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Early years · Report card

Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

Inspected 9 Sept 2026 · URN 2796638

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Christine Ward

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

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Strong standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

  • Inspection datesingle source

    9 Sept 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Christine Ward

  • Postcode verified

    WV6 7EN

  • Name on report verified

    Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    2796638

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
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceStrong

Tone of the report

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

+72Very positivemore positive than 47% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseextremelyexcellentvery wellconsistentlystrengthfeel saferespectfulpositive
Criticismlimitedstruggleconcernsdisruptionnot always

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
  • Findings1361w+69
  • Leadership224w+84
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve43w+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
1,679
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 49, typical 43
Average sentence
13 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 2%About the inspection 19%

Full report text

Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

Unique reference number (URN): 2796638 Address: Bull Cottage, Clive Road, Pattingham, Wolverhampton, WV6 7EN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/08/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

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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

Children are extremely well behaved. They are respectful and considerate. This is modelled by the kind and caring staff. Behaviour expectations are high across the whole nursery. This is implemented consistently by staff. They gently remind children of behaviour expectations where needed. Children respond well to this and show that they understand what is expected of them. Children develop skills of cooperation and turn taking. They are patient with one another and wait their turn when other children have resources they want.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are very well established. Young children demonstrate confidence and familiarity when following routines. Staff communicate with one another well to ensure that routines run smoothly and there is little disruption to children's play. After meals, staff efficiently support children to clean themselves, brush their teeth and settle down to sleep quickly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have positive attitudes to learning. They develop curiosity and inquisitiveness. They enter nursery keen to engage in the fun and stimulating activities on offer. They are confident to have a go at new things and persevere when they encounter difficulty. Staff praise their efforts which promotes their self-esteem. Leaders respond quickly to absences and work closely with families to establish regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff are highly responsive to children's needs. They make developing attachments with children a priority. This is especially true for babies and children who are new to the nursery. Staff ensure they understand children's routines and comfort needs, before they start. They make adaptations so that children are comfortable in their new environment. This means that children settle quickly and feel safe with staff.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop a sense of belonging and learn to manage their feelings. Staff are excellent role models and demonstrate how to be respectful and understanding. This helps children to regulate their emotions. As a result, the nursery atmosphere is calm and relaxed. There are quiet spaces in each room throughout the nursery where children can sit calmly and look through books. Staff understand how these spaces can be used effectively for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them to manage their feelings.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn to make healthy choices. They are served nutritious meals throughout the day. Allergy-management arrangements are robust so that children are not exposed to foods they are allergic to. Staff take children to brush their teeth after lunch time. Children are familiar with this and engage in toothbrushing with increasing confidence. Staff understand how to keep children safe when they sleep and check them frequently.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff and leaders act quickly to assess and identify any emerging needs that children have. They gather a wealth of information about children before they start so that they can implement any individual support children need from the outset. Leaders create a fully inclusive environment where every child is valued. They get to know families well and understand the diverse needs of their nursery community. Leaders sensitively find out about cultural and religious beliefs so that they can ensure they respectfully tailor learning opportunities for children. Staff are considerate when planning activities for children and make adaptations so that all children can fully access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff are knowledgeable and well-trained. They understand local processes to access support from external agencies. Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals and families to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the targeted support they require. They ensure support plans include advice from trained experts. This collaborative approach means that children make the progress they are capable of. Leaders work closely with schools so that children who are ready to move to school transition smoothly. This allows continuity and consistency of care for all children. Funding for children is used thoughtfully so that significant improvements are made to children's development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have excellent oversight of the nursery. They are dedicated and passionate. They are committed to maintaining high standards across the nursery. Their devotion to the children and families who attend is evident. Leaders regularly source further training for staff. They ensure any training is relevant to the children who attend and has an impact on practice. They accurately identify where there are areas for improvement and are proactive in tackling these. Leaders have created a culture of continuous improvement. Staff are keen to improve their own knowledge and skills and actively seek out their own training opportunities. They are enthusiastic and strive to progress in their career and gain further responsibilities.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff say they feel extremely supported in their roles and their wellbeing is valued. They are given time to complete further training and work as needed, which ensures their workload is manageable. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and constantly provide different incentives and rewards to show their appreciation for staff. Parent partnerships are a strength of the nursery. Parents and carers are valued as part of the nursery community. Parents comment extremely positively about the care children receive and recommend the nursery highly. They particularly like the homely feel, the friendly and attentive staff, the support they receive as a whole family and attribute the progress children make to the leaders and staff.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically learn to be independent. This is a focus across the nursery. Babies learn to use cutlery to feed themselves and have a go at washing their own hands and face after eating. This is done with guidance and support from staff. As children progress through the nursery, they learn to use cutlery confidently and serve their own meals and drinks. They learn to take care of their personal needs and put their own shoes and coats on.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning, generally learn to follow routines and join in play with their friends. Adaptations are made so that children are fully included. For example, where children struggle to follow instructions, staff adapt their style of communication so that children have extra time to process information. This ensures they make the progress they need to prepare them for their move on to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is ambitious for all children. Leaders ensure it is sequenced throughout the nursery so that children build on their existing knowledge and skills. Staff provide ample opportunities for children to practise the skills they are developing so that this learning is consolidated. For example, children learn to make different marks and follow patterns. Staff provide different tools and materials for children to repeat this skill throughout their nursery day. This ensures that children maintain their enthusiasm and interest in the activity.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum covers all areas of learning and development. Babies have space to crawl and move around. Furniture is cleverly placed so that children can learn to pull themselves up and progress to walking. Older children move with confidence as they navigate the space outdoors. However, there is limited opportunities for children to engage in risky play. Staff are sometimes overly cautious and prevent children from climbing on appropriate equipment. This restricts the development of their upper body strength and stability. Staff are skilled at developing children's communication and language. They constantly talk to children during their play and include stories and singing regularly in daily routines. Children are generally engaged in learning, showing enjoyment in what they do. However, on occasion, those children who are less familiar with the environment struggle to understand how to use some resources purposefully. Staff do not always provide the guidance they

