Smart Kids Childcare

Smart Kids Childcare
Unique reference number (URN): EY453915
Address: Bhailok Square, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8DY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 08/02/2013
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Smart Kids Childcare
Inspection report: 20 May 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children, including children with gaps in their learning, make steady progress across the 7
areas of learning. Younger children are supported to develop their large muscles. They are
delighted to pull themselves to standing and look at themselves in the mirror. This helps
them to progress from crawling to standing. Staff carefully consider ways to help children
feel settled. Children learn their friends' names as they complete tasks such as handing out
cutlery. This helps them to form friendships with their peers. Older children demonstrate
strong communication skills. They use these skills as they play collaboratively with their
peers. Preschool children are skilled negotiators. They work together to transport water
between puddles. Their strong social skills can support future learning.
Children demonstrate a 'can-do' attitude. They show high levels of concentration as they
carefully pour their drinks at lunch. Children are delighted with their growing independence.
They develop a positive self-esteem and they persevere at tasks
Children generally start the setting with expected levels of development and they make
steady progress. Where children have gaps in learning, these gaps typically close, and
children make progress alongside their peers. Children are prepared for their next stage of
learning. Leaders acknowledge children's progress could be enhanced further once staff are
more settled in their roles.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have developed a welcoming setting. Children copy the kind and considerate
behaviours that are consistently demonstrated by staff. Leaders encourage staff to be
respectful of children. They remind them to give children choices throughout the day. Staff
typically give children time to finish activities before moving onto the next part of the routine.
The setting is currently experiencing recruitment issues, and they are using temporary staff
to maintain staff: child ratios. However, all staff demonstrate knowledge about children's
current routines, likes and dislikes. Staff deployment is considered by leaders to ensure
children always have a familiar member of staff nearby. The settling in processes consider
children's current experiences and needs. For example, staff consider any changes at
home. This helps children to feel settled. Children are generally happy in the care of the kind
staff.
Leaders work flexibly with parents to support attendance. For example, they offer changes
to days and times to meet individual children and family's needs. This helps children to get
maximum benefit from the setting.
Leaders have established a consistent routine which is known by children. As a result,
children can anticipate what will happen next in their day. Children demonstrate a secure
knowledge of the routines. For example, they know to wash their hands before eating.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
The setting has recently had some staff changes. While recruitment is ongoing, leaders
have considered ways to deploy staff to ensure consistency for children. This is reducing
any negative impact on children's wellbeing. Established staff take the key person role for
children and children demonstrate secure relationships with their key person. All staff
consider children's care needs and secure partnership work with parents helps key staff to
know their children well. For example, staff know what comforter to offer when children are
tired, and they know about any allergies children have. This helps to keep children safe.
Children demonstrate skills of independence. Young children are supported to use a spoon
to eat their meals and older children progress to using a knife and fork. Children are
delighted to help set up the table for lunch and older children independently poor their own
water. Children learn to manage appropriate risks. For example, they consider their friends
as they transition from the garden back inside. Staff remind children to make space for their
friends so everyone can move inside safely. Staff generally help children to consider their
emotions as they play. For example, they ask children how they feel when their friends
share resources.
Leaders have maintained positive relationships with parents. They have prioritised children's
welfare and wellbeing, supporting less established staff to learn about children's routines,
likes and medical needs such as allegers. This helps to keep children safe.
Inclusion Expected standard
Partnership work is at the heart of the settings inclusive practise. The close collaboration
between staff and parents supports children's progress. Leaders have considered the recent
changes in staff. They have planned for established staff to oversee key groups of children
and therefore these staff maintain a clear understanding of children's needs where children
have gaps in learning. These staff use observation and assessment to monitor progress,
and they offer additional support where required. For example, visual aids are used to
support children with less language. Temporary staff follow the role modelling of more
established and knowledgeable staff. This supports the progress of children with identified
needs and those with gaps in learning.
Leaders attend meetings and collaborate with other professionals, such as health visitors
and speech therapists. They work closely with staff and parents to ensure there is a
coordinated approach to support. Leaders discuss how any additional funding could be used
if it was in place for individual children. Leaders are keen to support staff with specific
training to help children make progress.

Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Recent staff changes have not been managed effectively. The leader's vision and intent for
children's learning is not clearly understood by temporary staff at the setting. This impacts
on the quality of the curriculum. Leader's time has been focussed on recruitment and
working in children's rooms to maintain staff: child ratios. Time coaching less experienced
and temporary staff has not been prioritised. Teaching sometimes lacks learning
opportunities that are sharply focussed on children's next steps. This results in learning that
is not consistently sequenced to support children to build on their existing skills.
More established staff know children well. Their teaching is planned to support children's
ongoing progress, and they typically offer learning that is purposeful. For example, children
make good progress in managing self-care tasks, such as hand washing and developing
skills in feeding. Children show high levels of concentration as they serve their own food and
pour their own drinks. Increased social skills are demonstrated by children as they negotiate
passing water jugs to their friends.
All staff praise children's achievements. This helps children to have pride in their
achievements. Partnerships are in place to support children with barriers to learning.
Parents comment positively and they say the setting has a positive impact on their children's
learning and development.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Recent staff changes have not been managed effectively. The leader's vision and intent for
children's learning is not clearly understood by temporary staff at the setting. This impacts
on the quality of the curriculum. Leader's time has been focussed on recruitment and
working in children's rooms to maintain staff: child ratios. Time coaching staff has not been
prioritised. Teaching sometimes lacks learning opportunities that are sharply focussed on
children's next steps. This results in learning that is not consistently sequenced to support
children to build on their existing skills.
However, established staff know children well. Their teaching is planned to support
children's ongoing progress, and they typically offer learning that is purposeful, such as
children's increasing ability in managing self-care tasks.
All staff praise children's achievements. This helps children to have pride in their
achievements. Leaders have built partnerships with the local school. This helps them to plan
and support children as they make the transition to school. Leaders are knowledgeable
about the local priorities for children, for example to reduce dental decay. They support
children with regular toothbrushing, and they help parents with details of local dentists

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
The setting has recently undergone some staffing changes and currently have several
temporary staff. Leaders have not maintained a consistently high-quality curriculum for all
children. Effective systems to support sequenced learning are not in place. However,
children's wellbeing is maintained as a high priority and where children have gaps in
learning, staff provide targeted activities to support progress. Generally, all children are
learning and making progress in readiness for their transition to school.

Children in the setting are engaged and motivated learners. They explore activities typically
demonstrating concentration and persistence. Young children sit and look through books
independently. Older children show social skills as they play with friends. Children feel safe,
happy and secure. They smile and laugh as they play and they talk to staff about recent
events in their homes.
Regular attendance helps children build confidence and establish routines, allowing them to
feel a sense of belonging. Staff supervise children as they play and remind them of ways to
remain safe, for example by considering how to use steps safely.
Healthy attitudes to exercise are promoted through outdoor learning. Children smile as they
join in blowing and chasing bubbles. They develop coordination and balance as they stretch
and jump to pop the bubbles. Staff weave mathematical language into their play as they
help children to count the bubbles.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the
provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
share precisely the intent and vision for the setting, so it
is clearly understood by all staff
19/06/2026
plan and implement a curriculum that is effectively
sequenced to consistently support all children to make
progress in their learning
19/06/2026
improve coaching and support for all staff so that they
have the appropriate skills and knowledge to implement
the curriculum effectively.
19/06/2026
About this inspection
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator
and the designated safeguarding leader during the 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

Inspector:
Lynn Richards
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY453915
Address:
Bhailok Square
Fulwood
Preston
Lancashire
PR2 8DY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 08/02/2013
Registered person: Smart Kids Childcare
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Lancashire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 20 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
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.

Total number of places
106
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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.
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.
This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information
and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2026
© Crown copyright