Summary
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
Badgers Bridge LLP
- Inspection datesingle source
8 Jul 2026
- Inspectors verified
Victoria Salisbury
- Postcode verified
CT21 4EU
- Name on report verified
Badgers Bridge
- Safeguarding verified
Met
- URN verified
EY395128
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.
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.
- Parents value highly the commitment leaders and staff show towards their children in supporting them to flourish and thrive. p.4
- Leaders are very aware of the settings strengths and identify accurately where they can continue to develop and enhance practice to ensure it is consistently embedded throughout the setting. p.4
- This successfully supports their growing self-esteem successfully. p.2
- Leaders have high expectations for all children. p.4
- Staff identify where children need additional help and use funding effectively to purchase particular resources to help children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills successfully. p.5
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
No strong criticism found.
Next steps
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. p.5
- This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. p.5
- Leaders should support staff to develop confidence in identifying when they can enhance activities and experiences further to extend children's learning and development even more. p.6
- Leaders should support parents understanding of children's next steps more clearly so that they know how to specifically support learning further at home. p.6
What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Progress & outcomes8
“All children make positive progress from their starting points.” p.2
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 9
- Words of findings
- 1,830
- about usual (typical 1698)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 41, typical 43
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 4
- typical 3
- Hedged sentences
- 1%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Badgers Bridge
Unique reference number (URN): EY395128 Address: The Street, Postling, Hythe, Kent, CT21 4EU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/05/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Badgers Bridge LLP
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.
p.1
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
p.1
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
All children make positive progress from their starting points. However, leaders recognise that parents need further support to fully understand their children's next steps to help support the consistency of learning at home and in readiness for school.
p.2
Achievement Expected standard
Children make smooth transitions to their next educational stage. All children develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Older children learn to recycle water and to care for the world around them. Younger children make choices about what they want to play with, supporting their self-confidence. Babies learn to play with their friends. They clap and delight when they do something for the first time, demonstrating kindness and care. This successfully supports their growing self-esteem successfully.
p.2
Achievement Expected standard
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges achieve well from their starting points. They receive the necessary support to meet their own milestones. For example, children who could not regulate their own feelings and emotions when they started have now developed firm friendships.
p.2
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff support children effectively to manage their own behaviour. When needed, staff gently remind children of the impact their actions have on their friends. This helps children understand expectations while supporting the development of their social skills. For example, during outdoor play, children making pretend pasta mixtures are encouraged to share resources and help their friends find a space to join in the activity.
p.2
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff ensure children understand the rules and routines of the setting. They are good role models, offering specific praise and encouragement to reinforce positive behaviour. As such, children play collaboratively together and get along well. For example, older children cut up snacks for their friends. Younger children take turns and share when exploring flour together outside. Babies clap when their friends do something for the first time. This supports all children's positive attitudes to learning and each other.
p.2
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders work closely with parents to support regular attendance and punctuality. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges to learning are offered flexible sessions to support this and as such, all children attend regularly and look forward to attending.
p.2
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders ensure they prioritise practices that support all children's mental and physical wellbeing. For example, leaders develop positive relationships within the wider community enabling children to access local farmland to learn about the importance of the outdoors in supporting healthy lifestyles. At mealtimes, staff engage children in conversations about fruits and vegetables and the impact of eating too much sugar. Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe and healthy. Older children demonstrate embedded routines, applying suncream themselves before going to play outside. Other children learn to manage risks when helping their friends to balance on planks safely.
p.2
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children develop secure attachments with familiar staff. They are encouraged to do things for themselves and develop their independence. For example, older children learn to use knives to butter their snacks and they pour their own drinks. Younger children learn to open their own packets. Babies are encouraged to make choices about what they want to eat. These activities encourage children's decision making successfully. Staff ensure they find out about all children's needs and routines before they start, ensuring they work closely with families to support feeding, weaning and sleeping routines effectively. This supports children to settle well and manage their own feelings and emotions successfully.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and maintain effective oversight of practice. They have a clear vision for ensuring consistency across the setting. For example, leaders have recently strengthened the leadership team by recruiting a new deputy area manager. Leaders recognise that, at times, staff do not consistently identify opportunities to extend children's learning, such as building on children's counting during play or encouraging them to make marks and explore letter sounds when they show an interest in writing their names.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff prioritise children's communication and language skills. For example, babies cuddle up to hear stories read by staff. Older children join in with actions to favourite rhymes. Children benefit from an environment developed to support their physical skills. Older children learn to solve problems when creating their own apparatus outside, working out how to make things balance with staff. Younger children enjoy exploring shapes, learning to pick them up and identify them during a game. This helps children develop effective coordination skills. Typically, children develop their mathematical understanding. For example, older children learn to count and identify numbers. Staff explain to children mathematical language such as 'bigger', 'heavier' and 'lighter'. Babies enjoy joining in with counting rhymes, enhancing their understanding.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges to their learning benefit from staff who understand their different starting points. Staff adapt provision to ensure all children make the required progress. Staff use assessment and tracking information effectively to tailor what they offer to meet individual needs. As such, all children make positive progress from their starting points.