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

need to make learning intentional. As a result, children sometimes pick up resources and just drop them on the floor. That said, this is rare, and regular staff interaction ensures that children are exposed to learning during their play.

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

Children thrive at this nursery. They experience warm and friendly staff who provide fun and stimulating learning activities. The environment is purposefully intimate with a homely feeling. This allows children to experience close relationships with staff where they are nurtured and comforted. Children are extremely happy and those new to the nursery settle quickly. They receive cuddles when they need it and staff are reassuring and considerate with all children. The exciting activities provided for children spark their curiosity and contribute to their keenness to learn. Children particularly enjoy being outdoors, where they have space to move around and navigate space. They use their imagination as they ride on the wooden tractor and make bridges from small blocks. Children develop the qualities they need to make friendships and learn to cooperate with others. Younger children explore different materials and smile as they discover new textures. They make marks through

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

sensory bags, learning early skills of making patterns and shapes.

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

Leaders and staff consistently provide an inclusive environment for all children. Activities are very well considered to ensure they are differentiated to meet the individual needs of the children who attend. Staff use observation and assessment effectively to identify any emerging needs, so that appropriate support can be put in place at the earliest opportunity. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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

Families play a big part in the nursery. Leaders value their contributions and develop positive relationships with them from the moment children start. They promote regular attendance, so that children begin to build healthy habits, ready for when they move on to school.

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Next steps

Leaders should review the curriculum for physical development to ensure children have regular opportunities to develop their upper body strength. Leaders should improve teaching methods so that children who are unfamiliar with the learning environment are supported to engage in purposeful play consistently.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator and parents and carers 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:

Bull Cottage Clive Road, Pattingham Wolverhampton WV6 7EN

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Smarty Pants @ Pattingham Limited

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Address:

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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1 to 3

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 . 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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