Bloom Childcare Limited

Bloom Childcare Limited
Unique reference number (URN): 2877279
Address: Ward Jackson Primary School, Clark Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7LE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 23/12/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Bloom Childcare Limited
Inspection report: 31 March 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.

Strong standard
Expected standard
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff know children very well and rapidly identify their individual needs. They
fully understand how children's abilities and experiences can create barriers to their learning
and wellbeing. Measures to reduce these are highly appropriate and impactful. Support for
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is meticulously planned and highly
effective. Leaders ensure that staff are capable and confident to adapt routines,
expectations and learning experiences to support children's individual needs precisely. This
includes sharply focused training that helps staff to review and monitor the support they offer
to ensure that it supports each child as well as possible. Staff use carefully planned
strategies, such as visual cues, simplified language and sensory breaks, so that all children
can participate.
Children who face other barriers, such as disadvantage or changes in their family, benefit
from consistent and supportive care that strengthens their emotional security and enables
them to participate fully. Leaders act swiftly to reduce any barriers children face through
timely referrals and early involvement of other professionals. This ensures that children get
the right help at the right time. Partnerships with families are secure and embedded in day-
to-day practice. Parents feel listened to, and many say the support they receive has
positively transformed their experiences as parents.
Leaders use additional funding decisively and responsively to remove barriers to learning.
For example, children benefit from specialist resources and equipment, which enables them
to join in activities.
Achievement Expected standard
Children make steady progress from their starting points. Those who face barriers to their
learning make secure progress in line with their individual goals, including increased use of
speech sounds and words, improved physical control and greater engagement in activities.
They show developing social confidence and secure relationships. Across the nursery,
children demonstrate curiosity, emotional security and an eagerness to explore. This
prepares them well for future learning.
Children progress considerably well in their communication and language. They use
increasing vocabulary, join simple conversations and recall familiar stories with growing
confidence. Many show sustained attention during songs and group times. Babies show
early interest in books, often approaching staff to read to them, and enjoy copying actions to
songs. Older children demonstrate confident mathematical understanding as they count,
compare and explain simple reasoning. For example, they count fingers accurately to 10
and tell a friend they need one more dinosaur to make 6 altogether.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
There is a positive and nurturing atmosphere in nursery, which is underpinned by the
trusting and caring relationships that staff build with children. Children show they feel secure
and are confident and ready to learn. They follow familiar routines with increasing
independence, move calmly between activities and know what comes next. Staff use agreed
and consistent methods to support children's behaviour. They adapt their expectations
sensitively to match children's age and understanding. This includes for children who face
barriers to their learning, who benefit from predictable transitions and positive modelling
from staff. Children learn to get along with others and work together. They take turns, share
toys and show responsibility, for example when they help with lunchtime tasks.
Staff give plenty of praise to reinforce children's efforts and raise their self-esteem. Children
understand what is expected of them, behave well and are polite. For example, they remind
their friends to 'use their manners'. Children show curiosity, emotional security and positive
attitudes to learning, enabling them to participate well in the routines of the day. Leaders
encourage parents and children to arrive on time and attend every day, building positive
habits for later life. They offer flexible arrangements that support families and help to ensure
that all children benefit from the routines and learning offered in nursery.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders review the quality of teaching and learning and have taken recent steps to build on
this. The newly designed curriculum is deliberately structured to be inclusive. Learning is
broken into clear, achievable steps so that every child can experience success. Those who
progress more slowly are supported to grow and develop at their own pace. This supports
all children to build knowledge over time. Throughout the nursery, staff have clear aims for
children at each stage, and their teaching is well sequenced. They check what children
already know and can do to help them to plan what comes next for each child. This is
particularly effective for children who face barriers to their learning. Staff skilfully create and
follow in-depth plans that are focused on the skills and knowledge these children need.
Children benefit from experiences that support their progress through the curriculum across
all areas of learning and development. Staff focus well on communication and language
development. They use songs, stories and repeated vocabulary purposefully to develop
children's understanding across all areas, including early mathematics. For example, they
teach early counting through number songs. Children's personal, social and emotional
development is central to the curriculum. Staff model turn-taking and support children to
build independence. Staff create opportunities for physical development. For example,
babies pull themselves up on thoughtfully placed furniture, and older children run and climb
outdoors.

