URN 2825892 · Inspected 2026-07-01 · Published 2026-08-12 · Inspector: Michelle Latchford
First Steps Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2825892 Address: West Street Christian Fellowship, West Street, Crewe, CW1 3HE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/01/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Mr Edward Bell and Mrs Christine Elizabeth Bell Inspection report: 1 July 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 enjoy daily fresh air and exercise, contributing to their physical health. They roll balls down drainpipes and anticipate which ball will go faster. They are mesmerised during this activity and master their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they play. Children enjoy exploring age-appropriate climbing frames. They show courage and resilience as they climb up and over the frame. Children navigate their way across a pathway of blocks, negotiating different spaces and levels. This is a challenging task and helps to extend children's coordination and physical strength. Children use tools to cut and shape dough. They confidently manipulate the dough by rolling, patting and creating different shapes. This requires concentration and promotes their dexterity and fine-motor skills. Children make better-than-expected progress in their speech and language development and, overall, make typically-steady progress across all areas of learning. Children hear and use different descriptive words, such as 'squish', 'squash' and 'stretch'. They develop their language skills during this largely creative art activity. Children benefit from a broad and interesting programme of play. Children benefit from carefully-adapted activities to meet their differing needs. For instance, babies who are developing their core strength are bolstered by soft cushions so they can access toys safely. Children consistently benefit from this sensitive teaching. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders closely monitor children's attendance. They act swiftly when any absences or concerns arise to minimise the impact on children's learning. They work sensitively and closely with families to address difficulties related to attendance. There is a collective understanding among parents, staff and leaders about the value of punctual and regular attendance. Staff work well as a team. They show immense respect and courtesy for one another. Children witness these considerate interactions between the adults who care for them. This means that children learn first hand how to treat others. For instance, staff are extremely polite and they model manners in every interaction. Children copy and effortlessly say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children learn to treat others with courtesy, kindness and respect. Staff confidently manage behaviour using a number of age-appropriate and effective strategies. They frequently praise children, providing lots of animated encouragement. Staff use visual prompts, such as traffic light flash cards and sand timers, to indicate to children what is expected of them. Children respond to this well, and behaviour is typically cooperative and harmonious. At times, staff do not effectively manage routines, such as transition times before and after meals, to promote children's continual engagement and extend their positive attitudes to learning. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children benefit from warm attachments with staff. The key-person system is established and effectively fosters children's emotional wellbeing through nurturing and positive relationships. Staff are kind and affectionate. Children respond well to this attention and are emotionally settled. Mealtimes are carefully managed to promote children's welfare. Children are securely seated in low chairs, and waist straps help to promote their safety when eating. Prior to children getting up from the table, staff check that they are not still chewing, minimising the risk of choking. Children remain safe and secure through this cautious and vigilant practice at mealtimes. Safety is equally prioritised during sleep times. Babies and children benefit from calm and quiet spaces to rest. Staff remain nearby, monitoring children's wellbeing continually when they sleep. Safety procedures are well embedded into staff's everyday practice. The menu is nutritious and healthy. Children enjoy their food and are provided with more if they desire. This great appetite, promoted by tasty food, helps to foster children's health. Staff teach children about their emotions and feelings in age-appropriate ways. Books and toys help children to learn about how they feel, extending their emotional wellbeing. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard The curriculum for language is a notable strength. Staff purposefully use ongoing narration to immerse children in a language-rich environment. They repeat words with clarity to extend children's vocabulary. Staff use plenty of age-appropriate questions, and respond to children's ideas and comments to engage them in discussions and conversations. As such, children from an early age are heard babbling and practising their language skills. Children make better-than-expected progress in this area of learning, supported by high-quality teaching. Leaders plan, and staff implement, an ambitious curriculum. Children benefit from a broad range of activities indoors and outside. Children's learning experiences are further enriched during trips in the local community. Generally, staff plan and deliver a fun, stimulating and varied curriculum. Overall, children are supported to make steady progress. However, sometimes during transition times, particularly before and after eating, children are not always engaged in purposeful play. Staff adapt their teaching and interactions to meet children's different needs and stages of development. To exemplify, they use flash cards and visual prompts, alongside verbal instructions to ensure that everyone understands and can follow the instructions. Teaching is accessible to all children. Inclusion Expected standard This is a diverse and inclusive setting. Every child's uniqueness is celebrated. Staff and