Mulberry Roots Limited

Mulberry Roots Limited
Unique reference number (URN): EY558235
Address: Offecon House, Bury Road, Haslingden, Lancashire, BB4 5PE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 16/07/2018
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Mulberry Roots Ltd
Inspection report: 14 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's achievement is not steady and assured because the curriculum is not taught well
enough. Children do not make the progress expected for their age and stage. The
interactions between staff and children do not consistently promote communication and
language development. For instance, at times, staff close down children's attempts to
communicate. Staff do not consistently extend the back-and-forth conversations with
children. This means children do not gain the skills they need for onward learning.
Children's progress is limited. Although activities are planned to support children's
development, some staff do not play alongside children to model the intended learning. For
instance, staff plan for children to develop awareness of positional language. However, staff
do not support this play. Consequently, children do not learn how to describe where an
object is effectively.
Independence skills are supported. Through the daily routines, children develop skills such
as pouring their own water and scraping their plates after eating. They wipe their own noses
at the nose wiping stations and wash their hands before eating. At home time, children
collect their own belongings from their pegs. This helps them prepare for the next stages in
their education.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
Generally, there are high expectations for children's behaviour. Leaders and staff want
children to learn how to behave in a socially acceptable way. Despite this, staff do not
always know how best to support children to behave positively and to develop their self-
regulation skills. This impacts on children's behaviour. Staff use basic strategies, such as
saying 'no, thank you' to unwanted behaviour and reminding children about using 'kind
hands'. However, staff lack the strategies to help children concentrate, persevere and focus.
Sometimes, staff expect children to behave in ways that are beyond their typical stage of
development. As a result, children become bored, restless and, at times, frustrated.
Children typically play well with their friends, taking turns and sharing. They enjoy playing
imaginative games about going to school and taking care of babies. With support from staff,
children learn to take turns displaying their name on the register.
Care routines are well established. Staff ensure that the day is structured so that children
feel safe and secure. Safer sleep is well understood. For example, staff know how to place
babies down to sleep, in line with government safety guidelines.
Leaders and staff recognise the importance of regular attendance for children. They monitor
children's attendance and punctuality, following up any concerns promptly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Children's safety and welfare is not consistently prioritised by leaders and staff. The daily
checks that staff undertake do not always identify hazards effectively. For example, fans are
left within children's reach, and bags are left on the floor, posing a trip hazard. This does not
consistently promote children's safety and wellbeing.
Staffing arrangements impact negatively on some children's wellbeing. At times, children's
needs are not well met. For example, babies have to wait to have their nappies changed
because staff work alone and require the support of leaders to carry out care routines.
Leaders have identified oral health and tackling obesity as priorities for children. They have
implemented a very healthy and nutritious menu. Staff support children to try new foods,
and, subsequently, children enjoy the reduced-sugar meals, snacks and drinks served.
Children benefit from additional opportunities that support their wellbeing. For instance, they
take part in weekly football coaching, sign and rhyme sessions, yoga and dance.
Children learn to use the potty and toilet with increasing independence. Children have daily
opportunities to play outside in the fresh air. Staff ensure that children wear sun protection
and shelter from the sun when UV levels get too high.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Since the last inspection, the curriculum has been improved. Leaders have now put in place
a broad and ambitious curriculum for children. It is suitably challenging and covers all the
areas of learning. However, the delivery of the curriculum is too variable. Some teaching
supports children to gain the essential knowledge they need, but, often, teaching is
ineffective. For instance, sessions are not always well planned. When reading stories,
children's attention is not always captured. Some children lose concentration quickly and do
not benefit from the shared reading. Leaders have not ensured that staff have the skills they
need to deliver the curriculum effectively.
Children engage well in self-chosen activities. There is a good balance of adult- and child-
led activities throughout the day. The environment is well planned and resourced to support
independent play and exploration. For instance, children develop their understanding of the
world as they play with train sets. Toddlers develop their physical skills climbing on
apparatus, and babies' sensory development is supported listening to the noise of musical
instruments.
Staff sometimes fail to recognise how they can adapt activities and routines to support
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For instance, children
with SEND are expected to join in with activities such as learning about letters and the
sounds they make. This is beyond their stage of development. This limits the progress they
make and impacts on their engagement and enjoyment of learning.

