Scallywags Day Nursery

Scallywags Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY342919
Address: 42 Cold Overton Road, OAKHAM, Rutland, LE15 6NT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 30/11/2006
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Nanny Tots Limited
Inspection report: 2 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.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Children do not achieve as well as they could and their progress is variable and
inconsistent. While some children receive the support they need to develop appropriate
skills and knowledge, others do not benefit from the same quality of teaching and learning
experiences. For instance, children who require additional support do not consistently
benefit from activities and teaching that are planned to meet the targets identified by
external professionals. In addition, some children have limited opportunities to practise,
consolidate and extend their learning through purposeful adult guidance and support.
Consequently, children do not consistently engage deeply in their learning or make the
progress of which they are capable across all areas of learning.
Babies receive kind and nurturing care. They develop secure relationships with staff and
show increasing confidence as they explore the resources on offer. Older children gain
some skills and knowledge that will prepare them for school and later life, such as listening
to stories to develop their listening and attention skills, and learning to follow instructions.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
Leaders' and staff's expectations for children's behaviour and key routines are not
consistently implemented across all areas of the setting. Children show they are familiar with
the routines as they put on their own bib for mealtimes and wash their hands. However, staff
interactions are limited, and they do not provide age-appropriate explanations to help
children understand expectations or learn how to regulate their own behaviour. Despite this,
children do generally behave well.
During changes in the routine, staff do not always notice or respond to children who need
help to focus or follow instructions. At times, this impacts children's ability to self-regulate
their emotions. In contrast, staff provide babies with clear and consistent routines. They
support babies to feel settled and secure, meeting their care needs while also establishing
positive attitudes to learning. For example, staff provide a calm experience for babies as
they explore the age-and-stage appropriate activities on offer.
Leaders are successful in maintaining a high rate of attendance at the nursery. They build
relationships and share information with families. Leaders and staff act promptly to contact
parents when children do not arrive as expected. This demonstrates their commitment to
promoting children's attendance.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Children's needs during mealtimes are not fully supported because staff carry out routine
tasks and leave children insufficiently supervised while they eat. As a result, children's safety
is not consistently assured during mealtimes. Staff implement some activities to support
children's health. Children are supported to wash their hands before eating. They are
provided with healthy meals, and they have access to fresh drinking water. However, during

these times, children receive minimal interaction from staff to help develop their
understanding of healthy lifestyles. Mealtimes are not consistently used as meaningful
learning opportunities. Staff focus on completing routine tasks rather than engaging children
in meaningful conversations. Staff interactions are limited, and children are not supported to
develop their social skills during these times.
Children build secure attachments with their key person. They develop a sense of belonging
and are confident and independent in their surroundings. There is a focus on physical
development and children spend lots of time outside being active and learning new skills.
For example, preschool children practise skills such as throwing, catching and balancing as
they practice for their sports day activity.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders are in the process of developing a new curriculum. However, this is not yet
implemented across the nursery. Some staff are not clear about what they want children to
learn next. Activities and experiences provided for children are mainly focused on their
interests or staff choice rather than their individual learning needs. As a result, interactions
are not consistently purposeful or effective in extending children's learning. The quality of
teaching varies across the setting, and children's experiences are not consistently of a high
quality. Routine tasks often take priority over children's learning, meaning staff sometimes
leave the room. Occasionally, staff position themselves with their backs to children, which
further limits opportunities to support children's learning.
Leaders do not ensure that staff adapt the curriculum effectively to meet the individual needs
of children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities. Staff do not consistently demonstrate a secure understanding of
children's age and stage of development or use assessment information to plan activities
that build on children's identified next steps. As a result, learning experiences are not always
appropriate or sufficiently purposeful to support children's progress.
In contrast, children develop their independence from a young age. Staff provide babies with
time and encouragement to complete tasks for themselves. For example, babies confidently
climb the step from the garden into the playroom, while staff offer praise and encouragement
for their perseverance. Staff give simple, clear instructions that young children are beginning
to understand and follow. For example, as children remove their shoes, staff encourage
them to place them in the shoe box independently. This helps children develop confidence,
independence and a sense of responsibility for their own belongings.
Inclusion Needs attention
Staff's interactions with children vary in quality and frequency and they do not consider their
next steps in learning. During play and interactions, staff do not support children to work on
the targets set by leaders and professionals. This does not fully support children to build on
what they know and can do. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) make progress from their starting points, but inconsistencies in teaching and
support mean that they do not make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders do not
always have oversight of the impact of the curriculum for all children. Although additional
funding is used by leaders to provide resources for children, staff do not have a clear

