Pepperberry Day Nursery

Pepperberry Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY429884
Address: Hawthorn Street, WILMSLOW, Cheshire, SK9 5EL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 15/09/2011
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Pepperberry Day Nurseries Ltd
Inspection report: 8 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
Needs attention
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
well. They identify where children need extra support and act upon this. They work closely
with other professionals and implement strategies that have a positive impact on children's
language and emotional development, particularly children with SEND. This helps to prevent
children from falling behind their peers. Children who may just need a little extra support are
identified swiftly by staff. Plans are put into place, and progress is regularly monitored to
assess the children's development. As a result, children with SEND are making positive
progress, particularly in relation to managing their own emotions.
Staff form effective working relationships with parents, particularly in relation to children who
speak English as an additional language. Staff learn key words in the children's home
language and implement these in practice alongside the English word. This helps to develop
children's understanding and their sense of belonging. Although teaching does not support
all children's needs effectively, children with SEND and other barriers to learning are making
steady progress.
Achievement Needs attention
Due to the areas of the curriculum that need improving, children are not able to achieve their
full potential. For example, younger children struggle to fully engage in activities and are not
consistently encouraged to immerse in age-appropriate activities. This does not support
them to progress in all areas of their development.
Children are making some progress. Older children are developing an understanding of
numerals and quantities. They are building their skills, knowledge and understanding of
mathematical concepts. Younger children enjoy singing songs and moving their bodies to
sound. They are developing a rhythmic movement to music.
Children express themselves well through language. Older children can explain their
understanding. For example, children inform their teacher that they need water to be able to
make their sandcastles stick together. However, during some group times, teaching is not
always adapted to support and challenge children, as some staff do not fully understand
what they intend for children to learn. For example, some staff intend to develop children's
communication and language skills through sensory experiences, but then do not promote
these clearly during their teaching.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
Inconsistency in how the daily routine is implemented does not fully support all children to
know what is expected of them. At times, the routine is disorganised, leading to some
children's behaviour becoming disruptive. For example, before mealtimes, due to staff not
fully engaging children, they sometimes become bored and begin to wander around. This
does not consistently support children's behaviour. Since the last inspection, leaders have
improved the strategies put into place to support children's behaviour. Staff have had
training to support the implementation of these strategies, for example the use of traffic light
systems to help older children understand what is expected of them. However, this is not
being implemented successfully throughout the setting.
Leaders and staff are aware of the negative impact that poor attendance may have on
children's development and promoting positive attitudes to learning. Leaders work
proactively with parents to help support children's regular attendance and positive attitudes.
As a result, this supports children's engagement in experiences and develops their
confidence to have a go at things they may have initially found difficult.
Typically children form warm and positive relationships with their key person. They regularly
seek them out to talk about what they are doing. For example, pre-school children excitedly
show and tell their teacher about the models they have built. Children show they are
confident and secure to express their thoughts and ideas.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
There are inconsistencies in hygiene practices throughout the setting. For example, staff do
not consistently recognise and act promptly to meet children's personal care needs, such as
ensuring dirty noses are cleaned. This does not promote all children's wellbeing. Children do
not always have opportunities to develop their independence skills. Older children develop
some skills they will need for when they go to school, such as serving their own food and
pouring drinks. However, babies are not supported as well to develop their self-care skills,
such as developing self-feeding skills. This does not steadily promote their self-care
development. That said, staff do promote handwashing with children through the setting,
which helps to minimise the spread of infection.
Some staff, at times, struggle to adapt their practice to meet the individual needs of children.
For example, when children are struggling to settle, staff do not always know how to
respond to comfort them. This means children's emotional development is not consistently
supported. Nevertheless, staff demonstrate a caring approach and seek to comfort children,
although their strategies are not always effective.
Leaders and staff create a welcoming space for children both indoors and outdoors.
Activities spark children's interests. For example, younger children engage happily in stories,
excitedly copying repeated phrases. Older children enjoy exploring the different sounds
instruments make with staff as they sing songs. Typically, children display enjoyment in play
and learning.

