URN 140897 · Inspected 2026-09-21 · Published 2026-10-13 · Inspector: Danie Brown Nicky Butler
Willows Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 140897 Address: Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 8BD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/07/1994 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Childbase Partnership Limited Inspection report: 21 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as moving to another setting or starting school. They develop the skills they need for the future, such as independence and resilience. Children are highly motivated and demonstrate high levels of concentration, both during adult-led activities, such as a communication and language programmes, and their own instructed play. They develop the love of books and stories, explore pictures on the page, join in with pauses and answer questioning on what they have just learned and heard. All children persevere during activities, such as when trying to collect water from the water butt in forest school, or to climb in the garden. They are confident to approach their peers to ask for help and to work alongside each other to achieve a goal. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit widely from individual support that consistently reduces the barriers to learning that they face. All children, including children who face barriers to learning, make significant progress in their learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and high levels of kindness and cooperation towards one another and adults. Leaders and staff have established a calm, nurturing and inclusive environment where expectations for behaviour and routines are consistently demonstrated, understood and embedded across the setting. As a result, children feel safe, secure and confident within the daily routines. Children form warm and trusting relationships with staff and their peers. Staff support children effectively to recognise and manage their emotions, helping them to understand feelings and develop positive social skills. For example, children enthusiastically take part in activities where they help each other to locate animals with their correct homes. This shows kindness to one another and promotes effectively children's self-esteem and sense of belonging within the nursery community. Children develop a strong sense of community and belonging through meaningful experiences with the wider community. For example, inviting the community in to share their roles and responsibilities, such as the fire and police service. There are also sessions for parents, grandparents and wider family members to attend. These experiences help children develop empathy, respect for others and confidence in social situations beyond the setting. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children develop a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging at the setting. Staff foster strong bonds with the children and are highly responsive to their needs. Staff and leaders create a warm, welcoming environment where children feel safe, valued and able to thrive. Well-established routines give children a secure sense of security and help them feel confident and settled throughout the day. For example, when the music comes on, babies know that they are about to start their music session. During this time, staff clearly introduce the activities available, encouraging children to make independent choices about what they would like to explore next. Staff provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop healthy and active lifestyles. They encourage independence in daily routines, such as washing hands before and after mealtimes. Children have access to a wide range of activities outside, including their own allotment and forest school. These opportunities help to build children's experiences of the world around them. Parents mention that staff have been supportive to ensure smooth transition when settling, have embraced children's cultural backgrounds and integrated them into everyday routines in a way that supports growth and development. Staff are very skilled at teaching the children to be resilient and always give things a go. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that fully prepares children for their next steps in all areas of development. Staff prioritise getting to know children through a robust settling-in process. As a result, they make accurate assessments of children's starting points. Staff use this knowledge to implement unique plans that support children's development effectively. They make timely adjustments, so all children can access the curriculum. Leaders are highly evaluative and consistently reflect on how they can further improve teaching and learning for all children. The quality of interactions between staff and children is a particular strength of the setting. Staff engage purposefully with children. They respond to their ideas, narrate their play and introduce new concepts. For instance, when children make dinosaur prints in the dough, the staff encourage them to compare the prints to the prints they can make with their hands. Children are encouraged to explore, solve problems and develop their interests. Staff embed mathematical language within daily routines and play with children from the earliest ages. Leaders place a great emphasis on children's personal, social and emotional development, recognising these as foundations for learning. Staff encourage children to be resilient, and active, supporting them to develop their confidence and independence in their abilities. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff strive to create a consistently inclusive environment and culture. Regular observations and assessments ensure that leaders and staff quickly identify when children need further support to meet their individual needs. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who have other barriers to their learning. They make swift referrals to external agencies to ensure that children and their families get the help and support they need in the quickest time possible. Staff work with these other professionals to put targeted and highly effective support in place to meet children's individual needs. This supports them to plan appropriately for children's ongoing learning. Staff complete additional training to ensure that they continue to meet children's changing needs. For example, staff complete training for simple sign language to support communication with all children. Leaders and staff recognise that some children do not have access to outdoor play spaces at home. They understand who is entitled to additional funding and use this to provide experiences that children may not receive at home. In addition, this is used to provide staff with training and resources to further support children's progress and development. Strategies used to support children are regularly reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they continue to support the child. Robust systems to monitor children's progress are in place. As a result, all children make the progress they are capable of, as staff provide additional targeted experiences. Children are valued as individuals, develop a strong sense of belonging and thrive within this nurturing and inclusive environment. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders demonstrate an ambitious vision for the setting. Since the previous inspection, they have embedded the curriculum and continually strengthened teaching through new initiatives. They take a highly strategic approach to improvement, recognising they can make continual enhancements to ensure the best possible outcomes and experiences for children as their needs change over time. They are fully committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. This can be seen in the thoughtful decisions they make and in the inclusive environment they have created, where all children, staff and families are valued. Leaders recognise the importance of staff's knowledge and wellbeing. During supervisions, leaders arrange targeted professional development opportunities, such as outdoor, communication and language training. This supports staff further in enhancing opportunities for children, so they achieve the best possible outcomes. Parents and carers are an integral part of the setting's community. Leaders build warm and trusting relationships from the start. Families receive regular updates through newsletters, emails, leaflets, an online app and daily conversations. This ensures that they feel well informed about any changes or events at the setting and are included in their children's learning and development journey. Leaders take actions that are in the best interests of children. 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 Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children arrive at the setting happy, confident and eager to start their day. They form close bonds with staff, who know them extremely well. Children benefit from a wealth of opportunities to build on their language, as staff skilfully introduce them to new words in the context of their play and learning. All children are engrossed in high-quality activities that greatly support their learning and development. Older children thoroughly enjoy making hammocks in the forest school. They work with staff and use various skills to test their ideas. Staff talk with children about what they have made and how they made it. This helps to build on children's imagination and language development. Children are extremely well prepared for their next steps in learning. Children of all ages gain valuable independence skills. This prepares them well for transitions between other settings and school. Children develop independence and resilience, as staff encourage children to always try first before asking for help. All children have the option to play outside in all weathers, allowing them to decide where they wish to learn. Staff are deployed well to ensure that all areas of the nursery are available and safe for children to explore and learn in. All children show they feel valued as they play. They eagerly show staff their work, which is greeted by the same enthusiasm and positive reinforcement. This builds further on children's self-esteem and their confidence. Children apologise to each other when they bump into peers as they move around the setting. They also help each other find the correct homes for the right animal This builds on the respect staff teach children. Inspectors: Danie Brown Nicky Butler About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 140897 Address: Stoke Mandeville Hospital Mandeville Road Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP21 8BD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 11/07/1994 Registered person: Childbase Partnership Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30 Next steps Leaders should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with staff, leaders, parents and carers 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. 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 21 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 10 to 4 Total number of places 137 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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