URN EY489168 · Inspected 2026-04-28 · Published 2026-06-09 · Inspector: Sonia Panchal
The Priory Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY489168 Address: The Priory Nursery School, 20 Priory Road, High Wycombe, HP13 6SL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 26/06/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Woodside Trading Limited Inspection report: 28 April 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's achievement in personal, social and emotional development is typically steady. This reflects staff's sound understanding of the skills children need to develop before moving onto the next room. For example, babies learn to use a spoon to feed themselves, toddlers use spoons and forks with increasing confidence, and preschool children practise using a knife and fork. This progression also supports the development of children's fine motor skills. In addition, children develop their gross motor skills well, demonstrating stamina, coordination and control when riding wheeled toys and navigating large equipment, such as slides. Children with physical delays respond positively to targeted support from staff. For instance, they are encouraged to move independently between areas, such as responding to being asked to select a circular mat. They also identify it as a 'circle', reflecting their learnt mathematical vocabulary. Babies achieve particularly well across all areas of learning. However, there are times in the other rooms where staff do not consistently ensure that every child reaches their full potential. For example, when introducing new language and knowledge, such as discussing rabbits' whiskers and their purpose, staff do not always check children's understanding or support them to apply this learning. This hinders opportunities to deepen and enhance children's knowledge. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from tailored strategies that support their communication and language development. For instance, for younger children with speech delays, staff and parents and carers work together to introduce and consistently use simple sign language, such as 'Makaton'. For older children with communication needs, staff use songs linked to daily routines, helping them to understand expectations and feel secure. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children typically demonstrate a clear understanding of the setting's rules and routines. For example, they independently wash and dry their hands after using the toilet and before mealtimes, disposing of paper towels appropriately. Children take great pride in carrying out roles of responsibilities, such as counting how many children are present and then laying the table with the correct number of plates, cutlery and cups. These types of opportunities support the development of their independence and confidence effectively. In general, staff maintain high expectations for children's behaviour and act as positive role models, promoting good manners. As a result, children are polite, respectful and follow instructions well. All children behave well. Leaders have successfully fostered a calm, positive and harmonious environment. They understand the challenges some children and families face and place them at the centre of their work. For example, visual prompts, such as photos are used by parents and carers, as well as staff to support those children who need additional help to understand and follow daily routines. However, occasionally leaders and staff do not share the effective strategies with parents to continue at home to further benefit children with barriers to their learning. Children show high levels of enjoyment and engagement in their learning, particularly when enthusiastic staff actively join in their play. For instance, they laugh and giggle together when playing games, such as hide and seek in the garden, demonstrating high levels of involvement and commitment. Leaders work hard closely with parents to emphasise the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. This enables children to fully benefit from the wide range of experiences on offer. This also helps to reinforce children's understanding of the setting's routines. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard On the whole, children are supported effectively to develop their self-care skills and to understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, under the watchful eye of staff, babies independently move to the sleep room with their comforters, while older children confidently wash their hands after using the toilet. Hygiene routines are generally well embedded, and children show an emerging understanding of the importance. For instance, visits from dentists help children, staff and parents learn about effective toothbrushing techniques and the impact of less nutritious foods on oral health and overall wellbeing. These experiences support children to develop positive, life-long habits. However, although staff remind children to wipe their runny noses and dispose of tissues appropriately, staff do not consistently support children to wash their hands or use suitable antibacterial alternatives afterwards. This does not fully support children's understanding of maintaining good hygiene in these situations. Relationships between staff and children are warm, nurturing and responsive. Children feel safe and confident to seek help when needed, which supports their emotional wellbeing effectively. Staff generally help children to recognise their emotions and for those who need it, introduce strategies to support their self-regulation. However, not all staff share these effective strategies with parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, opportunities to promote a more consistent and collaborative approach to developing children's self-regulation skills are not fully realised. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have worked alongside local authority early years advisers to design and implement a revised curriculum. They have accurately identified, based on the needs of children who attend, the importance of prioritising personal, social and emotional development, as well as communication and language. This is more effectively planned and delivered for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and babies. However, despite training for all staff, some do not deliver the curriculum effectively enough to build on what children already know and can do. This is evident when learning intentions are often too broad and not precisely tailored to each child. As a result, opportunities to extend and deepen all children's learning are sometimes not recognised. For instance, some staff ask overly simple, closed questions that do not challenge children who are capable of deeper thinking, which then limits their engagement. Older children in particular, do not consistently benefit from opportunities to develop their critical thinking or to articulate their ideas in greater detail. As part of ongoing professional development training to support the implementation of the new curriculum priorities, leaders have introduced initiatives such as, 'book of the term' in each room and 'story dough' to recall aspects of the book. While staff recognise the value of helping children recall familiar stories and develop a love for reading, these approaches are still at an early stage and are not yet implemented effectively or consistently. Leaders have not yet rigorously monitored the quality of delivery or evaluated the impact of these initiatives on children's learning, in order to make improvements. