Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Achievement verified
Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified
Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
- Inclusion verified
Strong standard
- Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
- Framework verified
Report card
- Group verified
First Footsteps Hub Ltd
- Inspection datesingle source
12 May 2026
- Inspectors verified
Kerry Maddock
- Postcode verified
L11 1BG
- Name on report verified
First Footsteps Hub Ltd
- Safeguarding verified
Met
- URN verified
2772318
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.
- AchievementExpected
- Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
- Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
- Curriculum and teachingExpected
- InclusionStrong
- Leadership and governanceExpected
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Staff report that they are happy and feel very well supported in their roles. p.4
- As a result, children flourish in a setting where they are well supported and encouraged to achieve their individual potential. p.4
- As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and confidence in their environment, and they develop a strong sense of belonging. p.3
- Consequently, they thrive in an inclusive environment that prioritises kindness, health and emotional security. p.2
- Leaders and staff are warm, calm and caring. p.3
Concerns
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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.
Leadership & governance17
“Leaders and staff are warm, calm and caring.” p.3
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 8
- Words of findings
- 1,559
- about usual (typical 1698)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 45, typical 43
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 2
- typical 3
- Hedged sentences
- 3%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
First Footsteps Hub Ltd
Unique reference number (URN): 2772318 Address: Rankin Hall Day Nursery, Lorenzo Drive, LIVERPOOL, L11 1BG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 18/03/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: First Footsteps Hub Ltd
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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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted consistently through thoughtful care practices and a culture that values every child's uniqueness. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those known to social care, receive tailored support that gives them the personal, social and emotional resilience to succeed.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff understand that not all children have the same opportunities and ensure that they provide the children in their care with a wide range of experiences. For example, children benefit from an exciting outdoor space where they can ride bikes, climb on large apparatus and play team games such as football. This helps to support children's developing physical skills and provides a safe space for children to run freely.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children are developing their emotional literacy. They are supported to recognise and manage their emotions. For example, children learn about 'The Colour Monster' and talk about how they feel. Staff and children chat together, discussing what makes them happy or sad and how their actions make others feel. This helps children to develop the emotional language they need to express themselves.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children are developing their independence skills and building the knowledge they need to keep themselves healthy. They understand the differences between healthy and unhealthy foods and the importance of physical exercise. Consequently, they thrive in an inclusive environment that prioritises kindness, health and emotional security.
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Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders have established a strong culture of inclusion where every child's needs are recognised, valued and acted upon. From the earliest stages, staff identify and support children's starting points with care and precision. They use tailored assessment tools to ensure that those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those known to social care receive the individualised support that they need to succeed. Children benefit from a systematic approach, ensuring they receive the right level of support at the right time.
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Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff work very closely with families and external professionals. They use their advice to make adaptations to their practice and to routines. This helps to reduce barriers to participation and promotes wellbeing.
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Inclusion Strong standard
Additional funding is used thoughtfully to support individuals and groups where possible. For example, the purchase of a sensory tent allows children to have a quiet space where they can go to regulate and calm when they become overwhelmed. Leaders monitor the impact of funding, reviewing outcomes to ensure resources make a measurable difference.
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Expected standard
Leaders have created strong partnerships with families. Parents comment that the staff are 'heroes' and express their gratitude for the high levels of kindness and support provided.
p.3
Achievement Expected standard
All children make progress from their starting points across all areas of the curriculum. Staff monitor and assess children's development systematically and provide them with a range of experiences to build on what they know and can do. However, the differences in staff teaching mean that children do not always receive the high-quality interactions they need to ensure they make the best possible progress.
p.3
Achievement Expected standard
Children form firm friendships and build their social skills through play. They are learning to be independent and take pride in doing things for themselves. For example, children are eager to hang up their own bags and put on their coats when it is time to play outside. This helps children to be ready for the eventual move to school.
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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff are warm, calm and caring. They act as positive role models for children. Children play together cooperatively and generally behave well. Staff encourage children to say please and thank you and remind them to share and take turns. Routines are set out for children and are typically followed, providing children with a sense of security and structure. On occasion, staff do not consistently apply agreed routines and boundaries, which can limit children's secure understanding of expectations.
