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Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool

Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool is a day nursery in Wallingford for children aged 0 to 4, with 172 registered places. Ofsted report card, 4 August 2026: Expected standard in 4 areas, Needs attention in 2 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Elizabeth House, Reading Road, Cholsey, Wallingford, OX10 9HA

Key facts

Type
Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
0 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
172 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
9 August 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 4 August 2026

Who runs it

Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool is run by Pitco 005 Limited (Ofsted register).

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: Needs attention
  • Leadership and governance: Needs attention
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 4 August 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' 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 practice when supporting children who face barriers to their learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What Ofsted found in each area

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

  • ensure that all foods provided to children are prepared and served in a way that reduces the risk of choking (by 24 August 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 (by 24 August 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 (by 4 September 2026)

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 4 August 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

  • Paddocks Pre-School - Day nursery, Wallingford OX10 9LT, ages 2 to 4, 32 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted report card, 20 November 2025: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Full Circle Sports WSP - Pre-school, Wallingford OX10 9RB, 1.0 miles
  • Toddler Town - Day nursery, Wallingford OX10 0BG, 25 places, 1.1 miles
  • Cholsey Pre-School - Pre-school, Wallingford OX10 9PP, ages 2 to 4, 24 places, 1.2 miles
    Ofsted, 25 November 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Rainbow Pre School - Pre-school, Wallingford OX10 8FE, ages 2 to 4, 45 places, 1.2 miles
    Ofsted, 7 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Elizabeth House Day Nursery and Preschool on the Ofsted website