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders demonstrate a sound understanding of the needs in their local community and the varying circumstances of the families they serve. They typically work with families to provide appropriate support where needed. For example, leaders establish close partnerships with the local authority to access guidance and services, particularly for those who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff work well together to identify emerging gaps in children's development promptly. In general, they use the graduated approach to provide personalised support to help reduce barriers to children's learning. For instance, for children with SEND who can find transitions challenging, staff use of visual prompts, such as photos to show where they are going to next. This strategy has proved successful, helping these children move more confidently between routines, for example when returning indoors from the garden. Similarly, parents and carers are encouraged to use photos of the setting's entrance to help children enter more confidently when arriving. However, there are times when other effective strategies are not consistently shared with parents for their children to fully benefit at the setting and at home. For example, parents are not always routinely informed about techniques they use in the setting, such as singing a handwashing song to encourage thorough hygiene practices or strategies to support children's self-regulation. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are committed to ensuring children receive a high standard of education and care. They recognise the considerable progress made in addressing actions from the last inspection. Leaders demonstrate a positive, proactive approach to their future vision. Overall, leaders work effectively with external professionals, such as local authority advisers, to help implement changes for improvement, such as devising a new curriculum. They acknowledge that further work is needed and show a firm capacity to improve this further. However, leaders are yet to develop a clear overview of the quality of staff's teaching of the revised curriculum and newly introduced interventions or their precise impact on children's learning. That said, staff typically deliver a more targeted curriculum for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities with positive results. Staff's wellbeing is given a high priority with leaders readily available to support individuals in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Staff value this ongoing support and share leaders' positive outlook about improving further. Parents and carers speak highly of leaders and staff, particularly those who have children who face barriers to learning. They appreciate the tailored support provided, which helps children feel happy, safe and engaged at the setting. While leaders and staff have demonstrated that sharing effective strategies with parents benefits these children, this collaborative approach is not yet consistently embedded. 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 are at the heart of this setting, where they and their families are warmly welcomed and valued. Children greet staff with smiles at the door, demonstrating their eagerness to start their busy day. Those who take a little longer to settle benefit from carefully planned, bespoke settling-in arrangements, which supports smooth transitions into daily routines. Transitions between rooms are also thoughtfully managed. Even the youngest children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by their previous key person and their new one. Children who were previously hesitant around unfamiliar adults grow in confidence, willingly approaching them and sharing their play. This reflects the sense of safety and security children feel. Children who face barriers to their learning benefit from leaders establishing effective partnerships with external professionals, including local authority advisers and other support services, enabling families to access appropriate guidance. This means overall children develop appropriate skills and knowledge in preparation for their eventual move to school. Typically, children make steady progress across the areas of the curriculum, particularly in personal, social and emotional development and their physical skills. For example, babies listen attentively to songs and stories read by nurturing staff, who provide comfort and reassurance when needed. This supports their emotional wellbeing and builds secure, trusting relationships. As children move freely in their rooms, they choose from a range of activities that spark their interests. They readily show a keen sense of belonging and commitment to learning. Overall, during independent play, children collaborate effectively, showing curiosity and developing their investigative skills. For instance, older children explore filling and emptying measuring cylinders with sand. They cleverly discover ways to release sand without tipping the full container, such as by inserting a spoon to displace the contents. Children benefit from first-hand experiences and recall key facts, such as remembering the different stages caterpillars go through to change into butterflies. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to emphasise the importance of regular attendance and the positive impact this has on children's ongoing development. This approach is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face disadvantage. All children are supported to learn about the local community through regular visits to places of interest, such as a local care home. This helps to promote intergenerational learning and strengthen their understanding of people from diverse backgrounds. Next steps Leaders should strengthen support and rigorously monitor all staff's practice to ensure each individual consistently delivers high-quality teaching that accelerates children's progress, particularly in extending older children's communication and language and younger children's early mathematical development. Leaders should enhance information-sharing with parents and carers, particularly for those children who face barriers to their learning to further support learning at home. Leaders should ensure staff consistently embed all hygiene practices across the provision, particularly when encouraging children to clean their noses. Inspector: Sonia Panchal About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY489168 Address: The Priory Nursery School 20 Priory Road High Wycombe HP13 6SL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 26/06/2015 Registered person: Woodside Trading Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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 28 April 2026 Children numbers About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, special educational needs coordinator, practitioners, children and parents 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. Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 45 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. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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