's ongoing safety and welfare and encourages families to ensure that
children benefit from their full educational entitlements.
Leaders previously recognised that some routines, such as when coming inside after
outdoor play, could be better organised. Leaders and staff are continuing to build on the
improved organisation of these times of the day. This supports children to know what to
expect, and as a result, they typically follow daily routines successfully.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders have worked hard to create a warm, inviting and engaging nursery space that
children enjoy attending. The nurturing staff communicate effectively with each other to
quickly respond to children's needs. For example, they recognise when children are ready

for a nap and place them down to sleep safely. Those known, or previously known, to
children's social care build close bonds with their key persons.
Staff support children to become independent in their self-care. For instance, children get
their own tissues to wipe their noses. They learn to persevere and use tongs and spoons to
serve their own meals and snacks. The food offered to children is healthy and includes
portions of fruit and vegetables. Children learn to make healthy choices, and develop an
overall positive sense of wellbeing. Staff support children to take part in toothbrushing
sessions. This helps children to develop good oral health habits.
Leaders have identified fun ways to build on children's interest in technology in a safe way
and without the use of screens. For example, leaders have introduced remote-controlled
toys. Children delight in exploring how to make the remote-controlled 'mice' move around
the nursery floor. They learn about cause and effect and develop their understanding of the
wider uses of technology.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff have developed a curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of all
children who attend. Staff use their assessments of children's development and work with
parents and carers to decide what children need to learn next. They consider how they will
plan activities and experiences to support all children to work towards these next steps in
their learning. They understand the skills that children need to develop before moving on to
the next stage in their education. As a result, children are well prepared to move on to the
next aged room in the nursery, or for starting school.
Staff typically narrate children's play and consider the vocabulary they want children to know
and use. Leaders have supported staff to promote language and conversation in the
nursery. For example, during care routines, such as nappy changes, staff sing or talk to
children. However, on occasion, staff working with younger babies do not consistently
respond to children's babbles in ways that further promote their early communication skills.
Staff ensure that children receive daily opportunities to play outdoors and be physically
active. The indoor environment is well resourced to support children to develop their
climbing and balancing skills. Staff introduce mathematical concepts to children, such as by
reciting numbers in order or counting the number of objects on a page in a book. They
ensure that children receive many opportunities to play and learn together. This helps to
promote the development of their social skills.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff quickly get to know children. This, in turn, supports them to swiftly identify
any gaps in children's development. Leaders and staff ensure that there are no delays in
putting into place the relevant support that children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities may need. This includes children who are very new to the nursery. Leaders and
staff ensure regular communication with families of children who are known (or have
previously been known) to children's social care. This ensures that children's needs continue
to be met.

Leaders and staff put in place interventions for children who have gaps in their learning.
These plans support children to work towards personalised next steps in their development.
These next steps are then are broken down into smaller achievable targets. Leaders and
staff work well together to regularly review the impact of these plans and adapt them as
needed. They liaise with relevant professionals, such as physiotherapists and health visitors,
about how they can successfully support children's needs. This supports children to
continue to make progress towards their individual development goals.
Leaders have outlined their plans to use early years pupil premium funding to access staff
training in order to further promote children's literacy skills and love of stories. Leaders have
also used funding to develop a sensory room in the nursery. Staff say that this helps to
support children who need further help to manage and regulate their emotions.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have high ambitions for all children to reach their full potential. This has driven them
to make improvements to the nursery. Following previous challenges in recruiting staff,
leaders have now recruited a stable staff team. This provides consistency for children's care
and learning.
Parents and carers praise the staff team for the compassion and care that the team shows
towards the children. They report that staff communicate well about children's learning and
routines, via daily handovers or through the use of an app. As a result, parents remain well
informed about their children's development and build positive relationships with the staff.
Staff report positive levels of wellbeing and support from leaders. Apprentices say that they
feel well supported in working towards achieving their childcare qualifications. New staff
state that their inductions have supported them in understanding the nursery's ethos.
Leaders have focused on ensuring that all staff receive the necessary training to carry out
their roles. Leaders acknowledge that the newly established staff team is now ready to take
part in more focused training, to further raise the quality of staff's interactions with the
youngest children.
Leaders previously notified Ofsted of a breach of requirements relating to child supervision
and safer sleep. The notification means that the provider met their legal responsibility, as set
out in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, to notify Ofsted of
significant events. Leaders have taken appropriate action to address the breach. They have
refreshed staff's knowledge of safer sleep requirements. Leaders have updated policies to
remind staff of their responsibilities relating to the supervision of sleeping children. Leaders
have put in place further monitoring of sleep times, to ensure children's ongoing safety.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children receive lots of cuddles and warm interactions from the caring staff. This helps to
support children to feel safe and happy in the nursery. Children learn to listen to instructions
well and successfully follow daily routines. They enjoy making choices about their play or
exploring their interests. For instance, babies pretend to talk on the toy telephone, showing
their eagerness to communicate. Older children show this ongoing sense of imagination as
they play in the pre-school home corner and pretend to be hairdressers. Children show
enthusiasm towards their play. They become self-assured learners and make steady
progress from their starting points.
Children receive opportunities for learning that they may not experience at home. For
example, they take part in group dance or sport sessions led by staff who are skilled in
these areas. Children show great pleasure when taking part in a dance activity. They show
how they are learning to balance on their tiptoes and make simple ballet poses. Leaders
understand the importance of ensuring that all children feel included and have access to
these opportunities.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the relevant support that
they need for their care and development. For instance, children are supported by staff to
use specialised equipment that meets their needs. Children's understanding and
communication are supported by staff's use of physical objects or picture cards alongside
spoken words. Staff find out and use key words in children's home languages. Children who
may have language and/or communication difficulties learn to understand routines and
develop their vocabulary.
Children and families are encouraged by staff to make use of home-learning activity bags, or
to borrow books from the nursery lending library. They are supported to share knowledge
and experiences about their cultures and home celebrations. This promotes children's
knowledge of diversity and the differences between themselves and others. Leaders speak
with families about the importance of routine attendance. Consequently, children attend well.
They develop positive routines that prepare them well for the next stage in their education.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff who work with babies and younger children to strengthen
and build on the existing strategies for developing children's early communication and
language skills.
Leaders should evaluate the nursery more effectively in order to target training and
professional development opportunities to meet the individual needs of staff, to ensure
consistently high-quality teaching and interactions.

Inspector:
Samantha Lambert
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2545639
Address:
65 Bawtry Road
Doncaster
Yorkshire
DN4 7AD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 14/08/2019
Registered person: Just Childcare Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Doncaster
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator 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.
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.

This data is from 15 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
149
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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