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Early years · Report card

Dingley's Promise Droitwich

Inspected 1 Jul 2026 · URN 2816450

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Dal Malhi

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

    Strong standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Strong standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Expected standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Expected standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Expected standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Dingley Family and Specialist Early Years Centres

  • Inspection datesingle source

    1 Jul 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Dal Malhi

  • Postcode verified

    WR9 9EQ

  • Name on report verified

    Dingley's Promise Droitwich

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    2816450

Page 1 of 8
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 routinesStrong
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
  • 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.

+77Very positivemore positive than 59% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseeffectivelypositiveconsistentlyfeel safenurturingsecureclearpositively
Criticismnot consistentlyconcernsnot alwaysnot yetnot clear

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
  • Findings1389w+85
  • Leadership238w+49
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve56w+50

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
8
Words of findings
1,734
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 41, typical 43
Average sentence
15 words
Next steps
2
typical 3
Hedged sentences
3%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 66%Leadership 11%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 3%About the inspection 18%

Full report text

Dingley's Promise Droitwich

Unique reference number (URN): 2816450 Address: Wands Children Centre, Farmers Way, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 9EQ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 15/11/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Dingley Family and Specialist Early Years Centres

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff know the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well. They build secure attachments and trusting relationships as they play alongside children. As a result, children are happy to explore and learn in this inclusive environment. These thoughtful relationships help children to feel safe, secure and valued.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff consistently promote children's positive behaviour. For example, when children crawl underneath a table, staff gently redirect them using clear language, such as 'good sitting', while signalling towards a chair. They praise and encourage children when they respond positively. Staff also respond sensitively when children begin to show frustration, such as when other children use resources they have been using. They take time to explain sharing using simple language. For example, staff remind children that there are 'lots' of resources available. Through calm reassurance, staff help children to understand and manage their emotions. As a result, children receive support to regulate their behaviour and understand expectations. They develop positive relationships with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff build respectful relationships with parents and carers. They promote positive habits for children's learning by encouraging regular attendance at the setting. Leaders have effective systems in place to monitor children's attendance. As a result, children receive support to attend regularly and begin to develop the routines and habits they will need for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff provide consistently sensitive and responsive care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is built on an inclusive culture throughout the setting. Key persons securely meet the individual care needs of all children. Staff support children's emotional wellbeing and help them to begin to develop skills to regulate their emotions. They recognise when children find it difficult to manage their emotions, particularly during changes to routines. For example, at lunchtime, staff use the sensory space to provide calm reassurance for children who find it difficult to settle. Children respond well to this support and increasingly seek comfort and reassurance from their key person. This helps children to build secure attachments with staff, understand their feelings and develop confidence in their personal, social and emotional development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from well-supported routines that promote their health and independence. They receive support from staff to follow self-care routines, such as handwashing. At snack time, staff encourage children to feed themselves, hold their own drinks and make choices using picture boards and simple language, such as 'I want…'. Staff supervise children closely. This promotes children's safety and independence. Leaders encourage parents and carers to provide healthy lunch boxes. They use family support workers to offer workshops on nutrition. This helps parents to understand how healthy choices support children's growth and development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve well in this nurturing specialist setting for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make positive progress from their individual starting points and develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their next stage of learning. Children begin to communicate their needs using their preferred methods of communication. For example, they sign 'more' to request further songs. Children also show interest in books and begin to identify favourite stories, such as 'The Billy Goats Gruff'. Through meaningful activities, children develop early mathematical knowledge. For example, they identify shapes, such as circles, when drawing a troll's face and begin to count the eyes they have drawn. Children also make progress in their emotional development. They begin to recognise when they are experiencing deep emotions and seek support from their key persons to help them regulate. This sensitive support helps children