Needs attention
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
There are times when procedures to promote children's welfare are not consistently upheld,
for example while staff supervise children when eating and when preparing and serving
food. Staff do not always identify or respond to potential hazards with the level of oversight
that leaders expect. Risk assessments are in place but are not implemented well enough to
ensure that staff apply them reliably in practice. When key staff who have specific roles are
not present, leaders do not ensure that other staff follow the intended procedures
consistently.
Children benefit from warm, responsive relationships with familiar staff who know them well.
This supports their sense of belonging and security. For example, children confidently
approach staff for a warm hug. Staff offer calm, sensitive interactions, offering reassurance
and support during group times. They adapt care routines to match individual needs,
including for children who face barriers to their learning. Adjustments, such as quieter
spaces and reduced group sizes, help children to cope with their feelings and remain
comfortable and confident. Staff respect children's feelings and help them to express them,
for example by using stories to teach them the language of emotions.
Staff work closely with parents to manage babies' feeding routines. There are clear
measures in place to keep children safe while they sleep. Children learn routines, such as
washing their hands and brushing their teeth, that help them to understand ways to stay
healthy. They benefit from daily fresh air and exercise and develop a growing awareness of
how their bodies work. They learn ways to keep safe when they join in a 'danger detectives'
activity to help staff to make the room tidy and safe.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders do not monitor mealtime practice closely enough when usual staffing arrangements
have changed to ensure that staff understand and apply procedures consistently.
Expectations for supervision during children's eating and food preparation are not always
implemented as intended, and risk assessments are not applied reliably. Staff deployment,
particularly when key staff are absent, does not always support consistent practice.
Leaders are deeply committed to improving outcomes for children and families. They have
recently identified a need to amend the curriculum, and the impact of this work is quickly
becoming evident, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND). They take decisive action to support children who need additional help, including
increasing staff-to-child ratios, securing specialist involvement and offering extra attendance
hours to support their progress.
Leaders invest in staff development through targeted training and reliable support. For
example, staff experience regular check-ins with leaders to discuss workload, wellbeing and
any worries they have. They feel valued, and morale is high. They are encouraged to build
on their knowledge and skills, and this is currently focused on supporting children with
SEND or other barriers to their learning. This has strengthened staff expertise in supporting

these children, who make remarkable progress in their learning and develop greater
confidence, security and emotional wellbeing.
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
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Some aspects of children's care do not consistently promote their welfare. Leaders do not
ensure that all staff are fully aware of, and follow, the setting's safe eating risk assessments.
Leaders do not ensure that all staff are fully confident with understanding and identify
hazards. This leads to inconsistencies in relation to the supervision of children's eating and
food preparation.
Children build close relationships with staff and are happy and comfortable in their care.
They build increasing confidence to explore and play, showing they feel safe and secure.
Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive. They share their experiences of close working
relationships with staff that support their whole family. Those whose children face barriers to
their learning speak of how swiftly leaders and staff have helped them to get the support
they need to help their children to thrive. They appreciate how staff tailor care and learning
to their children's needs, helping them to be proud of who they are and what they can do.
Children show understanding of one another's needs and are careful to include friends who
need help to join in their play. Toddlers show confidence when they hand out musical
instruments to encourage others to join in.

Inspector:
Clare Wilkins
The highly inclusive curriculum supports all children's progress well. Gaps in children's
learning are narrowed or close, most notably in their communication and language skills.
Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is particularly effective
in helping them to build appropriately on what they know and can do. Children enjoy their
learning. Babies immerse themselves in creative experiences, using their senses to explore
different materials. Older children set challenges for themselves, for example when building
dens. They listen intently to stories and join in eagerly with songs. Children are well
prepared for the next steps in their learning, from moving through rooms in the nursery to
their eventual move on to school.
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
ensure that all staff understand how to identify, manage
and reduce risks, particularly during mealtimes
17/04/2026
ensure that staff are deployed effectively, particularly
when key colleagues with specific responsibilities are
absent
17/04/2026
ensure that all staff understand the procedures to
promote children's welfare and wellbeing when eating,
and check that these are followed consistently in
everyday practice
17/04/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children.
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.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2877279
Address:
Ward Jackson Primary School
Clark Street
Hartlepool
TS24 7LE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 23/12/2025
Registered person: Bloom Childcare Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Hartlepool Borough
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 31 March 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
65
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.
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