Quarrybrow NurseryOfsted report card, 29 Sept 2026

Quarrybrow Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY285358 Address: Ormsgill Primary School, Mill Bank, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 4AR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/09/2004 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Quarry Brow 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 make steady progress across all areas of learning and development. They benefit from the leaders and staff's keen focus on personal, social and emotional development. This ensures that children build secure relationships with staff and peers. For example, they sit together on soft cushions with staff and listen to stories they choose.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically show that they understand the expectations of behaviour by listening to instructions appropriately. For example, children in all rooms help to tidy up and use their manners saying, 'please' or 'ta' during mealtimes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning, typically show positive attitudes to learning. They build on learning and development skills from what they already know and can do. Furthermore, children have opportunities to develop skills, such as sharing and turn taking, which builds their emotional resilience. They are well prepared for the next stage of their learning as they receive robust transitions, which means they settle quickly and confidently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders provide well-thought-out settling-in sessions to meet the individual needs of children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They establish a welcoming environment where children feel safe, happy and secure. Children are excited to attend and typically show positive attitudes to their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff are positive role models. They support children to understand the routines of the day. For example, children follow verbal prompts to tidy up, wash their hands and get ready for mealtimes. On rare occasions, during busier transition times, staff do not always consistently reinforce expectations, and the organisation of some routines do not fully support children in maintaining the high standards typically seen.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff get to know babies and children well by giving them their full attention. They take time to listen to parents and use this shared information to build trusting relationships. Parents report on the positive bonds their children build with their key person and the wider team and the assurance this offers them in making their child feel valued.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders are quick to identify non-attendance which supports families and children to establish a solid foundation for regular attendance as they move on to school. Leaders provide flexibility, which supports families and children to access their full funding entitlement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff ensure that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel safe, valued and supported. This reinforces children's sense of belonging. Leaders and staff have an excellent knowledge of the children in their care. They take time to understand their individual needs and care routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff encourage children to manage age-appropriate aspects of self-care and hygiene routines. For example, babies have flannels to wash their hands and face, and older children wash their hands with oversight from staff before mealtimes. This promotes hygiene routines and creates a solid foundation of adopting healthy habits. Staff are diligent in their routines to support children's dietary requirements. Each child has a nutritional, balanced meal each day. Older children show increasing control to feed themselves with knives and forks. Babies are fed or use a fork to feed themselves. Staff carefully monitor eating and make this a social event. For example, staff sit with children while they eat and talk to them about their meal.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff in the baby room are confident with procedures to ensure that children sleep safely in their care. They place babies on their backs and ensure they are checked regularly. Staff adapt routines to ensure individual needs are met and that these align with home. Parents praise the communication they receive from their child's key person each day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a balanced curriculum that is inclusive and considers the context of their setting. It is responsive to children's interests and promoting independence. For example, children develop independence to manage handwashing and use knives and forks to eat their lunch. Overall, children develop the skills they need for the next stages of their learning through activities that cover all areas of learning. At times, staff do not consistently use interactions to move children's learning on. This means that children do not fully benefit from opportunities to extend their learning and deepen understanding further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff who work with babies focus on supporting them to build secure attachments. This ensures that children feel secure and happily join in with adult-led activities within the room. For example, children enjoy making movements and clapping as they sing rhymes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders typically ensure children enjoy the learning through a balance of free-play and adult-led activities. For example, children build scenes with train tracks and are highly engaged in extending the track. They problem solve as they play to ensure they have the correct piece to join tracks together. Staff use this time to support developing communication and language skills. For example, children are exposed to language, such as 'curved', 'straight', 'big' and 'small'.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are dedicated to establishing an inclusive, welcoming environment where children's uniqueness is valued and supported. Leaders identify needs and barriers to learning quickly. They work collaboratively with external agencies and families to ensure that support is established. Parents and carers praise the attentive attitude from staff in understanding their children's needs. Staff typically understand the support needed for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), however, there are times where this has not been consistently embedded. This means that children with barriers to learning sometimes miss out on opportunities to extend their learning. Leaders utilise funding well to enhance provision and offer experiences that enrich early opportunities. This supports children to make progress effectively. For example, resources to support children's speech and language are purchased to develop emerging language and

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Inclusion Expected standard

articulation. This reflects the dedication of leaders who are responsible for supporting children with SEND or those facing barriers to learning. Leaders' knowledge and understanding of how best to utilise external professional support is evident. This builds trust and a shared understanding with families.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Key-person practices are in place and this supports staff to make some adaptations to curriculum offering. They use observations and assessments to understand children's stage of learning and inform planning. This means that children are typically accessing learning that suits their interests and needs. Parents praise the communication from staff, stating they are approachable, warm and caring. They share that they feel reassured to have regular updates about their children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders show a commitment to providing an inclusive and nurturing education to improve the lives of children in their care. Leaders are passionate about inclusion and work effectively with external professionals and families when working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children. Their strategic approach to the setting's strengths and areas for development are ambitious and prioritise the best possible outcomes for children. Leaders have high expectations for the quality of education and recognise areas where this can be strengthened to ensure consistency in high-quality practice across the nursery.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff report that they feel supported and valued by leaders and are happy in their roles. Leaders ensure they and their staff team fully understand new guidance about safeguarding children, safer sleep and safer-eating practices. Leaders monitor teaching and staff development through clear supervision processes that consider staff wellbeing. They establish professional development opportunities that meet both the needs of the staff and the children. For example, staff have recently completed training which has had an immediate positive impact to the planning in the outside area. This reflects the ongoing dedication by leaders who strive to bring about continuous improvement for the children and families they serve. Leaders work in collaboration with parents and carers through open communication, forming excellent partnerships. Parents share high praise of the attitude that leaders and staff have to support their children's unique and individual needs. They

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

comment on the sense of community that is created by leaders.

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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 are welcomed into this nurturing environment where they feel safe and well cared for. They arrive happy and settle quickly into well-known and established routines with staff who understand them. Children build secure relationships with their key person and wider team. As a result, children demonstrate a sense of belonging and are confident in their approach to accessing learning opportunities.

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

Children typically demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. They engage well with planned activities and free play that cover all areas of learning. Some children become engrossed in learning and show sustained levels of concentration. For example, while building with wooden blocks, children work collaboratively to build a 'sleigh' and use books from the environment to support their built design. Children's personal, social and emotional development is nurtured in the nursery. The children benefit from flexible sessions that suit their individual need and parents speak highly of how this is managed to best support their child.

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

Children are supported to develop social skills through the activities provided. They access activities that spark their interest and staff weave literary and mathematical learning into the offering. For example, children use pipettes to soak cotton pads with coloured water and discuss 'The Colour Monster' book. They speak about colours and associated emotions to link their learning. Children benefit from a varied range of play opportunities. Outside, children build on their physical skills by scooping soil with diggers, accessing trim trails and utilising wheeled toys. This supports them as they build confidence to use tools, manage risk, climb and develop coordination.

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

Mealtimes, transitions and group activities are well thought out to allow children to feel safe and secure. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning join activities alongside their peers and enjoy this sociable and inclusive environment. In general, children behave well and demonstrate kindness and respect towards others with the support of staff. As a result, children develop their communication skills, resilience and emotional wellbeing and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all staff have the shared knowledge and understanding to consistently enhance the opportunities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders should help all staff to consistently understand that every interaction they have with a child is an opportunity for teaching and learning. Leaders should support staff to consistently maintain their high expectations of behaviour throughout the day.

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About this inspection

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

Ormsgill Primary School Mill Bank Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria LA14 4AR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Quarry Brow Day Nursery Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Address:

Local authority: Westmorland and Furness

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

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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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