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Early years · Report card

Child 1st Day Nursery

Inspected 7 Sept 2026 · URN EY396797

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Joe Groom

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

    CHILD 1ST (STOKE) LTD

  • Inspection datesingle source

    7 Sept 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Joe Groom

  • Postcode verified

    ST1 2EW

  • Name on report verified

    Child 1st Day Nursery

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY396797

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of the report with the evidence highlighted

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.

+58Positivemore positive than 27% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisepositivewarmtrusting relationshipsconsistentlyhigh-qualitynurturingconfidentlyclear
Criticismnot consistentlyconcernsnot alwaysnot yetlimitednot improving

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
  • Findings1541w+53
  • Leadership248w+65
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve137w+64

Strengths

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

Concerns

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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
1,977
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 44, typical 43
Average sentence
16 words
Next steps
6
typical 3
Hedged sentences
5%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 66%Leadership 11%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 6%About the inspection 16%

Full report text

Child 1st Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY396797 Address: 41 Broom Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 2EW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/09/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: CHILD 1ST (STOKE) 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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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are prepared for the next stage of their learning. Children generally join in with group-time activities with confidence as they express their thoughts and ideas. For example, they predict bubbles will rise to the top as they watch closely as a bottle is opened as part of a 'volcano' experiment. Children watch closely with excitement as the volcano erupts. Children with SEND receive sensitive support to access all areas of the environment. They benefit from activities being adapted to meet their individual needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children display high levels of concentration and become deeply engaged in their play. For example, children role play with their friends as they imagine making hot chocolate and buying this from each other. Children extend their learning and engage in further conversations with each other. Older children develop their physical skills as they move in different ways. For instance, they play chasing games with each other and climb obstacles, such as the steps to the slide. During their play, children hear repetitive words and phrases that support their communication and language skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff set clear expectations for children's behaviour through consistent routines. This enables children to understand what comes next. Leaders and staff implement a 'kindness code' that supports older children to understand and respond to simple boundaries, such as 'good listening'. Leaders and staff are positive role models and support children to solve problems when they arise. They model sharing and turn-taking, and encourage children to play cooperatively together. For example, staff support children to recognise how far they need to stand apart from each other to be able to throw and catch balls. Staff use positive reinforcement and verbal praise to celebrate children's achievements. As a result, children demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, staff interact with children in a nurturing way as they respond to children's individual needs. The key-person system promotes warm and trusting relationships. Leaders and staff provide flexible settling-in sessions, as they recognise this helps new babies to settle into the environment. All children receive support to be emotionally secure. However, at times, staff do not support children to develop their own emotional awareness so they can begin to recognise how they feel. For example, when younger children become upset, staff do not consistently use distraction techniques or help children to identify and label the emotions they may be experiencing. As a result, some children take longer to settle and regulate their emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality closely. They make adaptations to session times where necessary for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders work closely with families to remove any barriers that impact on children's ability to attend regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise understanding children and families' individual needs well. Leaders and staff ensure a thorough settling-in process enables them to gain an in-depth knowledge of every child and their family circumstances. This means they can provide appropriate support for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families. Children arrive confidently and are greeted by key staff who support children to separate successfully from their parents and carers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote healthy lifestyles through nutritious meals and physical activity. Staff have recently introduced 'fitness Fridays', where children take part in planned activities that encourage them to move in different ways. Leaders have identified how they would like to promote physical activity with younger children. Leaders and staff share information with parents about appropriate screen time and online safety at home. Staff adapt their teaching to reduce screen time to a minimum. For example, during listening activities with videos, staff turn the device around so children focus on the sounds.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff make decisions that promote children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, they have recently changed the layout of the setting so older children have closer access to toilets, which promotes their independence. Staff encourage children to remain safe as they wash and dry their hands independently. Leaders and staff have clear processes in place to ensure children remain safe when sleeping and during mealtimes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff have developed a sequenced curriculum that prioritises children's social, emotional, physical and language skills. They have recently adapted how they assess children's progress. Leaders and staff have developed a detailed understanding of children's emotional, physical and language development. Staff support children to access a wide range of experiences. However, at times, staff do not always plan activities sharply enough to match children's different ages, stages of development and skills. For example, during some planned activities, children lose their focus quickly and do not engage with the intended learning. This limits younger children's opportunities to make progress towards their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally support children's communication and language skills as they ask a range of open-ended questions and use repetitive language. For example, staff narrate babies' play as they post balls down a tube. Staff teach mathematics explicitly as they weave concepts such as size, shape and numbers into everyday interactions. For example, older children count how many sides each 2-dimensional shape has. They recognise that children's understanding of mathematics starts from an early age, so share number nursery rhymes with babies.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff plan a range of group activities that capture children's attention and focus. For example, younger children join in as they shake musical instruments in different ways, such as faster and slower. Mealtimes are generally a social occasion for all children. However, staff interactions with younger children at mealtimes are not yet consistently focused on supporting their learning and development. For example, at times staff interactions are limited as children experience periods of time without meaningful conversations being prompted.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning, benefit from an inclusive environment. They generally receive tailored support to meet their individual needs. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to gain a deeper understanding of the support children require. They share information about children's development during settling-in sessions and complete baseline assessments. Leaders and staff use an assess, plan, do and review approach to plan focused interventions. This enables children to progress to the next stage in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify when children may need additional support from external agencies. They ensure any support strategies that are made by external professionals are implemented fully. For example, staff plan 'attention bucket' activities to build children's listening and attention skills. Parents have high levels of praise for the support their children receive. They recognise how much progress their children have made. Parents feel fully informed about how staff support their children daily.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff ensure children who speak English as an additional language receive support to settle in the environment and can communicate their needs. For example, staff use 'translation sheets' to communicate key words with children in their home languages, such as 'toilet'. Leaders and staff have discussions to identify how any additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, will support children and have the most impact on children's progress. For example, staff purchase additional resources closely matched to children's interests, such as role play, to promote children's communication and language skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and recognise areas they would like to develop further. Leaders take decisions in the best interests of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, leaders work with staff to identify parts of the day where children with SEND require further support. They work closely with families to ensure they are informed about their child's progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure staff access regular professional development opportunities through online training. Leaders proactively respond to the changing needs of the cohort of children and support staff to reflect on how their teaching could be adapted. For example, leaders have supported staff to identify the difference between developmentally appropriate behaviour and strategies to support children's behaviour, which staff now implement consistently.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff say they feel supported by leaders. Their wellbeing is prioritised as staff have access to wellbeing support tools and termly team-building days. Leaders spend time role modelling high-quality teaching and provide staff with feedback to improve their practice. However, supervision sessions and feedback shared with staff are not closely matched to improving each individual staff member's teaching practice. Leaders have a deep understanding of the setting context, and the support families need. They work in partnership with external professionals and agencies to ensure effective support is provided to all children in a timely way. Parents and carers are pleased with the quality of care and learning. They praise leaders and staff for the support they have received.