Urgent improvement
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Since the last inspection, leaders have been working on embedding a sequenced
curriculum. Some improvements have been made, but these have not been in place long
enough to determine their impact on children's learning and development. Therefore, they
are not yet fully improving outcomes for children. Consequently, implementation of the
curriculum is inconsistent throughout the setting. This impacts on the quality of teaching
some children receive. For example, activities are not always pitched at the right level and
lack the challenge children require to progress further in all areas of their development.
Communication and language development is not fully supported for all children. In some
cases, staff ask children thought-provoking questions, which encourage them to develop
their thinking and language. However, other children do not receive the same level of
interaction, which may impact on their communication skills.
Older children are developing an understanding of making marks. During a free-play activity,
children talk about the marks they are making and following patterns. This develops their
understanding and supports early writing skills. Younger children engage in sensory
experiences moulding dough as staff encourage them to roll the dough. Staff reassuringly
support children to have 'can-do' attitudes to learning.
Leadership and governance Urgent improvement
The provider does not have sufficient oversight of the setting. There are several breaches of
the early years foundation stage statutory framework. This has a significant impact on staff
wellbeing. As a result, the quality of the workforce does not meet an adequate standard.
This impacts on the care and education that children receive on a daily basis.
The deployment of staff is not effective. Leaders have not ensured that the workload of
children's key persons is shared effectively and is manageable for staff. As a result, the
workload for some staff is too high, negatively affecting their wellbeing. This reduces their
capacity to consistently deliver high-quality practice that supports the best possible
outcomes for children.
Inconsistencies in support and oversight of staff impact on how well staff understand their
role and responsibilities in supporting the needs of all children. For example, some staff do
not understand how to fully engage children and guide them through learning experiences
and parts of the daily routine. Consequently, other staff become overwhelmed. Although
leaders are aware of some of these weaknesses, they have not taken action quickly enough
to improve outcomes for children and staff. Since the last inspection, the setting has
improved procedures for monitoring staff training and development. Some of this impact can
be seen, particularly in relation to helping staff to implement strategies to support children's
behaviour.

Leaders have strengthened their safeguarding procedures since the last inspection. They
ensure that when concerns arise regarding children's welfare, they respond by informing the
appropriate agencies and maintain clear records. Staff understand child protection
procedures and how to take appropriate action to raise concerns with leaders. This helps
keep children safe in the setting.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Leaders do not have secure oversight of the setting. This has led to breaches in the early
years statutory framework that negatively affect staff wellbeing and workload. Consequently,
this has an impact on the care and education children receive. For example, staff are
overwhelmed by the amount of children they are supporting. Therefore, some activities
become rushed or interrupted by others. As a result, children become bored and
disengaged. Weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum impact on children fully
reaching their overall potential. For example, some engagements with children lack quality
language and interaction. This impacts on some children progressing further in their
communication and language. Children's emotional wellbeing is not consistently supported.
Due to routines not yet being fully embedded throughout the setting, children sometimes
become uncertain of what is expected of them. This does not help support their emotional
security. Although breaches to requirements have a negative impact on children's learning,
they do not have a significant impact on children's safety.
Children make some progress in learning. Staff encourage children's thinking and
understanding. For example, children are asked thought-provoking questions about planning
a journey. This encourages children to use and develop new vocabulary. However, support
for children's communication and language development is not consistent throughout the
setting. Typically, children are happy and secure at the setting. They access a welcoming
and inviting environment that develops a sense of enjoyment to play and learn. Older
children excitedly talk about the 'stew' they are making in the outdoor kitchen and explore
how water flows in a water-play activity. Younger children splash in the water and are
beginning to develop their mathematical development as staff count the ducks with them.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:

Inspectors:
Joanne Buckley
Heidi Kurjan
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY429884
Address:
Hawthorn Street
WILMSLOW
Cheshire
SK9 5EL
Action Completion Date
ensure staff welfare and wellbeing are supported to
develop a quality workforce
29/07/2026
ensure that staff are suitably deployed to meet the
needs of all children
29/07/2026
ensure all staff understand their roles and
responsibilities in children's learning and development
29/07/2026
ensure training provides staff with the skills to
differentiate activities and provide appropriate challenge
for children throughout all learning experiences
09/11/2026
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners, children 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.

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 15/09/2011
Registered person: Pepperberry Day Nurseries Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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 8 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
181
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.
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