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Early years · Report card

Tops Bretonside

Inspected 12 May 2026 · URN EY562852

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Sarah Roberts

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Expected standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Expected standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Expected standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Expected standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Expected standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Expected standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Tops Day Nursery Limited

  • Inspection datesingle source

    12 May 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Sarah Roberts

  • Postcode verified

    PL4 0EA

  • Name on report verified

    Tops Bretonside

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY562852

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.

  • AchievementExpected
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected
  • Curriculum and teachingExpected
  • InclusionExpected
  • Leadership and governanceExpected

Tone of the report

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

+85Very positivemore positive than 79% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisepositiveenjoyeffectivehigh expectationsexcellenthappywarmrespectful
Criticismconcernslimitedgapsnot yet

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
  • Findings1215w+86
  • Leadership186w+86
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve95w+60

Strengths

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

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
1,547
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 40, typical 43
Average sentence
17 words
Next steps
4
typical 3
Hedged sentences
2%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 58%Leadership 9%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 5%About the inspection 26%

Full report text

Tops Bretonside

Unique reference number (URN): EY562852 Address: 30 Looe Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 0EA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/08/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Tops Day Nursery Limited

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points, including those who face barriers to their learning. They gain important skills in areas such as their personal, social and emotional development and their communication and language. They learn to take turns and develop early negotiation skills that are vital for collaborative learning. Children build confidence in their play and can use appropriate vocabulary that allows them to socially interact with each other and make friends.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children build on their physical development in a variety of ways. They develop gross motor strength outdoors, balancing, running and climbing. Older children particularly enjoy weekly football sessions. Younger children refine their fine motor skills while mixing flour and water, and older children pretend to write shopping lists.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's confidence and willingness to try new tasks is boosted by the praise and encouragement they receive at appropriate times. This means children are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The nursery provides a happy environment where warm, respectful relationships help children feel secure. Children demonstrate kindness and respect for others, showing the impact of leader's focus on nurturing positive relationships and building self-confidence. Staff frequently praise children for both their effort and achievement; this helps children to be resilient and motivated to learn.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Expectations for behaviour are high. Staff model positive interactions and encourage turn taking and cooperative play. They take opportunities as they arise during children's play to actively teach these skills. For example, at lunch time, staff support children to have back and forth conversations, making sure each child is heard and their thoughts and ideas acknowledged.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally follow the routines of the setting, and transitions between activities are well managed and usually calm. At times, routines could be further strengthened by the consistent use of strategies that support all children to understand expectations and the next part of their day. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to promote regular, punctual attendance. They take time to understand each family's context and put tailored plans in place to remove barriers. Their proactive approach ensures children benefit fully from the curriculum and daily routines.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a 'home-from-home' environment where children feel emotionally safe and relationships are respectful and warm. They have designed flexible and robust settling-in procedures tailored to individual needs. Settle sessions are carefully planned, meaning trusting relationships between staff, children and families develop swiftly.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

