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Early years · Report card

Merry Kidz Day Nursery

Inspected 14 Apr 2026 · URN EY554651

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Strong standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Strong standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Strong standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Strong standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Strong standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Merry Kidz Childcare Limited

  • Inspection datesingle source

    14 Apr 2026

  • Postcode verified

    M18 8HE

  • Name on report verified

    Merry Kidz Day Nursery

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY554651

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • AchievementStrong
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesStrong
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
  • Curriculum and teachingStrong
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+88Very positivemore positive than 86% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praiseextremelyeffectivelythriveconsistentlypositiveskilfullyexcellentrich
Criticismconcernslimitedgaps

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings1393w+90
  • Leadership345w+81
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve90w+60

Strengths

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Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,876
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 40, typical 43
Average sentence
16 words
Next steps
3
typical 3
Hedged sentences
0%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 62%Leadership 15%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 4%About the inspection 17%

Full report text

Merry Kidz Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY554651 Address: The Pineapple, Garratt Way, Manchester, Lancashire, M18 8HE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 09/02/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Merry Kidz Childcare Limited

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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.

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Achievement Strong standard

All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are disadvantaged, achieve extremely well. Practitioners quickly identify gaps and provide targeted support. Children gain a firm foundation in the prime areas of learning supported by the setting's 'golden goals'. Children are showing increasing independence and confidence, forming secure relationships and managing their feelings effectively. Children develop their physical skills, showing increasing coordination and control of their bodies through active play opportunities.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are consistently engaging in purposeful learning. They are strengthening their language and communication skills. Children demonstrate confidence as they share their knowledge of animals and enjoy discussing the differences between a hen and a chicken. Children show high levels of motivation and engagement when learning about spring through planting seeds. They sustain focus and show pride in their achievements. Children form secure early mathematical skills as they confidently create patterns with loose parts. They develop resilience and strengthen their smaller physical skills when using tongs to pick up stones. All children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders have embedded a culture that is respectful and promotes positive behaviour. Practitioners have implemented effective routines and strengthened the environment. This includes the use of calm areas to support children to begin to self-regulate and understand their emotions. Leaders have reviewed the key-person system to ensure that there are clear processes in place when a key person changes. They know the children in their care extremely well, including their current learning needs, next steps and how they are going to support each child's learning. Children settle well upon starting, and leaders work closely with families to encourage regular attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Practitioners skilfully adapt their practice to enable all children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities and those that are disadvantaged, to engage in joyful play experiences. They help all children to play together harmoniously. Practitioners are excellent role models for children. They teach children about respect and how to care for others. Children develop extremely positive attitudes to learning. For example, they eagerly share the eggs for making dinner and take turns using the spray bottles to water the seeds.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Key persons have developed nurturing relationships with the children in their care. Practitioners give explicit praise to children, recognising their efforts, thoughts and contributions. For example, when children take part in circle time, practitioners praise them for sharing their ideas. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have a comprehensive understanding of the community and the children attending the setting. Leaders and practitioners place a high emphasis on children's emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging in the setting. Leaders train practitioners around the expectations of the key persons. This ensures that practitioners have a secure understanding of their role. Practitioners form secure attachments with children, which supports them to settle quickly in the setting. For example, when children arrive, they happily greet practitioners, hanging their bags and coats before joining their friends to play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that children have healthy meals and snacks. Practitioners are vigilant and actively supervise when children are eating and going to sleep. Practitioners support children to understand how to keep themselves safe, including babies. For example, babies respond positively as practitioners encourage them to finish what they are eating before they reach for more fruit. Practitioners encourage children to be independent through daily care routines, such as toddlers wiping their own noses and encouraging babies to wash their hands before snack. Leaders and practitioners support initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles, including oral care, and have received awards from the council for their engagement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners have created an inclusive and respectful setting where diversity is celebrated and children and parents and/or carers are valued. Leaders provide opportunities for children and practitioners to share their culture through cultural days and resources.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have created a curriculum that specifically meets the needs of children and the community. They use the abbreviation 'ABC', standing for 'Active, Belong and Confidence', as the basis of their curriculum. Leaders and practitioners have clearly embedded this curriculum through the day-to-day activities and experiences for children. Pre-school children happily plant seeds for their garden, and toddlers play in small groups, developing their social skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners design a curriculum that is clearly sequenced using 'golden goals'. These are tailored goals to meet the specific ages and stages of development of all children. Leaders and practitioners ensure that the activities build on what children know and can do. For example, they play alongside toddlers making 'tea' for a 'tiger', modelling new vocabulary. This helps children to widen their language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Practitioners respond to children swiftly and use rich language through stories and activities. Children engage with joy and excitement. For example, practitioners use tone, intonation and facial expressions to bring stories to life, creating enthusiasm and excitement for learning. Practitioners consistently follow children's interests to skilfully extend their emerging language and thinking. They introduce rich vocabulary, such as 'juicy' and 'crunchy', during play and adapt activities as children's focus moves. For example, children explore fruit in the role-play area and then transfer this to the water play. Staff maintain a clear focus on supporting language. Practitioners adapt their practice based on the needs of the children. For example, they support children who speak English as an additional language by using visual cards and key words. Practitioners that speak the same language support learning and communication with parents and/or carers, where possible.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners have clear processes to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They assess children's needs effectively, identifying barriers to learning, and create individual plans. Practitioners successfully implement plans that support children's learning and development. For example, they consistently use objects of reference to help children to make choices, picture lanyards and visual routine boards to support children's understanding of what is happening next. Practitioners create inclusive spaces to support children's sensory needs, such as calming areas with a variety of sensory materials and equipment. Leaders and practitioners work effectively with parents and hold regular Team Around the Child meetings. They work with other agencies to ensure that there is appropriate support for children. Leaders and practitioners review individual plans on a termly basis to ensure that they continue to meet children's specific needs. They review the