p.3
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff know their children well. All families are included, valued and welcomed. Flexible settling in processes ensure staff and parents share information about children's needs together from the outset. Staff use assessment and tracking information to create individual learning and support plans where needed. Staff share information with each other to ensure they all have an accurate understanding of where children are and what children need to learn next. They plan activities and experiences to support children to meet important milestones. Leaders ensure additional funding is used effectively to support children's individual development. For example, resources are purchased to support children's physical development, helping children to learn to balance and move successfully.
p.3
Inclusion Expected standard
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing challenges and barriers to learning are effectively supported. Staff attend specialist training to ensure they develop their knowledge and understanding to support children's specific medical needs effectively. Leaders are proactive in seeking advice and support from other professionals to provide children and families with advice and guidance where needed. As such, children who were on individual plans when they start no longer require specialist support.
p.4
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders have high expectations for all children. They regularly review the support in place for children, making adaptions where necessary to ensure all children can fully access the environment. Leaders have recently made significant changes to the oversight of the SEND provision to ensure they identify gaps in learning and development swiftly. Although in its infancy, leaders are focussed on ensuring they embed consistent practice across the setting. Staff receive tailored support and training to enable them to meet all children's emerging needs. As such, all children make effective progress from their starting points, ensuring they are ready for their next stage in education.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are very aware of the settings strengths and identify accurately where they can continue to develop and enhance practice to ensure it is consistently embedded throughout the setting. Leaders are proactive, motivated and passionate. They are ambitious for all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing challenges or barriers to their learning and development. Leaders have reviewed and improved arrangements for referring concerns if allegations are raised following a risk assessment. They now fully understand their role with regard to seeking timely advice and notifying the relevant authorities in line with their statutory responsibilities.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders ensure staff are well trained and encourage them to take on additional qualifications and professional development. Staff report that they appreciate the focus on their wellbeing and workloads. As such, they feel valued and fully involved in decision making. For example, staff report that recent changes to the oversight of the special educational needs and/or disabilities provision is having a positive impact. Leaders and staff ensure they seek support and guidance from a range of external professionals and partners to ensure they continue to focus on providing high-quality care and education for all children. Parents value highly the commitment leaders and staff show towards their children in supporting them to flourish and thrive.
p.4
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:
p.5
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:
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children and their families are warmly welcomed and included at this community focused pre-school. Children arrive happily, eager to explore outside and join in with their friends and favourite staff. For example, older children excitedly explore tyres and wooden planks outside, making structures and shapes collaboratively together. Younger children spend time sustaining concentration when making mixtures with water and petals outside, taking turns and sharing with supportive staff. These activities encourage children's positive attitudes to learning and others. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges to their learning and development are supported well. Staff identify where children need additional help and use funding effectively to purchase particular resources to help children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills successfully. For example,
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
children who found it challenging to manage their behaviour when they started, have now made firm friendships. New children settle well and demonstrate that they feel comfortable, safe and secure. Staff are on hand for cuddles, comfort and reassurance, supporting children's emotional wellbeing effectively.
p.6
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to learn about the world around them. Staff prioritise children's outdoor experiences. Older children excitedly talk about their walks in the nearby fields, learning about different animals. Younger children delight in exploring the outdoor kitchen, learning about flowers and plants. As such, children develop an appreciation of nature and the natural world.
p.6
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are provided with praise and encouragement to support their developing self- esteem. As such, children develop confidence and independence. For example, older children immediately go to wash their hands at mealtimes and learn to scrape their own plates. Younger children learn to put their rubbish in the bin when they have finished. These opportunities support children's developing skills and understanding successfully. All children make positive progress from their starting points and attend regularly, supporting them in their ongoing learning journey.
p.6
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to develop confidence in identifying when they can enhance activities and experiences further to extend children's learning and development even more. Leaders should support parents understanding of children's next steps more clearly so that they know how to specifically support learning further at home.
p.6
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, managers, staff and the special educational needs coordinators, 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. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.
p.6
Address:
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
p.7
Address:
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 15:00
p.7
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
p.7
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
p.8
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.
p.8
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.
p.8
Urgent improvement
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p.8
Urgent improvement
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p.8
Urgent improvement
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p.8
Urgent improvement
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
p.9
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