Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool

Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool
Unique reference number (URN): 2799637
Address: Elizabeth House, Reading Road, Cholsey, Wallingford, OX10 9HA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 09/08/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Pitco 005 Limited
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 are often curious and confident. They demonstrate a positive attitude towards their
learning. They typically select activities independently and are learning to become resilient
and persevere to achieve their desired outcomes. For instance, babies respond well to
encouragement to hold one hand, rather than two, when walking with staff. Older children
access different cutting implements until they are successful in removing unwanted parts of
paper or card when crafting. These skills combine to help prepare children for their next
stage in learning, including eventually starting school.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities use visual resources and simple
sign language to support communication. This successfully supports children to become
effective communicators.
Generally, children achieve well from their starting points. They gain positive personal and
social skills, forming trusting bonds with their key person and firm friendships with other
children.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children typically demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. Older children
know to wash their hands before eating and to line up when it is time to go out to the
garden. Younger children are encouraged to put books back onto shelves when they have
finished with them. These activities help children to develop some independence skills. At
other times, however, staff complete tasks without recognising the opportunities to
encourage children to master these skills themselves.
In general, staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They act as positive role
models, promoting good manners and empathy. As a result, children are polite and treat
others with kindness and respect. For example, children share tweezers willingly when
collecting items from the water tray and take turns to speak and offer their ideas about how
to make models from recycled materials.
Staff know children well and make adaptations to support them in their engagement. When
some children struggle to join in with large group activities, staff offer alternatives, such as
playing a game or sharing a book. Leaders and staff have established positive relationships
with families. They work closely with parents to ensure that children attend the setting
regularly. This helps children to build strong links with their key person and gain confidence.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
In general, leaders design an engaging curriculum that sparks children's curiosity. Staff work
closely with parents and use observations to identify what children already know and can
do. When appropriate, adaptations to activities, resources or practice are made to support
children who face barriers to their learning. For instance, staff engage in targeted work to

Needs attention
support children to regulate their emotions, using books and props in small groups. This
helps children to learn how to play more harmoniously with others.
Staff typically support children's communication and language development well. They
narrate children's play and ask pertinent questions. Staff use stories and songs to
encourage early literacy skills. Babies babble with delight in the 2-way conversations that
they have with staff, and staff provide mirrors to encourage interactions and explore facial
expressions. Older children develop a love for books, often asking staff to share these with
them. However, there is a degree of inconsistency in the quality of staff interactions with
children at these time. Some staff are more confident than others in engaging children and
extending their learning. This does not fully promote children's speaking and listening skills.
Children are sociable and respectful to each other and staff alike. They have lots of fun
when being physically active in the large outdoor spaces. They skilfully navigate climbing
equipment and throw and catch balls. This helps to support their strength and coordination.
Mathematical development is well supported. Staff weave mathematical language and ideas
into children's play. They talk about how 'full' or 'empty' containers are, and count bricks as
they build towers. Babies enjoy bobbing along as staff sing simple number rhymes.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff typically provide a welcoming and inclusive environment. They identify the
needs of all children swiftly and effectively, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities, those known to children's social care and those facing barriers to their
learning. Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate training and support to help them to
identify individuals who require adaptations to the provision and ensure that all children
benefit from equal access to the nursery.
Staff use observations and assessments to identify next steps and any potential gaps in
what children know and can do. Staff work in close partnership with parents and other
professionals to share strategies and seek advice from specialists when required. Leaders
and staff generally monitor children's development and the impact of any interventions in
place over time. This helps them to ensure that all children are making progress and to
determine whether further adjustments may be needed to children's individual support plans.
Staff celebrate children's uniqueness and teach them about different cultures and
celebrations. This helps children to respect and value diversity. Leaders make parents
aware of any additional funding that could be accessed for eligible children. They
understand that this funding is to be used appropriately to provide identified children with
new experiences and reduce any barriers to learning that they may face.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Although relevant policies and procedures are in place, these are not always implemented
well enough by staff to consistently support children's wellbeing, particularly during free play

