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Early Years at Natures Nook

Early Years at Natures Nook is a pre-school in Chester for children aged 2 to 4, with 57 registered places. Ofsted report card, 9 July 2026: Expected standard in 5 areas, Needs attention in 1 area; safeguarding standards met.

Lache County Junior & Infant School, Hawthorn Road, Chester, CH4 8HX

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
2 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
57 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
28 April 2025 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday : 09:00 - 15:00,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:30,Friday : 08:00 - 12:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 9 July 2026

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Expected standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
  • Achievement: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance: Needs attention
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 9 July 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders have not notified Ofsted of a change to the committee members as required. This means that all of the required suitability checks have not been completed. However, an enhanced criminal records check has been completed and this lessens the impact for children.

Children arrive happy, settled and ready to engage. Staff create a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment where children feel valued and respected. Staff know children well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. They gather information from parents to understand children's individual needs and interests. Children build strong attachments with their key person, which ensures they feel safe and secure. Children confidently explore the thoughtfully organised environments and make choices in their play.

Children enjoy learning and confidently join in conversations with staff. Staff promote early mathematics effectively as children count, name shapes and identify colours during activities. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning receive timely and targeted support. This ensures all children make typical progress.

Children develop their social skills through a range of activities and experiences. They learn to take turns, share resources and communicate their ideas with peers and adults. For example, children invite others to join their play as they roll a ball back and forth. Children are kind and considerate to each other. Staff model good manners well. Children understand rules and follow them independently. Leaders work with children's families to manage their attendance and to develop solid foundations for future learning.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create an inclusive environment for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know children well and typically adapt teaching in the moment to meet individual needs. They use ongoing assessment to identify potential gaps in learning. Staff work in partnership with parents, carers and other agencies. They create individual plans to support children's next steps in learning and development.

Staff know how to support children who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, including SEND and those known to children's social care. Leaders seek advice from relevant external professionals and implement strategies to support individual children. For example, staff use communication cards to help children understand what is coming next. This helps children to anticipate what is happening next and regulate their emotions. Leaders work well with parents to ensure a consistent approach and to make sure children are supported at the right time.

Children's emotional wellbeing is prioritised. Staff create calm, nurturing spaces such as 'The Snug', where children can settle and feel secure. They also use simple regulation strategies, including breathing exercises before group activities. This helps children to manage their emotions and engage positively in learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery community. They use this information to develop an ambitious curriculum with a clear focus on developing the skills that children need for the next stage in their learning. Staff share a clear vision of what they want children to know and do. Generally, this is implemented well. However, teaching is not yet fully consistent across the nursery. At times, staff miss opportunities to deepen children's thinking, and the quality of experiences varies between groups. For example, staff do not always use open-ended questions to allow children to think for themselves.

The curriculum is rooted in nurturing relationships and responds directly to children's interests. Children make their own choices in their learning and are keen to play and explore. Staff support children to build on their communication and language skills. They introduce new vocabulary as they play alongside children. For example, children learn to 'twist and turn' as they complete the puzzles.

Children show a real love of stories. Staff use a range of props as they read to help children remain engaged and focused. Staff use opportunities throughout the story to pause and allow children to join in with the words that they know. Staff use assessment well to check what children know and can do, typically tailoring experiences to build on their learning. Parents receive regular updates about their children's progress.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make steady progress in their development from their starting points. Children are confident and motivated learners who engage positively in a range of experiences across the curriculum. Children show perseverance in their play.

Children develop communication skills as staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and encourage meaningful conversations throughout the day. For instance, staff sit alongside and supervise children during mealtimes and engage in meaningful conversations.

Children show physical strength and coordination as they search for insects and dig outside in the sand. They develop the required muscles and hand-eye coordination needed for later writing. Children demonstrate growing independence and social confidence throughout the day. For example, they put on their own shoes before going into the garden. On some occasions, children fetch their own, and sometimes their friends', water bottles when they need a drink.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders set clear expectations for behaviour and routines across the setting. Staff model positive behaviour and support children to understand what is expected. For example, staff model turn-taking during group activities, such as when children roll a ball to one another and say each other's names. Children respond positively, sharing toys and taking turns with guidance and age-appropriate support from staff when needed.

Staff offer calm, timely reminders to help children understand how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they remind children to use their 'walking feet' indoors to support safe movement around the nursery. Children respond well to praise and encouragement, showing pride in their achievements and a growing awareness of how their actions affect those around them.

Staff are good role models and get to know the children well and understand their needs and individual areas for development. Children form secure attachments with the kind and caring staff. This helps children to develop a sense of security and confidence. Leaders work closely with families to support attendance and help them develop routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children develop secure and responsive relationships with staff. Staff prioritise children's welfare and emotional wellbeing. For example, staff encourage children to take part in breathing exercises before story time. This helps children to regulate their emotions and prepare for calm, focused learning.

Children enjoy their mealtimes and are becoming increasingly independent. Staff sit alongside them during snack, promoting self-help skills as children pour their own drinks and spread butter on their toast. Children learn about healthy eating and the importance of staying hydrated. Staff strengthen this understanding by linking experiences to familiar stories. This helps children make meaningful connections in their learning. Children deepen their understanding of where food comes from by growing their own vegetables in the nursery allotment. They work with the local supermarket to learn about the journey food takes from farm to shelf.

Staff carry out daily checks in all parts of the nursery, indoors and outdoors, to reduce risks of hazards. They teach children how to act in safe ways. Children understand how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they know to wear sun hats when playing outdoors.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have not notified Ofsted of a change to the committee members, as required. This prevents Ofsted from completing the necessary suitability checks. As an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained, the impact on children is reduced. Leaders understand their responsibilities to ensure those working with the children have the necessary checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. They have systems in place to ensure the suitability of all staff and volunteers.

Leaders understand the importance of working with parents and external professionals to ensure that the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to children's social care are fully met. This helps reduce barriers to children's learning and supports children to make progress.

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the strengths of the nursery and identify clear priorities for development. They prioritise staff training and development to ensure all staff and volunteers have access to ongoing professional development. All staff complete mandatory training, including safeguarding and paediatric first aid. Leaders place a high priority on ensuring the wellbeing of staff and are mindful of workload demands. Staff comment that they enjoy working at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • improve knowledge and understanding of what must be notified to Ofsted, particularly in relation to changes in members of the governing body. (by 30 July 2026)

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 9 July 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • St Clares Pre School - Pre-school, Lache CH4 8HX, ages 2 to 11, 32 places, under 0.1 miles
    Ofsted, 26 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • CEPD at St Clare's - Pre-school, Chester CH4 8HX, under 0.1 miles
  • CEPD at Lache - Pre-school, Caer CH4 8HX, under 0.1 miles
  • Olive tree preschool - Day nursery, Chester CH4 8EY, ages 0 to 4, 40 places, under 0.1 miles
    Ofsted report card, 13 March 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Belgrave Pre-School Playgroup - Pre-school, Chester CH4 7QS, ages 2 to 4, 30 places, 0.4 miles
    Ofsted, 25 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Early Years at Natures Nook on the Ofsted website