Hedgehogs NurseryOfsted report card, 2 Oct 2026

Hedgehogs Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2858896 Address: Woodlands Primary School, Eddisbury Road, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, CH66 2JT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/09/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Woodlands Primary School and Nursery

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

Children make substantial progress from their individual starting points and develop secure foundations for later learning. They increasingly communicate their needs and ideas, join in with familiar songs and rhymes, explore books independently and use familiar words and concepts in new situations.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children become increasingly confident and independent over time. For example, some who initially lacked confidence now lead their own play, form close friendships and engage readily with adults and other children. Others make marked gains in their physical development and move on confidently to increasingly challenging experiences. Children who need more targeted support also make marked progress because the help they receive enables them to reach important developmental milestones and participate fully in the curriculum.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. Transitions are carefully matched to individual readiness, helping children move on securely and confidently while building on the knowledge, skills and relationships they have already developed.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders have embedded a calm and respectful culture in which children feel secure and understand what is expected of them. Practitioners model positive behaviour consistently and use simple, age-appropriate language, such as reminders to use 'gentle' or 'kind hands' to help very young children understand how their actions affect others.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children develop positive attitudes to learning. They choose activities confidently, remain engaged in stories, activities and exploratory play, and show enthusiasm when joining familiar experiences. Practitioners use specific praise to reinforce children's efforts, including when they attempt new words, wait for a turn or persevere with an activity. This helps children develop confidence and an enjoyment of learning.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Positive relationships support children's emerging self-regulation. Practitioners use familiar songs, signs and routines to help children manage transitions and return to calm. Children increasingly play alongside and with one another, share attention and resources and enjoy being part of the group. Children who were initially wary or lacked confidence become increasingly secure and socially confident.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders understand children's individual circumstances and work with families to address barriers that could affect attendance or participation. They promote regular attendance and maintain high expectations while adapting settling-in and transition arrangements sensitively. This enables children, including those who face disadvantage or other barriers, to establish positive routines and participate fully in the life of the setting.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that reflects how babies and toddlers learn. The 3 prime areas are given prominence, while children also experience a broad range of opportunities across all areas of learning. Leaders and practitioners are clear about what they want children to learn and how experiences build from children's starting points.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently responsive and well matched to children's ages and stages. Practitioners use their secure knowledge of individual children to adapt interactions in the moment. For example, they model clear speech, repeat and extend children's sounds and words, use familiar songs and rhymes, and encourage children to respond without pressure. Children remember these experiences and use prior learning independently in their play.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Books are integral to the curriculum. Children choose them freely, share them with adults and hear language modelled clearly. Mathematical ideas are also woven naturally through everyday experiences. Practitioners count objects, compare 'big' and 'small' and introduce positional and movement vocabulary such as 'up', 'down' and 'roll'.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The environment strengthens the curriculum particularly well. Outdoor provision offers rich opportunities for physical development, while sensory trays, role play and age-appropriate mark-making support exploration and creativity. Younger and less mobile children have a separate space where they can investigate safely, ensuring that the curriculum remains ambitious and accessible for all children.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have established an inclusive culture in which practitioners know children and their families very well. Emerging or changing needs are identified quickly through daily observation, key-person knowledge and regular communication with parents. Leaders act promptly when concerns arise, seek specialist advice and adapt provision without lowering expectations for children.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Staff responsible for managing the arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work closely with practitioners, families and external professionals. Support is highly individualised. For example, when children with SEND previously attended the setting, practitioners accommodated specialist physical equipment, worked alongside physiotherapy services and used targeted communication approaches. Parents describe the support they receive as patient, encouraging and carefully matched to their child. Transitions to the next provision are planned individually according to each child's readiness.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use additional funding purposefully. For example, funding has been used to purchase communication and language resources linked directly to an identified developmental next step. Practitioners monitor children's development, discuss emerging concerns sensitively with parents and adjust support as needs change.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Children experiencing disadvantage and those known or previously known to children's social care receive thoughtful and respectful support. Leaders also help families access wider community services when appropriate. These approaches consistently reduce