leaders have a deep appreciation for the local context and community in which they operate. They understand the challenges that families face, and work hard to guide and assist families wherever possible. Inclusion is at the heart of this setting's ethos and culture. Staff and leaders collaborate closely with a range of external professionals. They implement specialist advice into their planning and teaching to strengthen provision and raise attainment levels for all children. Leaders carefully spend any additional funding, with close consideration of the needs of the children who access the setting. For instance, a recent project to convert a storage room into a sensory space has been planned and executed, to extend opportunities and learning experiences for all children. Typically, leaders strive to ensure that disadvantaged children achieve well. They assess and identify children's needs through professional observations. Talents are quite-rightly celebrated, and gaps in learning successfully narrowed through sensitive adaptations to the environment and teaching. Generally, everyone makes steady progress. Children who face barriers to their learning have written support plans in place for them. However, occasionally, these support plans are not updated regularly. This means that, sometimes, support plans do not include the most up-to-date information to help staff target their already effective- teaching with consistent precision. Leadership and governance Expected standard Professional development and staff-training opportunities are offered to all staff by supportive and encouraging leaders. Many staff are completing further qualifications to enhance their skills. This continual investment in staff training boosts staff morale, and creates a dedicated workforce who feel valued. In turn, staff work hard because they are happy. Leaders and staff continually evaluate and reflect on the quality of their practice. For instance, a new scheme has recently been introduced to optimise staff talents and interests. Staff now undertake additional responsibilities to enhance the curriculum and raise standards even more. Together, leaders and staff are committed to ongoing improvements to benefit the children and families who attend. Leaders work hard to establish positive partnerships with parents. They publish updates in regular newsletters, to ensure that parents are kept informed of important information. Children's online learning records are conveniently accessible, to enable parents to receive information about their children's progress in a timely manner. Parents comment 'We feel, as parents, our child is safe, heard and understood. Every member of staff is excellent with our child; each morning, he receives a warm welcome'. This comment exemplifies the positive experiences of families and children who access this setting. Parents share basic information with staff about their children's abilities when they first start attending. However this basic information does not fully assist staff to support children's seamless enrolment at the setting. 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 who attend this setting thrive in their emotional wellbeing, because they are lavished with plenty of attention and warm affection. Older and younger children mix together, and there is an inviting home-from-home atmosphere throughout the setting. Friendships between children flourish. Children are helpful and considerate of their peers. For example, younger children hold hands while they play, showing reassurance from this peer support. Staff prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development, ensuring they feel cared for and safe. Inspector: Michelle Latchford Every child achieves and progresses in all areas of their learning. In particular, children make excellent progress in their speech and language because staff create and maintain a language-rich environment. Children are active and enjoy exerting themselves physically outdoors. The curriculum is varied and stimulating. Staff observe children and assess their abilities. They use this information to inform their teaching. Children enjoy their learning because activities are well planned and interesting. Typically, children make steady progress. Children show a sense of belonging. They confidently wave goodbye to their parents, and without hesitation, they skip off to explore the bright and inviting toys displayed for them. Children are happy and show wonderfully positive self-esteem, nurtured by warm and affectionate staff. All children are included, and there is sense of community created because children of different ages mix together. Staff know children very well, and adapt routines to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to thrive. This is a busy, well-led setting in the heart of the local community. Children who attend are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Next steps Leaders should ensure staff effectively manage transition times, particularly before and after snack and mealtimes, to ensure that children remain continually engaged in purposeful learning. Leaders should strengthen the already effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities by updating care plans more frequently to enable children to make rapid progress. Leaders should strengthen communication with parents when children first start attending, to gather more detailed information about children's needs and abilities from the outset to provide even more targeted support for children from the very beginning. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children 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 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): 2825892 Address: West Street Christian Fellowship West Street Crewe CW1 3HE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 07/01/2025 Registered person: Mr Edward Bell and Mrs Christine Elizabeth Bell Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Cheshire East Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 1 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 41 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. 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