There is an effective key-person system in place. Staff know their key children well and respond to their changing needs. For example, in the baby room, staff work closely with parents to support weaning to ensure babies in their care have a positive experience when trying new foods. Sleep and hygiene routines are well planned and organised for all children. Leaders understand current nutritional guidance and recognise how a healthy diet strengthens children's learning and wellbeing. They work closely with parents to identify practical changes that improve the quality of children's diets. This has had a positive impact on the food children choose and enjoy eating and builds healthy habits for the future. Leaders actively promote good oral health, and children brush their teeth every day at nursery. They also benefit from a local initiative identified by leaders that provides each child with a toothbrush and toothpaste to take home.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff focus on helping children become independent from an early age. Staff regularly take children out in the local environment, including walks to the nearby lighthouse. This not only supports physical development, but also gives children opportunities to learn about road safety and to understand risks in the wider community.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum's quality. They have acted since the last inspection to build staff confidence to recognise and embrace mathematical learning opportunities as they occur in play. For example, staff in all rooms consistently take opportunities to count and say number names in order. They use their fingers to show quantity and children copy this, helping them to secure early number knowledge.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is clearly sequenced and offers children opportunities to develop skills across all seven areas of learning. There is a sharp focus on developing children's communication and language. Staff skilfully adapt their language to meet the needs of different ages and stages, helping children make good progress in understanding and using vocabulary. Children of all ages demonstrate a love of books. Babies take books to adults to share. Toddlers use familiar story language as they select and stick pictures from 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. Older children incorporate favourite stories into their imaginative play.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's physical development is prioritised through access to well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas, and by using the local environment to extend learning about the community and wider world. Leaders and staff adapt the curriculum for children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. This ensures all children can play and learn alongside their peers.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders recognise the different needs of children and families in their community and have high expectations for children's learning and development. They use individual-inclusion funding to increase adult support and improve ratios because they understand how high- quality interactions benefit all children and particularly those that face barriers to their learning. They make effective use of additional funding, such as disability access funding, to provide resources that support children at a targeted and individual level.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Staff assess children's progress regularly, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who speak English as an additional language, and those facing other barriers to learning. As a result, staff identify gaps in learning promptly. Staff show a clear understanding of the graduated approach. They use assessment effectively to identify children's needs and plan targeted interventions. However, some strategies to support children with SEND, such as the consistent use of visual prompts, are not yet fully developed or embedded across the setting. This means that not all children benefit from these approaches.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with a wide range of professionals and organisations. They ensure staff access tailored training that reflects the needs of their community, strengthening their knowledge and expertise. For example, staff take part in targeted speech and language groups, delivered by a speech and language therapist; this enhances staff adult child interaction skills and supports the development of vocabulary. Leaders work with parents, other professionals and local schools to ensure that all children have a positive transition to full-time education, including those with SEND and EAL and those facing other barriers to their learning.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a professional and reflective approach. They know their staff, families and children well and have an excellent understanding of the setting context and how it serves the local community. They have an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for development. Action taken since the last inspection has had a positive impact on children's mathematical learning. As a leadership team, leaders are still seeking to further embed and evolve their curriculum to meet the changing needs of their children and families.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have robust systems in place for staff wellbeing and staff comment positively about working in the setting. Leaders actively encourage them to engage in professional development opportunities that both link to their interests and the needs of children. Leaders have high expectations for all children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Communication with parents is effective. Leaders have implemented systems for sharing information which ensures children's learning and development are prioritised and celebrated in the setting and at home. This helps parents and carers feel confident about their children's development and fosters their sense of belonging at the nursery.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

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

p.5

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.

p.5

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 are happy and enjoy coming to this nursery. They settle quickly and achieve well. They enjoy learning and feel confident exploring a curriculum that provokes curiosity and responds to their interests and needs. For example, older children independently apply their creativity to a mathematical sorting activity by creating a rainbow with the colourful resources. Staff interact skilfully with children while they play, celebrating their achievements and validating their unique strengths. This helps children understand themselves as capable learners who make steady progress from their different starting points.

p.5

Address:

30 Looe Street Plymouth Children benefit from well established yet flexible routines that help them feel confident, eager to learn and secure in their sense of belonging. They learn how to keep themselves safe and are supported to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyle choices. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, show that they feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. They confidently seek comfort and reassurance from warm, caring staff, who respond sensitively, soothe them and support them to settle. Children and their families feel welcomed into the nursery community. Staff work closely with parents, recognising the barriers families may face and adapting provision to meet the needs of each child. This flexible and supportive approach helps children to thrive and ensures families feel understood, valued and well supported.

p.6

Address:

Children's uniqueness is celebrated every day, and practitioners embrace their interests to deepen learning and spark joy. Whether encouraging babies to walk, or helping toddlers to balance in the garden, staff nurture confidence and independence that allow every child to flourish.

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all staff consistently use effective strategies to support every child to communicate, interact and understand the setting's daily routines. This will further promote engagement and enjoyment in learning all children.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, leaders, staff and parents during the inspection.

p.6

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. Devon PL4 0EA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

About this inspection

Registered person: Tops Day Nursery Limited

p.7

About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Needs attention

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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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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