p.3

Expected standard

barriers, enabling children to participate fully, make progress and benefit from the same ambitious experiences as their peers.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a safe and welcoming environment where children form secure attachments and generally receive care that is well matched to their age and stage. Settling- in arrangements are individualised, and parents describe practitioners as approachable, caring and reassuring. Children who are new to the setting quickly become comfortable enough to seek adults for interaction and comfort.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from daily outdoor experiences, healthy snacks and meals, and sociable mealtimes. Practitioners understand children's dietary requirements and allergy plans. Safe- sleeping arrangements are appropriate. For example, children use suitable sleep spaces and bedding, with cots available for younger babies when needed. Leaders and practitioners also understand requirements around weaning and safer eating.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

However, a small number of everyday care routines, such as nose wiping, are not yet as consistently responsive as the strongest aspects of the provision. Children are not always encouraged to drink water regularly, and lunchtime routines can involve some unnecessary waiting. This means children do not yet experience the same consistently high level of responsiveness across all aspects of their care.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for this recently established provision and understand how Hedgehogs contributes to the wider early years offer across the school. They know the setting's context well, recognise its strengths and work collaboratively with practitioners and school colleagues. This gives children continuity as they move through different stages of provision and enables staff to share knowledge and expertise across the early years team.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional learning is valued. Practitioners receive regular supervision, feedback and opportunities for training, with reflection built into supervision discussions. Staff are encouraged to suggest areas for further development. Leaders respond appropriately when the workload becomes too demanding by changing responsibilities so that staff can focus more effectively on their roles. Staff wellbeing is treated sensitively, and practitioners feel able to seek support.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance provides appropriate oversight. For example, governor visits include checks on safeguarding knowledge and children's care, including allergy management. Leaders also work constructively with parents, external professionals and community services. Parents value regular communication and the individualised support their children receive. Leaders are reflective and respond quickly when an issue is drawn to their attention. However, their monitoring of everyday care routines is not yet precise enough to identify and prevent all inconsistencies before they occur. Consequently, issues such as unnecessary waiting at lunchtime and less consistent promotion of personal care are sometimes addressed reactively. This means leaders cannot yet be assured that their highest expectations for care are embedded consistently across every part of the day.

p.4

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

Children settle quickly into this warm and welcoming provision and form secure relationships with familiar adults. Those who have attended for only a short time confidently seek adults for comfort, reassurance and interaction. Children show that they feel safe as they explore freely, laugh with practitioners and return to trusted adults when they need support.

p.5

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

Children are enthusiastic learners. They choose books independently, share stories with adults and listen carefully as practitioners model words, sounds and rhymes. For example, children copy animal sounds, join in with familiar songs and complete well-known phrases from rhymes. They also hear mathematical language naturally during play as adults count, compare sizes and introduce words linked to movement and position.

p.5

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

Children benefit from an environment designed carefully around their age and stage of development. Outdoors, they have plentiful opportunities to climb, move and develop coordination. A separate area enables younger and less mobile children to explore safely at their own pace. Indoors, sensory experiences, role play and mark-making resources invite curiosity and sustained exploration.

p.5

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

Children who need extra help receive support that is closely matched to their individual needs. Practitioners work with parents and other professionals, adapt experiences and use additional funding thoughtfully. Children who have needed more specialised support are carefully prepared for their next stage through highly individualised transitions.

p.5

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

Children develop positive relationships with each other. They play alongside others, take turns and respond to practitioners' calm reminders about being gentle and kind. Familiar routines help children understand what happens next. Regular praise and encouragement help children to build confidence and independence. Parents value the regular communication they receive and describe their children as settled, secure and increasingly confident.

p.5

Address:

Woodlands Primary School Eddisbury Road, Whitby Ellesmere Port CH66 2JT

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Woodlands Primary School and Nursery

p.6

Address:

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

p.6

Address:

Local authority: Cheshire West and Chester

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should strengthen daily care routines so that practitioners respond promptly to children's personal care needs, encourage children to drink water regularly and organise mealtimes to minimise unnecessary waiting.

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

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.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

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 .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8