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Inclusion Strong standard

impact of the plans and how well children are making progress, adapting strategies where needed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders reduce barriers to learning by using the early years pupil premium effectively. They use this to buy specific resources or to cover the cost for meals at the setting. Leaders support children who are disadvantaged through the many initiatives that they access for the setting. These include being part of the pilot scheme for a programme to support children's fundamental movement skills. This training is impacting positively on children's physical development, increasing their confidence in their own abilities. Furthermore, practitioners have gained deeper understanding of how to support the physical development of younger children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The leadership and governance team has a clear and ambitious vision for the setting and for making a difference in the local community. Leaders have made significant changes to how they empower their team and have refined systems and processes since the last inspection. Leaders have reviewed and implemented changes to support the effectiveness of the key- person system, including training for practitioners and in handover processes for parents. Leaders have also strengthened the practice around documenting medical needs and administering medication to children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners are passionate and committed to the setting, children and community. They ensure that children, particularly those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who are disadvantaged, receive high-quality education to give them the best start in life.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have created a culture of continuous improvement and learning in the setting. This is having a positive impact on practitioners' confidence and morale. Leaders ensure that professional learning is tailored to meet the needs of individual practitioners. They take part in a variety of professional learning initiatives that support children's movement, understanding of equality, language and social skills. Practitioners use this learning to adapt their practice and implement new activities to support children's learning in these areas. Leaders support and follow up professional learning effectively to ensure consistency of practice. This includes video recording practice and regular support from the local authority adviser.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders work effectively with parents and/or carers, encouraging them to be an active part of the setting. They provide opportunities for parents to read stories to children and borrow library books and learning packs so that learning can continue at home. Leaders have developed learning programmes to support parents and the community, such as 'Merry Kidz Together'. This provides parents with support and opportunities to connect on a social media platform to share their learning and knowledge of SEND with a wider community. Leaders have developed successful relationships with external agencies to support children with SEND. This ensures that children with SEND have tailored and effective support plans in place alongside expert guidance for practitioners.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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

Children experience a setting that brings joy to their learning. They laugh and giggle as they read stories with an animated practitioner. Children engage in rich learning opportunities that are thoughtful and interactive. They are immersed in learning and eager to take part in all activities. Children are confident and capable. They confidently lead their own learning, and practitioners skilfully use these moments to seamlessly weave in all areas of learning through their play. For example, children learn about counting through stacking and weighing stones. Children achieve extremely well from their starting points.

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

Children have a secure sense of belonging in the setting. They are welcomed warmly by caring practitioners who know them extremely well. Children share their culture through events and are proud of their heritage. They play together well, taking turns and sharing resources. Children and their parents and/or carers are valued and contribute to the life of the setting through events such as reading stories to children.

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

Children thrive in a setting where practitioners meet their needs and offer a range of opportunities to learn and grow. They spend their time playing, engaging alongside practitioners who are passionate and caring. Children are happy, settled and eager to learn.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that there is continued reflection on the setting's successful work within the community to remove barriers to children's learning and wellbeing so they continue to thrive.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator and parents during the inspection.

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About this 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. Anna Marshall

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Address:

The Pineapple Garratt Way Manchester Lancashire M18 8HE

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Merry Kidz Childcare Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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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.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. 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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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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