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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders promote attendance and punctuality. They work closely with families, reinforcing expectations and offering support where barriers arise, ensuring disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care are supported to maintain routines. Staff adapt their approach carefully to meet children's age, stage of development and individual needs. As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and confidence in their environment, and they develop a strong sense of belonging.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed a broad and well-organised curriculum that is logically sequenced to reflect children's individual needs and stages of development. This promotes children's growing confidence, capability and independence. The teaching of mathematics is a particular strength of the setting. Staff use the environment, routines and activities to provide children with opportunities to count and identify colours and shapes. For example, staff carefully encourage children to think about what makes a slice of watermelon a triangle. Together, staff and children count the 3 sides and then compare it to a square with 4 sides. This helps to support critical thinking and children's understanding of mathematical concepts. Children develop a love of literacy. They thoroughly enjoy singing songs and joining in action rhymes, and they delight as they use puppets and props to retell their favourite stories. Staff
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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
prioritise children's language development. They repeat key words and use open questions to build on two-way conversations. At times, staff do not implement the curriculum consistently. For example, activities are not scaffolded sufficiently to challenge individual children's learning. As a result, children do not fully benefit from staff's teaching. Leaders are currently supporting newer staff to build their teaching skills and the implementation of the curriculum.
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Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are passionate about their roles and the setting. They show commitment to meeting the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage and to improving the lives of all children. They have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and address areas identified for improvement. Leaders review the setting regularly and seek ways to enhance practice and provision. Decisions are consistently made in the best interests of children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are known to social care or face other barriers to learning and wellbeing.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leadership stability supports strong staff retention and consistency for children. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that staff are suitable for their roles. Thorough inductions ensure that staff gain the skills, knowledge and confidence that they need to fulfil their roles from the outset. Staff report that they are happy and feel very well supported in their roles.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders support families extremely well. They support parents with the implementation of routines and positive behaviour strategies, and they provide ideas of how to continue learning at home. They work with local charitable organisations and signpost parents to initiatives, such as those that support children's good health.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Partnerships with external agencies are strong. Leaders and staff ensure that all children receive targeted and coordinated support that reduces barriers and promotes inclusion. Information is shared effectively, and parents feel valued as partners in their child's learning journey. As a result, children flourish in a setting where they are well supported and encouraged to achieve their individual potential.
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children flourish at this small and homely setting. They are greeted by kind and nurturing staff, hang up their bags and run off eagerly to play with their friends. Key people know their children well and prepare activities that follow their interests. Children are curious learners and thoroughly enjoy engaging in sensory play. For example, they squeal and laugh as they use magnifying glasses to find different bugs buried in the sand tray.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff implement activities and experiences that support learning across all areas of the curriculum. Generally, staff build on what children know and can do and support children's developing language skills well. For example, they will repeat words that children say and introduce new words into activities to build children's vocabularies. For example, during story time, children talk about life cycles and how the caterpillar is creating a cocoon. However, the quality of interactions is variable. This means that not all children receive the same levels of teaching. Leaders are aware of this and have a plan in place to address this and raise the quality of teaching.
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children generally behave well. They are reminded to take turns and to share resources. Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are generally dealt with quickly. However, not all staff set clear boundaries for positive behaviour. This means that children do not always understand what is expected of them or the consequences of their actions.
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
Inclusion is at the heart of this setting. Staff value children's individual differences and understand their unique learning needs. They make adaptations so that every child can participate in all aspects of the setting, helping every child to have a strong sense of belonging. Staff work tirelessly to ensure that every family feels supported and engages very well with other professionals. They provide daily feedback and update parents regularly on their child's development.
p.5
Next steps
Leaders should develop and implement effective systems to ensure that inconsistencies in teaching and practice are swiftly addressed. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand and consistently implement strategies that support and promote positive behaviour.
p.5
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with parents, children, leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs coordinator 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
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Address:
Rankin Hall Day Nursery Lorenzo Drive LIVERPOOL L11 1BG
p.6
Address:
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
p.6
Address:
Registered person: First Footsteps Hub Ltd
p.6
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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2 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.
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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.
p.7
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.
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Urgent improvement
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 . 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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