URN 2828380 · Inspected 2026-06-25 · Published 2026-08-24 · Inspector: Bridget Copson Marie Swindells
Wild Roots Childcare Unique reference number (URN): 2828380 Address: Unit 2, Hillside, Churchill, Axminster, EX13 7LZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/05/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Wild Roots Childcare Ltd Inspection report: 25 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. Expected standard Needs attention Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Overall, children develop warm and trusting relationships with staff familiar to them. They laugh together and go to them for help when needed. Leaders implement and review effective procedures to support children's health and welfare. They take account of the needs of children with barriers to their learning who may need adaptations to feel secure. Children enjoy sociable mealtimes, eating fresh and healthy foods. They benefit from activities to nurture their physical development. Children learn to follow effective personal hygiene routines and the importance of sun safety. Staff maintain safe and secure environments for children to enable them to explore freely. Children learn to keep safe through staff guidance and discussions as to why something might not be safe, such as running indoors. This includes supporting children with barriers to their learning through gentle guidance and modelling. Children learn to assess risks themselves as staff ask them to consider 'is this safe?' Key persons meet individual babies' care routines with consistency and respect. They take time to bottle feed babies in calm spaces and sooth children according to their preferred method, enabling them to settle to sleep well. Leaders and staff work with parents to support children's care needs and keep them informed each day. Achievement Needs attention Not all children make the progress that they are capable of due to the variable quality of teaching and delivery of the curriculum. At such times, children are happy playing and exploring. However, they practise what they already know and can do, such as making patterns on boards without learning more about shapes and do not all learn new words consistently. This does not help some children gain new knowledge and skills for their next steps in learning. Overall, children are prepared for starting school. They show an interest in learning and trying new challenges. Older children use small, one-handed tools to develop their hand muscles. Babies investigate new activities, such as stirring, mixing and exploring the textures of the pasta and flour. Children from a young age learn to manage tasks independently and confidently. Babies feed themselves and make their own choices. Older children create their own games and manage their own personal hygiene efficiently. Children enjoy activities to encourage their physical development. Babies practise their emerging mobility safely when indoors. Older children climb, jump and ride wheeled toys confidently. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Children show an interest in learning. However, due to the inconsistencies in staff's interactions, some staff do not attempt to engage children well in activities. Some children, including those with barriers to their learning, flit between activities, play alone and do not engage in some activities, such as story time. This does not help them to gain from the learning experiences. Other children benefit from more skilled interactions that help them to focus well and benefit from the learning intentions. Babies form close and trusting bonds with their key persons and the staff familiar to them. However, at busier times when they are deployed with other duties, staff who are less familiar to children are unable to provide the comfort they need. At such times, these babies remain upset until the familiar staff return. This does not help them to settle so they can join in and learn. Leaders value regular attendance and work successfully with parents to support this. Children respond well to the consistent routines throughout the day that help them feel prepared and secure. Leaders and staff have clear expectations of children's behaviour. Children learn to share, take turns, listen well to staff and help others. Staff are kind and respectful, providing children with encouragement and praise on their attempts and achievements. This helps to build children's confidence and resilience. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders have developed an appropriate curriculum to support children's learning across the 7 areas of learning. However, this is not understood by some staff with less experience who do not have the knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum effectively. They do not know children's next steps for learning and provide limited interaction, such as language modelling or questioning to deepen children's understanding of the experiences. Leaders ensure adaptations are in place to include and support children who struggle to communicate. However, although children with special educational needs and/or disabilities play happily and safely, some staff do not successfully use the specific adaptations, such as communication cards, to help children achieve consistently well. The experienced staff meet children's developmental needs well, overall. They sequence their learning to build on their knowledge and skills. Children confidently communicate their needs and feelings and lead their own play. Babies benefit from these staff narrating their actions, such as when splashing in water and singing action songs to build their communication. Older children engage in conversations and learn new words and some mathematical concepts, such as size and shape. However, due to the variable quality of teaching skills, some staff are not skilled at building on children's learning, such as how to help babies gain from the planned activities when they struggle to involve them. