Nanny Bears The Old Stables

Nanny Bears

Unique reference number (URN): 2765655 Address: The Old Stables, 85 Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5ED Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/12/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Nanny Bears Childcare 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 consistently promoted through thoughtful, individualised practice, placing them at the heart of the setting. Excellent key-person relationships help children to feel safe, confident and ready to learn. Practitioners know children extremely well, including their emotional needs, likes and dislikes. They support children consistently well to develop their self-care skills. For example, babies wash their hands before feeding themselves, building their coordination and confidence. Toddlers wash their hands, serve food, share with others and use cutlery safely, which supports their independence and healthy lifestyles.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Practitioners promote children's understanding of oral health highly effectively through planned activities, including role play and discussions about the importance of dental care. Leaders work closely with families to reinforce healthy eating and discuss positive food choices daily. Children also make their own healthy decisions, such as choosing fruit at snack time or selecting water when they are thirsty.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit greatly from calming daily practices, including music, yoga and cosy quiet spaces called 'Hygge areas' designed for relaxation. This helps them to prepare for the day while regulating their emotions. Warm and positive relationships are evident throughout the setting for all children, including those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning. Staff work closely with families to ensure consistent routines between home and the setting, supporting children's wellbeing and enabling them to thrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders create a fully inclusive, responsive culture where children's individual needs are identified accurately and promptly. Staff offer personalised settling-in sessions, which are adapted for each child. For example, staff offer shorter sessions for children who need reassurance or provide sensory resources for those who benefit from a calm space.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders follow a clear, step-by-step process to identify and support children's needs. They use a range of assessment tools to monitor progress highly successfully and identify next steps regularly. Leaders quickly identify the support children need to access the curriculum. They work closely with parents and other professionals to understand children's strengths and next steps. Staff adapt activities, use visual resources and give extra time for children to process information and respond. Leaders regularly monitor children's progress and review the support provided. As a result, children make positive progress, become more independent and are fully included in all aspects of the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners access regular and targeted training, such as recent sessions on supporting early communication and adapting provision for children with sensory needs. Practitioners observe children closely and use professional discussions to respond to their changing needs. Additional funding is used effectively, such as purchasing balancing beams

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Expected standard

to strengthen physical development. The environment includes resources such as dolls with hearing aids and glasses to promote belonging for all children.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure and consistent progress across the curriculum. They develop positive personal, social and emotional skills and show pride in their achievements, sharing these confidently with their friends and families. Children learn about one another's lives, families and local community through discussions and shared photos, which strengthens their sense of belonging. They move between rooms and on to new settings with confidence because they understand routines and feel emotionally secure.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care, achieve well from their starting points. They benefit from tailored support, helping them access learning alongside their peers and overcome barriers. Children form close bonds with their key person and become confident communicators who express their needs and ideas.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children engage well in purposeful activities and develop secure physical skills as they climb, crawl, throw and draw with increasing control. However, some children do not deepen their understanding as fully as they could. At times, children are unsure why certain actions are unsafe or inappropriate, which limits their ability to reason, make informed choices and regulate their behaviour independently. This means that, while children achieve well overall, their progress in these areas is not always consistent.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners generally set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes for learning through fair, clear and consistent expectations. They typically address any minor challenging behaviour quickly and discuss it with individual children. Practitioners model positive interactions and manners and respond calmly and in a timely way. Relationships between practitioners and children are warm, nurturing, trusting and secure.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically receive explicit praise to reinforce their positive behaviour and progress and are well supported when they face challenges. For example, practitioners talk children through the process of trying again. Children take turns during games, get along with each other and show care for the setting. Staff consider children's ages and stages of development when applying expectations so all children can participate effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Practitioners make adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, allowing them to meet the setting's expectations. Leaders address children's attendance and understand the reason why some children arrive later due to family needs. Throughout the day, transitions are smooth, purposeful and unhurried, helping children to know what comes next and why. However, routines and expectations are not yet implemented with complete consistency across all practitioners, meaning some children occasionally need additional reminders to fully understand what is expected.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders securely understand the quality of the curriculum and identify areas where practitioners require further support to enhance provision. They are committed to ongoing training and professional development to strengthen practice. Practitioners reflect on activities to ensure that all areas of learning are planned for and taught effectively. They use children's interests to inform planning and individual next steps. Leaders and practitioners are clear about what they want children to know and be able to do. The setting's ethos promotes children's personal, social and emotional development, helping them feel secure and prepared for future learning and transitions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children engage in a range of purposeful activities. Babies and toddlers explore colours and early counting through hands-on play. Older toddlers develop mathematical skills through planting and cooking experiences. Practitioners support children's physical development well. Children confidently climb, walk, crawl, throw, draw and handle tools. However, some practitioners do not consistently extend activities or explain the reasons behind boundaries. During the inspection, children were occasionally told they could not do something without an explanation. This meant they did not always understand the purpose of the rule or how it linked to their learning, limiting opportunities to develop reasoning and self-regulation. Leaders recognise the need for additional support to ensure consistently high-quality teaching.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Practitioners embed number, books, songs and rhymes throughout daily routines. They use observations and assessment to support children's progress from their individual starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders recognise the significant journey the setting has undertaken, including changes to leadership and governance. They are reflective and proactive with a clear commitment to ensuring that children and families receive high-quality care and education. Leaders know the setting well and take action to address identified areas for improvement, offering purposeful support for staff. Governance arrangements provide appropriate oversight, regular appraisals and ongoing support to promote continuous professional development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Practitioners benefit from a range of professional development opportunities, including online and bespoke training tailored to the setting and the individual needs of the children. This strengthens the positive attitude to inclusive practice. Leaders model reflective practice using a structured reflection tool to identify strengths and areas for development appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnership working is effective. Leaders collaborate with external agencies to prioritise children's learning and wellbeing and build trusting relationships with families. They offer sensitive guidance when required and promote a positive, nurturing culture. Staff feel valued and supported through supervision, daily communication and thoughtful workload management. However, leaders are still embedding some aspects of curriculum monitoring, meaning practice is not yet implemented with complete consistency across all 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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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children experience a warm nurturing environment where their personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. They feel a strong sense of belonging because practitioners know them well and understand their interests, ideas, likes and dislikes. Children are greeted with smiles and reassurance at the door, helping them to feel safe and ready for the day. Parents are listened to carefully, which supports children's smooth transitions into play.

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

Throughout the day, children are absorbed in purposeful play, rich in conversations and well- paced routines. They show concentration during activities and delight in singing nursery rhymes and exploring books with props. Children revisit learning to deepen their understanding and apply what they know. They count, compare and solve problems through activities linked to their interests or previous experiences. For example, after finding a caterpillar outdoors, children later explored a tray of counting and comparing resources inspired by 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to engage and make progress from their starting points.

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Address:

The Old Stables 85 Barrack Road Exeter EX2 5ED

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Children typically play kindly alongside their peers, taking turns and helping one another. Toddlers serve themselves lunch before passing bowls along, building independence and confidence. Encouragement and praise help children feel proud of their achievements and develop positive attitudes to learning and high levels of self-esteem.

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Next steps

Leaders should consistently support children to understand the reasons behind boundaries and expectations to make connections, develop reasoning and build greater independence. Leaders should continue to provide targeted professional development and constructive feedback to help practitioners embed interaction strategies consistently to ensure that all children access equally ambitious learning experiences.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and the nominated individual during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Children's Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Registration date: 05/12/2023

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About this inspection

Registered person: Nanny Bears Childcare Ltd

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 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.

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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

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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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