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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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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

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

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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 settle into this warm and welcoming environment. They form positive, warm and trusting relationships with staff. Staff greet children's parents and carers warmly. They share updates at the door, which helps children to feel a sense of belonging in the environment. Babies seek comfort from nurturing staff who provide them with physical reassurance. Children confidently explore all areas of the environment. They select resources that capture their interests. Children play in the home corner and role play as staff support children to develop their imagination skills. Children develop their fine motor skills as they use spoons to mix different role-play foods.

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

Children are motivated and maintain their concentration, such as when they search in the sand tray for different dinosaur body parts. Children work together to build a new dinosaur by placing a head, body and tail together. Children engage in conversations with their peers. For example, they discuss their own features by mark making their own self-portraits.

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

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive sensitive support. Staff adapt their language and provide children with additional time and space to join in with group activities if they wish to do so. Children receive encouragement to develop their independence skills as they self-serve their own food at mealtimes and use appropriate cutlery. They pour their own drinks as staff encourage children to recognise how much water is needed to fill the cup. Children are confident to express their own thoughts and ideas with their peers.

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

Children join in with regular singing sessions across all age groups. They share their attention with familiar staff, who read stories with them. Children's attendance is closely monitored. Leaders support families to remove any barriers to their attendance. Overall, children make progress in their learning and enjoy the varied experiences available to them.

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Next steps

Leaders should help staff to ensure that planning and teaching consistently focus on what individual children need to learn next. Leaders should support staff to consistently provide high-quality interactions with younger children at mealtimes. Leader should support staff to develop their teaching further to help children recognise their emotions, manage their feelings and develop skills to regulate their emotions. Leaders should ensure feedback shared with staff is closely matched to their individual needs and improvement priorities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, children and parents and carers during the inspection.

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: CHILD 1ST (STOKE) LTD

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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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0 to 4

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 . 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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