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders and staff identify barriers to children's learning from the start through discussions with parents and their own assessments. However, the action leaders have started taking, to ensure all staff have sufficient knowledge of children's needs to help them achieve their next steps for learning, has not yet had sufficient impact. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) experience limited staff interaction when their key person or more-experienced staff are not present. At such times, staff provide reassurance and support children's care needs, but provide limited support to build and extend on learning to help them make better progress. Otherwise, when children's key person and experienced staff are present, they help to prepare children for their next stage of learning. They use the adaptations they have provided to encourage children to play alongside others and to support their communication successfully. Leaders work effectively with parents and external agencies to secure the support and funding that children need. They agree with parents on how to use additional funding to have the most impact on their child's development. For example, they provide specific toys to support children's social interactions and sign language to encourage their communication. Children with SEND play and interact happily. Some children with greater confidence seek out staff and visitors to engage in their play and communicate their enjoyment at the setting. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders have a realistic oversight of the setting's strengths and weaknesses and have an open and honest culture. They have highlighted the inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum and staff's knowledge and skills following recent staff changes. Leaders have started to make improvements, such as providing staff with time each week to attend training to develop their skills. However, this is in the early stage and has not yet had sufficient impact. Staff undergo induction to help prepare them for their roles. However, not all staff have effective supervision and coaching to develop their knowledge and skills more rapidly. As such, new and less-experienced staff do not have the skills to support children's learning as effectively, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff all attend training to support them in maintaining a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and aspects of children's health and welfare, such as food safety and hygiene. Leaders nurture staff wellbeing and ensure their workload is managed effectively. Staff feel supported and valued. Leaders build close and successful relationships with the families of those they care for to ensure they understand what is happening in a child's life. Parents share positive feedback regarding the setting. For example, they appreciate the support, care and guidance provided for families, the socialisation opportunities for their children and the wide range of enjoyable activities. 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 Children do not all benefit from a consistently well-taught curriculum that helps every child make the progress they are capable of. Leaders have not ensured that less-experienced staff are made aware of children's next steps for learning. As such, while children are safe, happy and interested to learn, they are not consistently gaining new knowledge and skills. Leaders and staff work closely with parents from the start to help settle children, meet care routines consistently and to understand their developmental needs. Key persons and more- experienced staff form close and trusting bonds to support children of all ages to feel safe and secure. However, at some busier times of the day, staff are not always deployed effectively. When key persons and familiar staff are not available to meet the emotional needs of some younger children, children become upset until the familiar staff return to comfort them. Overall, children are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. They arrive smiling, and most settle well and are keen to join in the activities. Babies explore freely and with curiosity, such as investigating sensory toys and musical instruments. Older children link up with others for play, such as driving tractors around together. They use their imagination with staff, making pretend meals to serve in the mud kitchen. Children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging. They respond well to the familiar daily routines, such as preparing for outdoor play and mealtimes. They know where to find their own possessions and confidently choose toys and their favourite activities. Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes Inspectors: Bridget Copson Marie Swindells About this setting and social skills. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning, who share, take turns and happily include others in their play. 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 improve the delivery of the curriculum and quality of teaching to help every child, including those with barriers to their learning, make the progress they are capable of 06/08/2026 improve the deployment of staff during busy periods to ensure children's needs are met consistently in the absence of their allocated key person or familiar staff 23/07/2026 implement an effective system for supervision and coaching to improve staff performance, teaching skills and knowledge of the curriculum. 23/07/2026 About this inspection The inspectors 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. A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Unique reference number (URN): 2828380 Address: Unit 2 Hillside, Churchill Axminster EX13 7LZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 07/05/2025 Registered person: Wild Roots Childcare Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Devon Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 25 June 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 21 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. 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