The Wendy House Nursery

The Wendy House Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY421204
Address: Wendy House Nursery, Rydon Crescent, Cannington, BRIDGWATER, Somerset, TA5 2JT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 13/12/2010
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: The Wendy House Nursery Partnership
Inspection report: 11 March 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 achieve well, overall. Children with emerging needs make progress through tailored
support, such as to re-engage in activities, sit for a story and regulate their emotions. For
example, children show great curiosity in the story of 'Stick Man' during a group activity.
They ask meaningful questions, listening and responding in turn-taking conversations. Most
children develop the communication and language skills needed for later learning. Young
children express themselves well, for example signing that they would like 'more' snack.
Older children lead their learning and are highly motivated. For example, they communicate
clearly that they would like to paint houses next. They respond well to questions, making
decisions about what colour paint they would like. Children listen to their friends and talk
about the similarities and differences between their homes and learn the names of features,
such as 'chimney'. Children confidently talk about their creations, for example how they have
painted a bicycle in the garage.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children thrive in a calm and harmonious environment where they are clear on the
expectations for their behaviour. Children are polite and well mannered. For example, they
thank staff for their lovely lasagne, without prompting. Children participate enthusiastically in
a game of 'What is the time, Mr Wolf?' They negotiate well, ensuring that all understand the
rules. Children take turns and understand that they will get a turn to be the wolf later, waiting
patiently.
Staff think carefully how to re-engage children so that they develop a positive attitude to
their learning. For example, children are encouraged to find a desired resource to take
outside to rejoin their friends. Staff are calm and repeat instructions. For example, they help
children to share and take turns with the shapes, building collaboration and negotiation
skills. Children confidently comply because of these trusting relationships.
Leaders develop an effective attendance policy, which is well understood. They are flexible
in their approach and adapt routines successfully to help children attend. Leaders carefully
monitor any unexplained or frequent absences. They work in partnership with other
agencies to support children's regular attendance.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children build bonds with familiar adults, who know them well. Through effective
partnerships with parents and carers, staff meet children's individual care needs
successfully, particularly for the youngest children. Young children receive loving exchanges,
reassurance and comfort when unfamiliar adults enter the room. Children develop an early
understanding of health and physical wellbeing. There are lots of opportunities for children
to be outside and active. This includes weekly forestry, beach and swimming activities,
where children develop an understanding of personal safety.

Children develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Staff support children who find it
more difficult to regulate their emotions. For example, they use stories and puppets to help
children to gain a better understanding of their feelings. Staff use calm spaces well, and
agreed handovers with parents enable children to settle into routines without undue stress.
Generally, mealtimes are a social occasion with lots of opportunities to recall previous
learning and to explore their own ideas. Children eat healthily and willingly try new things.
They gain excellent independence, for example using safety knives to prepare their fruit and
refilling their water bottles from the dispenser. Young children love their food. Staff have
sensitively adapted practice so that young children do not overfill their mouths to avoid
choking.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum with careful consideration of the
context of the nursery and those children who attend, for example its rural community.
Leaders' intentions are clear. For example, they focus on children's personal, social and
emotional development and school readiness. There is an emphasis on children developing
early attachments and regulating their emotions. Staff understand that children need to feel
safe and secure before their learning can flourish. Children with emerging needs, those
learning English as an additional language and those previously known to social care
receive essential support to help them engage in nursery life.
Staff typically support children's development well and use accurate assessments to identify
children's next steps in learning. However, the quality of teaching is not yet consistent.
Occasionally, staff do not use their knowledge of children's next steps in learning to adapt
activities to help children progress even further, such as in their mathematical knowledge.
Staff have attended training and are developing these skills, for example, to be more
consistent in supporting children's communication and language skills with consistently high-
quality interactions.
Younger children thrive in a calm environment, where they develop secure attachments with
familiar adults. They develop a love for the outdoors, developing excellent physical skills.
Children confidently climb onto ride-on toys, propelling themselves on the different surfaces.
When children fall off, they brush themselves down, remount and continue unfazed, showing
great resilience.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff know children well and establish an inclusive culture, overall. They have
developed their understanding of how to support children with emerging needs and special
educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff understand children's varying starting points.
They recognise the importance of identifying children's needs through careful assessment
and putting plans in place to support them. On occasion, there is a lack of consistency in
adapting activities to meet children's next steps in learning, such as to help children in their
memory and recall of mathematical concepts.
Leaders work closely with parents and carers to use funding purposely, for example, to
provide additional outings, hot meals and different consumable materials. This enables

children to feel valued and to benefit from nursery life. Support for children who speak
English as an additional language is developing well, especially for them to feel settled and
to understand daily routines. There is effective partnership working with other agencies, for
example, to provide continued support for those children previously known to social care.
Leaders know to share emerging concerns and seek advice and support, for example, from
health visitors.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders continue to evaluate the provision for children following the previous inspection.
They continue to engage with the local authority's support team to embed training and to
provide continuously high-quality care and education for all children, including those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and carers and
share information about their children's care and learning. They promptly put strategies in
place when children's emerging needs arise. Parents feel listened to and value the support
leaders and staff offer during these times, such as ideas for home learning and consistent
behaviour strategies.
Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and where
improvements could be made. They have improved the arrangements for regular
supervision meetings and have introduced peer-on-peer observations to share effective
practice. Staff feel well supported and that their workloads are manageable. Professional
development is ongoing. Staff have attended training, and this is beginning to embed,
although there are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and interactions.
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 enjoy their time at the nursery and settle quickly to their chosen learning. Those
children who are less confident, and/or have emerging needs, receive support and
reassurance, helping them to feel safe and valued. For example, children have a calm
space on arrival with resources of interest to support them in the transition until they are
ready to join their friends. Children benefit from a well-designed curriculum and an inviting
environment, which is well resourced and supports their interests. For the most part,
children are engaged and make choices about their play.
Older children have lovely opportunities to develop their imaginations in a range of role-play
and small-world experiences. Children confidently talk about the names of their 'babies',
some of whom have new babies, or the imminent arrival of new babies, in their home. They
explain how their 'babies' are cold and need to be wrapped in a blanket, using language
well. Children hear new vocabulary and respond well to questions. They negotiate roles and
kindly work together to find play food, joking with staff.
Younger children thoroughly enjoy their time in the garden and confidently explore. Staff
supervise children well in these explorations so that children can move safely, practise their
skills and persevere in tasks. For example, children follow instructions well to climb the
steps of the small slide, watched carefully by vigilant staff. Children check in with staff and
ask for help when needed, for example to turn around at the top. Children repeat their
actions and gain confidence to have a go independently. There are many opportunities for
younger children to practise their physical skills, with staff knowing that children develop at
different rates. For example, young children climb over the tyre and receive praise. Other
children explore different ways of moving the ride-on toys, developing their gross motor skills
successfully.
Next steps
Leaders should embed recent support, guidance and training to enable consistency in
teaching and high-quality interactions.
Leaders should strengthen the use of children's next steps in learning to adapt activities
and build on children's knowledge and emerging gaps in learning more consistently.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated
safeguarding lead, staff 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

Inspector:
Rachael Williams
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY421204
Address:
Wendy House Nursery, Rydon Crescent
Cannington
BRIDGWATER
Somerset
TA5 2JT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 13/12/2010
Registered person: The Wendy House Nursery Partnership
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Somerset
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 11 March 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
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.

Total number of places
44
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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