The Play Corner PaulsgroveOfsted report card, 28 Sept 2026

The Play Corner Paulsgrove

Unique reference number (URN): 2872557 Address: Paulsgrove Baptist Church, 1 Woofferton Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4DW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/11/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Play Corner Childcare Paulsgrove 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 Strong standard

All children are making excellent progress in their development. They have a thirst for learning and are extremely curious in the well-resourced environment. Children receive targeted and accurate support from external professionals in a timely manner to put support and interventions in place as necessary. Children demonstrate determination and resilience while playing. For instance, babies carefully climb up to the top of a slide with impressive control before sliding down, giggling and smiling as they do so. Older children concentrate with skill as they carefully trace over the letters in their names, being careful not to go over the lines. Then then reflect and think before drawing an animal which begins with the first letter of their name. Children are thrilled when they receive praise and hold their efforts up for all to see. They are happy and confident learners who are extremely well supported in

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about prioritising children's welfare and wellbeing and putting their needs first. They have comprehensive policies and risk assessments in place, which are reviewed and adapted as necessary. Leaders and staff are skilled at knowing the children in their care. They have extensive knowledge of each, including those with barriers to their learning, as well as their families. This enables them to be proactive in knowing how best to support them, and how to adapt any changing needs or circumstances without delay. For instance, being able to support children when a new baby enters the family. This leads to impressive partnership working.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations to promote children to lead healthy lifestyles. They encourage children to bring healthy lunch boxes and also provide a hot, nutritious meal if required. Children concentrate well and show determination as they put toothpaste on their individual toothbrushes, demonstrating to staff how well they can brush. Staff praise their efforts and tell them they will have healthy teeth. Children have daily access to an outdoor environment where they can be physically active. They run, jump and hop, showing off their skills to attentive staff. Children jump into a ball pit, shouting, 'cannonball' with great excitement as they do so. Extra activities such as trips to the park and an athletics session help children to stay active and learn healthy habits.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders provide a unique and ambitious curriculum, which all staff enthusiastically helped to create. The curriculum is well sequenced for all children and staff are skilled at making adaptations as necessary to reflect children's current interests. They work closely with parents and carers to share children's upcoming targets for learning as well as recent progress. This allows for collaborative working between the setting and home. There are many opportunities for children to choose and lead their own play. For example, they find empty snail shells in the garden and this immediately leads to a game and conversation about snails and slugs. Children show compassion as they handle the shells with care. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about what stage of learning their key children are at and what they still want them to achieve. This helps to ensure that children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff encourage children to engage in a range of high-quality learning experiences. For example, children demonstrate impressive concentration skills as they use tools, such as an allen key, to manipulate screws into small pieces of wood. Staff introduce new language such as clockwise and anti-clockwise to explain how children can complete the task. Staff praise children's efforts and children smile proudly. This helps to build the muscles in their hands to help with early writing skills and helps to develop children's self-esteem.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders support all children and promote a highly inclusive culture across the whole setting. Every single child is valued and well supported by knowledgeable, experienced staff. They monitor each child's learning and development thoroughly, taking time to get to know the children and their parents and carers well. This enables them to identify needs quickly and accurately so they can put supportive measures in place. Leaders understand the benefits of asking for help at the earliest opportunity. They have built great partnerships with external professionals and work closely with them. Staff appreciate the strategies provided and use these regularly in their work with children. Consequently, all children are supported and developing extremely well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities confidently and effectively. Staff access relevant training to enhance their knowledge and understanding of specific needs. As a result, they skilfully support the children so they thrive in their care. They use funding provided to ensure these children can access resources appropriate for them to enhance their learning. For example, leaders have purchased sensory equipment and organised stimulating activities, such as a farm visiting the setting. Children consistently meet their learning targets, and these are shared and celebrated with parents.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They are passionate about providing a nurturing, child-led, safe and inclusive environment that caters for all children. Leaders encourage staff to attend training courses to improve their knowledge and skills. Recent training on developing children's communication through music has had a positive impact on children's outcomes. Leaders hold regular one-to-one and team meetings with staff, which helps them to feel appreciated. Leaders also prioritise staff workload so they do not feel overloaded. This allows staff to feel supported and valued.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear oversight of the setting, its strengths and areas for improvement. They have high standards and support staff well to achieve these. When something does not meet their standards, leaders clearly communicate their expectations and address the situation instantly. This means that expectations are accurately managed and recognised by all staff, which has a positive impact on children's wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders value and appreciate the secure relationships they have built with all parents and

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Expected standard

carers. The setting offers regular meetings, and gives detailed, daily feedback to parents. They work together harmoniously so that all children are supported and well cared for. Children are able to borrow books from the setting to share with parents at home. This allows them to work together with staff to share children's learning. Parents are extremely happy with the care given to their children, and feel they well supported and looked after. As a result, all children benefit from the secure, supportive staff.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff generally have high expectations of children's behaviour. They are positive role models and laugh and joke with children and one another. Children understand the routines well and know what to expect and when. They eagerly take part in the range of activities on offer, both indoors and outdoors. Older children are respectful of younger children, and help them to solve problems they come across. Staff use calm language and gentle reminders towards children. However, approaches to managing unwanted behaviour are not always consistent, which can lead to children receiving mixed messages about expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff treat children with respect and kindness. They value children's responses, such as asking if they can change their nappies. Younger children are soothed to sleep with cuddles and soft music. All children enjoy playing with staff and invite them in their play. For example, they sit on a wooden car and laugh as staff sit behind them. This demonstrates that they feel comfortable and secure in the presence of staff.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders monitor children's attendance to keep them safe. They work with families to make adaptations to children's attendance patterns when required so that children can continue to attend. For example, children can move from morning sessions to afternoon sessions if required. This helps break down barriers for families and promotes children's social skills.

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

Children enthusiastically bound into the setting as they confidently separate from their parents and carers. Staff show genuine warmth as children arrive and welcome them fondly. Children quickly spot friends and instantly join in with games and activities. Children chat away with staff and their friends, talking about how it is their birthday and they will open their

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2872557 presents. They display impressive concentration skills as they make a birthday cake out of sand, portioning it for friends. Staff laugh and praise their efforts and encourage them to recall events from their birthday. Children chat away and share their personal experiences, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure.

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About this setting

Children know the routine very well. They sit down in their key groups to take part in welcome time. Babies enjoy listening to songs and playing with sensory materials, showing a high level of concentration. Older children watch in awe as exciting resources are pulled out of a bucket, such as rockets and flashing tubes. They join in with familiar songs as they smile and giggle with friends. Children show great enjoyment and demonstrate that they feel secure, happy and safe.

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About this setting

Children initiate their own play, and kindly invite others to join them. For instance, children work together to gather handfuls of conkers. They carefully drop them down tubes, and watch as they fall out the other end. Larger ones get stuck and children work together to free them, shaking and banging the tube on the ground. Children display impressive imagination skills as they use water and tea bags to make various flavoured teas, such as, 'rose tea'. They are kind and respectful and enjoy working together to make tea for staff. Children have their opinions respected. For example, they take turns to sit on a committee to express their desired activities and preferences. This helps children to feel valued and included.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to make even greater use of everyday opportunities to manage and deal with children's unwanted behaviour more consistently.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children 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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Address:

Paulsgrove Baptist Church 1 Woofferton Road Portsmouth PO6 4DW

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Play Corner Childcare Paulsgrove Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 16:00

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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

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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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