Chipmunks Day NurseryOfsted report card, 9 Sept 2026

Chipmunks Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY454946 Address: 6 HERRINGSTON ROAD, DORCHESTER, DORSET, DT1 2BS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 06/11/2012 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Chipmunks Day Nursery 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

Children have developed the communication and language skills they need to speak well. They listen and engage successfully in the learning experiences prepared for them. Babies build the social skills they need to thrive. They build the coordination they need to use their bodies as they learn to walk, feed and play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children learn to sustain their concentration. They love daily circle times where they giggle with excitement as they play games such as 'What's in the bag?' Children joyfully answer questions about items, such as squeezy toys and slinkies. They build new vocabulary as they listen to staff describe the items to them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Some children also learn to sustain their focus. Through gentle back and forth interactions with staff, they thread beads onto string with appropriate control and effort. Children are generally motivated to try new things and take pride in their achievements.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The provider has high expectations of children behaviour. Routines are well established and are understood by children, staff, parents and carers. Children learn the importance of kindness and care to one another. Staff act as positive role models to children. As children tidy up, staff support and encourage them. This fosters a supportive, positive culture.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff consider children's differing needs. For instance, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are given supportive strategies. These ensure children do not become overwhelmed. When this happens, children settle quickly and play alongside their friends successfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children follow instructions well. When they are getting ready for snack time, children wait for their turn. They help with preparations by getting the tables ready for eating. Staff support them with warm, positive relationships. This is central to the providers effectiveness in supporting children's sense of security. This provides a calm, orderly environment in which children feel safe. However, while staff support children to develop positive attitudes to learning, they do not consistently plan activities that encourage children to persevere towards a goal and think about different ways to solve problems. When this happens, children's thinking and problem-solving skills are not fully maximised. Leader promote regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The provider has developed effective key person systems. These successfully promote warm, trusting relationships between staff, babies and children. Key to this development is thorough information that leaders collect from parents and carers before children start at the setting. In addition to this, parents attend with their children for settling in sessions. Staff take time to get to know children and their families, including those at experience disadvantage. Babies and children are confident and settle quickly. When children are unsure, staff take time with them and build their confidence as they transition into the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff are attentive to safer sleeping and eating arrangements. They attend training and apply what they have learnt to their everyday practice. These arrangements ensure children are safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children experience lots of physical activities during the day. Older children learn how to clean their teeth. They enthusiastically use brushes and toothpaste to polish a toy crocodile's teeth. However, while younger children enjoy healthy snacks, staff do not teach them how these foods benefit their bodies. When this happens, children do not learn about the importance of making healthy choices and how this contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have improved the curriculum. They have introduced consistency between all areas of the setting. Each age group implements curriculum developmental goals. These build sequentially on each other between each room. The curriculum focuses particularly well on communication and language. Children love books and stories, including those children that experience disadvantage. Across the nursery, children sustain their concentration when listening to stories. Babies enjoy sharing books one-to-one with their key person. Younger children listen to stories and enjoy answering questions as they look for hidden characters in lift the flap books. Older children experience books which help them understand their emotions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Physical development is planned for. Children learn to balance using their core muscles while babies learn to walk with increasing confidence. Maths is taught well through songs and water play activities. Children enjoy calling out the number of spaceships left as they recall familiar songs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Occasionally, planned activities do not sufficiently consider the skills that children need to develop. When this happens, staff's teaching skills are not focused enough on how the activity supports children's development. For instance, some activities are focused on the outcome of a task, rather than how the activity supports children's ongoing development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The provider identifies and supports children who experience disadvantage well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities needs are observed by staff who share concerns quickly with leaders. Leaders monitor these developmental concerns effectively. Leaders and staff have appropriately high expectations for children. They develop bespoke plans for children, with contributions from external agencies. Leaders have supported staff in developing their confidence to design and follow plans. Children typically experience daily, targeted practice in the areas that support their development. For instance, children learn to wait their turn, speak with increasing clarity and learn simple social skills as they play with their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff accurately assess children's needs. They celebrate children's successes with them and their parents and carers. Staff broadly highlight areas where children need support in their development. Leaders have appropriate plans to improve provision further. They are introducing assessment tools to further identify children's needs with increasing precision. These plans are in their early stages of implementation.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use funding strategically for the benefit of individual children. They work with parents to ensure that resources help meet children's individual needs. Staff provide daily, ongoing feedback to children. Leaders arrange, facilitate and support parents in accessing help from external agencies. They signpost parents in accessing help from services in the local area, such as communication and language services.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership changes have had a positive impact on the provider's improvement. They are ambitious for all children they care for. Leaders provide staff with effective support. They monitor their strengths and areas for development. Leaders support staff with training and practical guidance to implement what they learn in practice. The actions they have taken have been effective. These have established improvement, particularly in their curriculum and staff supervision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work effectively as a team. They seek new ways to support staff to improve practice. These include planned developments to support staff with assessment tools, enabling them to identify children's emerging developmental needs and barriers to learning more precisely.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders broadly have an accurate analysis of their setting's strength and areas for improvement. They demonstrate a positive attitude and desire for future development and improvements.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued. Leaders take their workload into account to ensure this is manageable. Leaders and staff engage positively and effectively with parents. Children's transitions into the setting work well. These ensure children feel confident when they start at the setting. Leaders also ensure that transitions to the next stage of learning is secure. To support children with their next stage in learning, they work with local schools. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, they provide detailed support to aid smooth transitions.

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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 feel cared for at this setting. Staff take care to get to know children well. They do this through warm, caring interactions with children and regular discussions with parents and carers. This helps children, particularly babies, to feel safe and secure. Children enjoy learning. Staff follow the provider's curriculum guidance to plan activities that support children's learning. Overall, children engage well in activities. Babies feel secure as they explore puzzles with staff. Younger children experiment with different containers as they investigate the properties of water. Older children learn about number through songs. They

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY454946 confidently answer questions about how many items are left.

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About this setting

Children learn alongside their peers. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are given the time they need to feel settled and comfortable. This helps them focus on activities they enjoy alongside their friends, such as joyfully playing toy guitars. The provider welcomes families warmly. Staff take time to speak with parents about their children's day, including details about their care routines. This ensures parents are well informed of their child's experiences development.

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About this setting

Children have a positive attitude to learning. They follow staff instructions well. This contributes to a calm, purposeful atmosphere. Children know what is expected of them. Staff praise their achievements and successes. They know children well and recognise where children make important milestones in their development. Staff celebrate these achievements with children and communicate these well with parents.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen teaching, so that staff consistently consider the skills children need to develop when planning activities. Leaders should ensure children learn how to make healthy choices which lead to lifelong healthy habits.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator 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 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:

6 HERRINGSTON ROAD DORCHESTER DORSET DT1 2BS

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Chipmunks Day Nursery Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 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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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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