understanding of how these resources should be used or the difference they are making to
outcomes for children. As a result, the impact of this spending is not effectively evaluated.
Overall, leaders monitor children's development and identify their individual needs. They
liaise with parents and make referrals for early help when needed. Children with SEND
receive some targeted support from specialist teachers which contributes to their learning
and development. Where practice is more effective, staff provide support to promote
children's progress. For example, some staff plan activities that are appropriate for children's
age and stage of development and build on their existing skills. However, this is not
consistent across the nursery.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders' expectations for the curriculum are not implemented consistently across all rooms.
Staff attend training and receive regular supervision. However, leaders do not monitor
practice closely enough to identify and address weaknesses in staff's ability to deliver the
sequenced curriculum effectively, across all areas of learning. As a result, the quality of
teaching is variable, and children do not receive consistently high-quality learning
experiences. This particularly affects children who face barriers to learning, including those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, all children do not make
the progress they are capable of. In addition, leaders fail to implement effective procedures
for staff to follow to ensure the safety of children when eating. As a result, staff do not
consistently receive the guidance needed to understand and fulfil their roles and
responsibilities. For example, leaders do not ensure that safer eating practices are
consistently followed, placing children's safety at risk.
Generally, leaders offer staff support and advice, which results in improved staff wellbeing.
Staff feel valued and are happy in their roles. Leaders engage with parents and other
professionals to help build positive relationships and to support continuity of care for
children. Parents are invited to attend events, including sports day, where they celebrate
children's achievements. These opportunities strengthen relationships between home and
the setting and contribute positively to children's confidence and sense of belonging.
Generally, children are supported to feel settled and secure and form positive relationships
with staff. They enjoy taking part in play-based activities with their friends. For example,
children have fun playing in the outdoor environments, using their imagination with
construction activities.

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has not 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 not 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's experiences are variable across the nursery. This is because, at times, purposeful
staff interactions are minimal. For example, children join activities and experience lengthy
periods of time without engaging meaningfully with staff. Leaders do not ensure that staff
deliver a sequenced curriculum to a consistently high standard. This does not ensure that all
children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive
appropriate support. Children do not make typical progress across every area of their
learning, which means they are not fully prepared for the next stages in their learning,

including starting school. In addition, there are times when staff do not maintain appropriate
supervision during mealtimes. This means that children's safety is not consistently assured
during mealtimes.
Children are settled at the nursery and appear happy and confident. Babies form close
bonds with staff because they treat them with warmth and respect. Staff gather information
from parents and carers about children's home routines. When babies become hungry or
tired, the information gathered helps staff attentively meet their needs. Staff encourage
children to attend regularly and this helps to promote their positive sense of security,
particularly for babies. Children begin to form friendships and play together cooperatively.
They show an understanding of how to wait for their turn. Children are familiar with the
nursery routines. They know to sit down as a group for circle time and to wash their hands
before mealtimes.
Children enjoy their time at nursery. Babies explore freely in the garden area, building on
their physical development. Toddlers have fun and enjoy singing and dancing with
enthusiastic staff. Pre-school children enjoy physical activity as they practise skills for sports
day. For example, they climb into sacks and jump up and down. Staff encourage other
children to clap and cheer their friends on, offering positive support.
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 effective arrangements are in place to
support children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and those that face other barriers to
learning, and ensure staff use agreed strategies to meet
children's individual learning needs
24/07/2026
implement an ambitious curriculum for all children to
enable them to make the progress they are capable of
24/07/2026
improve the quality of staff's teaching and interactions
to ensure children's learning is sequenced and
purposeful
24/07/2026
ensure leaders and staff implement effective
procedures to keep children safe and promote their
overall health and wellbeing during mealtimes
24/07/2026

Inspectors:
Kate Francis
Charmaine Cayton
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY342919
Address:
42 Cold Overton Road
OAKHAM
Rutland
LE15 6NT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 30/11/2006
Registered person: Nanny Tots Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Rutland Council
Action Completion Date
improve staff supervision, coaching and training to
ensure that staff have a clear understanding of the
curriculum and their roles and responsibilities
24/07/2026
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners 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

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 2 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
93
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