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Achievement Expected standard

to feel emotionally secure. As a result, children develop increasing independence, confidence and resilience.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders' approach to what they want children to learn is underpinned by their motto, 'One Size Fits One'. They use this approach to design a well-sequenced curriculum that helps children to build their knowledge and skills over time. The leadership team has developed its own assessment system, which breaks learning down into smaller steps of progress. This is well suited to this specialist setting for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Typically, staff consider carefully what they will teach and provide for all children, while recognising the specific support individual children need. This enables staff to deliver an inclusive curriculum and adapt teaching activities effectively to meet children's diverse needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop their physical skills and independence through a range of engaging and purposeful activities. For example, they use strength, balance and coordination as they climb a ladder, walk across a plank of wood and slide down independently. Staff observe children carefully and provide praise and encouragement that helps to build their confidence. When children show an interest in exploring the water tray, staff respond promptly and extend their learning. They use simple language, such as 'more water', and give children time to process and respond. Staff capture children's attention by demonstrating how to pour water through funnels. These well-considered interactions support children's communication and language development, while also promoting confidence, independence and sustained engagement in play.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff create an inclusive culture for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work effectively with the local authority's early years inclusion team to identify children who may benefit from a place at the provision. Staff provide personalised support that reflects children's individual needs. They work with parents and carers to help children prepare for transitions into the setting and when moving on to other settings.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have designed an effective assessment toolkit that helps staff to identify children's starting points accurately. They work closely with specialist services within the local authority. For example, leaders seek advice from the visual impairment team about the layout of the environment. This helps to ensure that children can access and explore the activities on offer as independently as possible.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use a range of communication strategies to support children with communication and language needs. These include gestures, objects of reference, visual prompts, Makaton signs and single words. When staff use these strategies well, children understand routines more clearly and are supported to communicate their needs. However, staff do not use these approaches consistently with individual children. As a result, individual children do not always understand what is being asked of them, which limits their ability to participate fully.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The leadership team has a clear vision and carries out its statutory duties effectively at this specialist setting for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders share a clear understanding of the setting's direction. Children continue to benefit from a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment that supports their learning, development and wellbeing. Leaders recognise that, as a newly established team, they have not yet had sufficient opportunity to embed the setting's priorities consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff access relevant training to strengthen their inclusive practice and meet children's individual needs. Staff have completed their in-house training, such as Dingley's Promise, which helps them to develop the knowledge and skills needed to support children with SEND effectively. Leaders also consider staff wellbeing and workload carefully. This helps staff to use their time effectively and carry out their roles with confidence.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers speak strongly about the responsive caring relationships they have with leaders and staff. They say that children's time at the setting has helped them to develop confidence and independence. Parents also value the support provided by the on-site family support workers, including workshops that help them to understand aspects of early years development. However, not all parents are clear about how to support their children's learning at home or understand their child's next steps in learning. This means that opportunities for some parents to build on children's learning at home are not consistently developed.

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

Children are at the heart of this nurturing specialist setting for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff warmly welcome children and their families into the setting. They know children well and provide calm, caring and personalised support. As a result, children feel safe, valued and ready to learn.

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

Leaders and staff consider the individual needs of all children carefully. They design a clear curriculum that reflects children's needs, interests and starting points. Staff understand that including children's individual interests in learning helps them to focus and engage. They adapt the environment so that all children, including those with mobility needs, can access the activities and learning opportunities available to them. This thoughtful and inclusive approach supports children to participate fully in the setting.

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

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff and form secure attachments with their key persons. They interact with staff during their play and learning. Staff sing songs and rhymes and use actions during familiar songs, such as 'The Wheels on the Bus', to help children understand and join in. Some children use signs independently, such as signing 'more' when they want staff to repeat a rhyme. Children's early literacy is also supported through books. They begin to develop their favourite stories and enjoy talking about them with others. These meaningful interactions help children to develop confidence in their communication and language skills.

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

Staff promote children's health and wellbeing effectively. Children select carrots, blueberries and crackers at snack time. They receive encouragement to eat independently, with gentle support from staff. Staff also help children to follow self-care routines, such as handwashing. These routines promote children's independence and help them to begin to understand how to care for their own health and wellbeing.

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

Leaders promote positive habits for learning by working effectively with parents and carers to monitor children's attendance. As a result, children receive support to attend regularly and engage positively in learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all staff consistently use agreed communication strategies for individual children, so that children are supported to communicate their needs and participate fully in learning. Leaders should ensure that parents are supported to understand their children's next steps in learning and how they can support their children's development and learning effectively at home.

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Address:

Wands Children Centre Farmers Way Droitwich Worcestershire WR9 9EQ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Dingley Family and Specialist Early Years Centres

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with staff and children, and took account of parents' and carers' views 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.

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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

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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