URN 2779890 · Inspected 2026-06-18 · Published 2026-08-17 · Inspector: Lauren Stringfellow
Kiddies Playhouse Unique reference number (URN): 2779890 Address: Kiddies Playhouse, 33 Lincoln Road, Walsall, WS1 2DZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 23/06/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Clearwell Growth Ltd Inspection report: 18 June 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 Achievement Strong standard Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning. Babies develop confidence in communicating their needs, joining in familiar routines and interacting with others. Older children communicate their ideas and interests with increasing confidence and use a growing vocabulary during their play and learning. Children develop positive social skills and learn to cooperate, take turns and build relationships with their peers. They become highly independent in daily routines, including managing personal care, serving themselves at mealtimes and preparing for transitions within the nursery and on to school. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for early years pupil premium participate fully in nursery life and make excellent progress from their individual starting points. Although there is some inconsistency in children's engagement during an adult-led activity, this does not reflect on children's overall achievements. Children develop the communication, personal and social skills needed for future success and are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders place children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of the nursery's work. They work closely with families from the outset through home visits, settling-in sessions and regular communication. Leaders develop a detailed understanding of children's lives. They are highly responsive when circumstances change, adapting support, routines and care to meet children's individual circumstances. This helps children to feel secure, valued and confident in nursery. Staff develop warm and nurturing relationships with children and respond thoughtfully to their emotional needs. Children form secure attachments with familiar adults. They demonstrate confidence as they move through daily routines and transitions. For example, staff carefully support children who initially struggle to separate from their parents and carers to develop confidence and independence. Other children receive personalised emotional support following significant changes within their families. These responsive approaches enable children to feel understood and supported. Children benefit from an inclusive approach to wellbeing. Staff work closely with families and external professionals to secure timely support for children who are vulnerable or require additional help. Leaders promote healthy lifestyles effectively through nutritious meals, physical activity, outdoor learning and oral health initiatives. Children confidently self-serve meals, manage personal hygiene and make healthy choices for themselves. As a result, children develop resilience, positive wellbeing and the confidence to participate fully in nursery life. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have designed a curriculum that reflects the needs, interests and experiences of the children who attend the nursery. They use assessment information and regular checkpoints effectively to identify priorities, including communication and language, independence and personal development. Leaders understand their community well. They have developed a curriculum that broadens children's experiences and prepares them for future learning. Staff use visits from community professionals, the emergency services, animal encounters and an ice-cream van to enrich children's understanding of occupations and the wider world beyond their immediate experiences. Staff have a clear understanding of the skills and knowledge children need to acquire. They use observations and assessment information effectively to identify children's next steps and adapt learning experiences to meet children's individual needs. Staff build learning over time by revisiting stories, introducing planned vocabulary and using children's interests to deepen learning. Purposeful daily routines promote children's independence, self-care and school readiness. Teaching is responsive and supported by skilful questioning and meaningful interactions that extend children's learning. Mathematics is embedded through everyday experiences, including counting, comparing, weighing, construction and water play. Leaders have accurately identified opportunities to further strengthen staff expertise in early mathematics through a mathematics champion programme, building on the secure practice already established across the nursery. Inclusion Strong standard Children benefit from a highly inclusive nursery. Leaders and staff are committed to ensuring that every child is valued, supported and able to participate fully in nursery life. Leaders know children and families exceptionally well. They have established effective systems to identify children's individual needs at the earliest opportunity. Home visits, starting-point assessments, screening tools and ongoing observations help staff to understand children's individual strengths and barriers to learning from the start. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for early years pupil premium receive carefully tailored support that enables them to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Staff adapt activities, resources and teaching approaches using Makaton, 'now and next' boards and targeted workstation sessions. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to provide additional adult support and personalised resources. A dedicated room for children with complex needs provides a calm environment where children receive individualised support tailored to their needs. Leaders work closely with families and a wide range of external professionals, including speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and local authority specialists. This helps them to secure timely support and positive outcomes for children. Parents and carers value the care, guidance and advocacy they receive, particularly during assessment, referral and education, health and care plan processes. Carefully planned transitions, Expected standard specialised training and external partnerships help to ensure inclusive practice remains at the heart of the nursery's work. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders have established a clear and ambitious vision that reflects the needs of the children, families and community they serve. They know their children well and use assessment information, observations and regular checkpoints effectively to evaluate provision and shape priorities. Leaders have a deep understanding of their community and use this knowledge to ensure that the nursery's provision reflects children's needs and experiences. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the nursery. Leaders have recognised the need to further embed consistency in how staff support children's behaviour and engagement during some adult-led experiences, so that high expectations are maintained across all aspects of provision. Leaders have developed effective systems to identify and support children who may require additional help. They work closely with families and external professionals to secure timely support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those who are vulnerable. This helps to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing and supports children to make progress. Leaders invest in staff development and provide professional learning opportunities that strengthen practice across the nursery. Staff contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and feel valued and supported in their roles. Leaders build excellent partnerships with parents and carers and the wider community. Families value the communication, care and support they receive, particularly when children require additional help or transition to their next stage of learning. As a result, leaders have established a welcoming and supportive nursery where children and families feel valued and well supported. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders establish clear routines and expectations that help children feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Staff support children to understand these routines through visual prompts, familiar songs and consistent approaches across the nursery. Children respond positively and move confidently between activities and daily routines. Children develop warm and trusting relationships with staff who know them well. Babies seek reassurance from familiar adults and confidently join in group experiences. Older children cooperate with their peers, take turns and share resources. Staff support children to develop independence through everyday experiences, including mealtimes, personal care routines and preparing for transitions. Children generally engage well in learning and show enthusiasm for activities that reflect their interests. For example, children eagerly participate in songs, stories and role-play activities linked to their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other groups of children receive effective support to access routines and learning alongside their peers. Leaders promote children's regular attendance as part of supporting their engagement and readiness to learn, working closely with families when concerns arise. During some adult-led learning experiences, staff do not consistently reinforce their expectations for children's behaviour or use timely interactions to sustain children's engagement. This causes some children to lose focus and not understand the expectations. As a result, children's sustained attention and participation are not consistently promoted across all adult-led experiences. 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 Children are happy, settled and enjoy their time at nursery. Babies eagerly join in familiar songs and action rhymes. They clap, copy actions and begin to use new words as they learn alongside their friends. Older children confidently share their ideas, interests and aspirations. For example, children enthusiastically explain that they want to become a doctor to help people who are poorly. Children benefit from experiences that broaden their understanding of the world and help them develop confidence, communication and independence. Staff plan visitors and experiences linked to the curriculum to help children learn about occupations, services and the wider community beyond their immediate experiences. Children form warm and trusting relationships with staff. They develop a deep sense of belonging. Home visits and carefully planned settling-in arrangements help children feel secure from the outset. Familiar routines, visual prompts and consistent support help children understand what will happen next and develop confidence in their daily experiences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for early years pupil premium learn and play alongside their peers and receive the support they need to participate fully in nursery life. Children who face additional barriers to learning receive timely support that helps them make progress from their starting points. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning. They generally engage well in activities and daily routines. They learn to share, take turns and cooperate with others. Across the nursery, children build independence through everyday experiences. For example, they serve their own meals, manage personal care routines and prepare for transitions. Children enjoy healthy meals, physical play and outdoor experiences that support their wellbeing. Children develop the confidence, communication and personal skills needed for their next stage of learning. As a result, they thrive in an inclusive and nurturing environment where they are valued as individuals and prepared well for the future. Next steps Leaders should increase opportunities for children to maintain engagement and contribute actively during adult-led group learning experiences. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents/carers and children during the inspection. Inspector: Lauren Stringfellow About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2779890 Address: Kiddies Playhouse 33 Lincoln Road Walsall WS1 2DZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 23/06/2024 Registered person: Clearwell Growth Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Walsall Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 18 June 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 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. Total number of places 55 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. 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