and at mealtimes. Staff are deployed well at these times but do not provide children with all
the support they need while they are eating. For example, food for pre-school children is not
cut into appropriate-sized pieces, or children are asked to do this for themselves to prevent
choking. In addition, at times, staff are not clear about the potential risks to children during
play. For example, this includes the potential to trip over discarded toys. Leaders understand
their responsibility in relation to protecting children from abuse and neglect. They know how
to report concerns about children's welfare and wellbeing.
Staff understand and implement safe-sleeping practices for babies and children. They
provide nutritious meals and implement secure hygiene practices. Older children know the
importance of washing their hands and tell staff that it is to 'wash the germs away'.
Staff support children in being physically active, inside and out, with a wide variety of age-
appropriate climbing and balancing apparatus. They form secure relationships with children
who come to them for reassurance when required. Children facing barriers to their learning
are offered adaptations to ensure that their wellbeing is prioritised and that they obtain equal
access to the provision.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders' oversight and assessment of the provision and staff practice are not yet robust
enough. They do not have an accurate understanding of where improvements are needed to
further support children's safety and experiences within the setting. Leaders have not
recognised gaps in the knowledge of some staff, or in the effectiveness of some practices.
For example, they have not identified the need to ensure that all staff understand how to
identify risks to children during free-play. They have also not taken effective action to
address weaknesses in the arrangements to promote children's safety at mealtimes.
Staff wellbeing is prioritised. Staff feel valued, supported and report that their workload is
manageable. For example, leaders ensure that staff have the time they need to complete
personalised plans for children who need them. Leaders provide training to help staff to
improve their delivery of the curriculum. Staff welcome these opportunities for their
professional development.
Leaders communicate effectively with a range of external professionals, such as health
professionals and the local authority. This helps them to secure additional, expert support for
children and their families when required. Leaders promote respectful relationships across
the nursery, with all staff demonstrating warm and positive interactions with 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
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Leaders' oversight of the provision is not fully effective. There are weaknesses in the
organisation of some arrangements, including the supervision of children, and the
preparation of snacks and meals, that impact on children's safety and wellbeing. In addition,
staff do not consistently manage risks to children. As a result, there are times when children
play and learn in areas where potential hazards have not been identified and removed. For
example, discarded toys and resources remain on the floor for prolonged periods, making it
difficult for children to navigate the space safely.
Overall, leaders and staff successfully promote children's learning. Children arrive
enthusiastically at the nursery and are welcomed warmly by staff. Babies enjoy cuddles with
their key person while older children readily join in with their friends, settling swiftly. Children
enjoy their time at the nursery and generally play happily with each other. Staff form warm
and positive relationships with children, ensuring they feel secure and gain confidence over
time. Babies and children facing barriers to their learning particularly benefit from the flexible
settling-in arrangements that leaders offer. Children make sound progress during their time
at the setting and are typically well prepared for their onward journey to school.
Staff know the children well and gather valuable information from parents to help new
children to settle and gain a sense of belonging. Staff work effectively across the rooms to
support children's transitions and ensure that they are ready for their next stage of
development. Leaders and staff work collaboratively with parents, the local authority and
other professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This helps them to refine their

Inspectors:
Zoe Abraham
Tara Naylor
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2799637
practice when supporting children who face barriers to their learning, such as special
educational needs and/or disabilities.
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
ensure that all foods provided to children are prepared
and served in a way that reduces the risk of choking
24/08/2026
implement effective risk assessments, to ensure that all
hazards are identified, minimised and managed
effectively, to ensure all areas of the nursery are safe
for children
24/08/2026
improve the arrangements to identify when staff would
benefit from targeted support and mentoring to more
effectively promote children's safety, wellbeing and
learning
04/09/2026
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke to leaders, staff, parents 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.

Address:
Elizabeth House
Reading Road, Cholsey
Wallingford
OX10 9HA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 09/08/2024
Registered person: Pitco 005 Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Oxfordshire
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
0 to 4
Total number of places
172
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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