Inclusion Needs attention
Recent staffing changes have resulted in the quality of provision for children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) being reduced. Leaders do not have a clear
oversight of what support is needed or is being provided to individual children. Those who
coordinate the support for children with SEND are undertaking training to fully implement
their role. This is ongoing and is not yet fully embedded in practice. This means that staff do
not always make the required adaptations to activities to enable children with SEND to
actively engage in learning opportunities. For instance, during literacy activities, children
with SEND are unable to join in because the task is too far beyond their level of
understanding. Where staff know children's needs well, some adaptations are effective. For
example, staff use 'Now and Next' and communication boards to help children understand
the routine.
Support for children who speak English as an additional language is limited. For example,
staff do not know the languages children speak at home. This means they are not able to
support their transition to the setting effectively. As a result, some children find it hard to
settle into nursery life.
Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to support children who are disadvantaged.
They use additional funding appropriately to enable children to experience cultural activities
that promote learning. For example, leaders involve the child, parent and the key person in
deciding how additional funding is used.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event. They have not informed Ofsted of
an event that may affect the suitability of staff to work with children. While leaders have
addressed safeguarding concerns appropriately, they have not taken sufficient action to
minimise risks to children when considering information raised by statutory safeguarding
agencies. This compromises children's safety.
Leaders do not ensure that staff implement robust risk assessments to ensure children's
safety. For example, the risks of trailing wires, fans and climbing equipment piled up on
children's furniture are not minimised or removed by staff when completing their daily
checks. When pointed out, leaders took action to remove or minimise them during the
inspection. However, this is a breach of the requirements of the 'statutory framework for the
early years foundation stage' and does not support children's safety and wellbeing
effectively.
There have been recent changes to the leadership of the nursery. These have caused some
disruption to the staffing arrangements for children. Leaders are required to work directly
with children. This means that they are, at times, overstretched. They cannot undertake the
monitoring of staff performance effectively. Although staff are provided with support,
supervision and training, this does not consistently improve the quality of teaching.
Consequently, the curriculum, which is otherwise well planned, is not always taught
effectively. Children's learning and progress is hindered.

Leaders do not consistently ensure that children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities are supported to ensure that their individual needs are met. For example, staff do
not always adapt activities to ensure that all children can be included.
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 safety and wellbeing is compromised because risk assessment procedures are
not well understood and implemented. Leaders do not ensure that staff can identify risks in

the environment, such as trailing wires and fans. Furthermore, leaders do not always fully
consider risks relating to staff suitability when incidents occur. They fail to take sufficient
action to minimise risks to children.
Children do not fully benefit from the learning opportunities planned for them because
teaching is not consistently of a high quality. Children lose interest when activities are not
well matched to their stages of development. This means they do not gain all the knowledge
and skills at the expected rate for their ages. Children's daily experiences and opportunities
for learning are too variable due to the weaknesses in some of the teaching.
Children are generally happy and enjoy their time in the nursery. Most children build warm
and trusting relationships with staff over time. Sometimes, young children are not sufficiently
supported to settle in quickly. Staff do not find out enough about children's individual
circumstances to help them become familiar with the routines. This means children can
become upset, and staff are not always able to console them.
Children enjoy exploring the environment. Babies smile with delight as they shake
rainmakers and play peekaboo behind lengths of light fabric. Older children sustain
concentration as they fill small containers with coloured rice. Toddlers build creatively to
make enclosures for animals using wooden blocks. The well-resourced environment
supports children's natural curiosity to learn.
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
strengthen the monitoring of staff's performance to
improve teaching and have a positive outcome on
children's achievement
19/08/2026
ensure that leaders and staff fully consider all the risks
to children and take steps to minimise risks effectively
and maintain children's safety and wellbeing
19/08/2026
improve the deployment of staff to ensure that children's
needs can be met promptly at all times
19/08/2026
support staff to fully understand the role of the key
person and tailor children's learning to meet their
individual needs
19/08/2026

Inspector:
Lois Hulley
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY558235
Address:
Offecon House
Bury Road
Haslingden
Lancashire
BB4 5PE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 16/07/2018
Registered person: Mulberry Roots Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Action Completion Date
ensure that staff have the training, coaching and
support that is relevant to their roles and enables them
to promote outcomes for children
19/08/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and parents 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.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.

Local authority: Lancashire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 14 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
70
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
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and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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