URN 2851601 · Inspected 2026-07-28 · Published 2026-09-08 · Inspector: Marie Briggs
Raising Explorers Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2851601 Address: Carlisle Business Centre, Carlisle Road, BRADFORD, West Yorkshire, BD8 8BD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/09/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Envisage Group Europe Ltd Inspection report: 28 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 All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning, make progress from their starting points. Children develop the skills they need for later learning. A well-sequenced curriculum typically provides children with the support they need to build on their existing skills. Children are curious, enthusiastic and eager to explore. Babies develop physical skills as they walk and move around to explore the toys and resources staff have set out around the room. Toddlers build strength and coordination when staff support them to use the outdoor climbing frame and kick the footballs. Pre-school children extend these skills by balancing on stilts and using their core strength muscles to use the hula hoops. Children become confident in expressing themselves, and staff encourage them to celebrate their own and others' achievements. For example, older children applaud each other when they play outdoor games. Toddlers clap as their peers pretend to blow candles out on a birthday cake. Babies are praised as they pull themselves up and cruise walk. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. For example, pre-school children and toddlers wait patiently for their turn to wash their hands before lunch. Children are then encouraged to select a seat at the lunch table. Older children are also encouraged to brush their teeth after their meal. These activities, along with the self-service of some food items, help children develop independence skills successfully. Where needed, staff support children to understand how their behaviour impacts others. Staff are gentle and sensitive, and they use these attributes to support feelings of security and reassurance. Staff have high expectations for children. They are positive role models who promote good manners. As a result, children are polite and follow instructions. All children behave well. Leaders have worked hard to establish a positive environment. They recognise the challenges they have faced and ensure children and families remain at the heart of what they do. Leaders typically promote an inclusive and respectful environment where all families are welcome. Staff support families to attend, offering some flexibility in sessions to ensure children's attendance is regular. This successfully supports children's understanding of the setting's routines. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children experience calm, familiar routines that help them to feel safe and settled. Staff follow children's familiar sleep patterns and provide close supervision so that rest times reflect each child's individual needs. Warm, responsive interactions help children build secure attachments with their key person. There are comfortable areas for children to rest or have quiet time looking at books. Staff use vocabulary prompts at particular times throughout the day. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, to understand the structure of the day. This ensures children feel confident during transitions. Daily care practices promote children's health and growing independence. Children follow handwashing and toothbrushing routines and are supported with toileting as they develop their self-care skills. They enjoy nutritious snacks and meals and are encouraged to explore them with their hands. This broadens their experiences of healthy foods and encourages them to talk about different textures. Leaders pay particular attention to children's wellbeing and are keen to support staff in their approach to children's emotions and regulation. Staff are quick to respond to children's needs in a sensitive manner. As a consequence, children feel safe and reassured. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the curriculum and have high expectations for what they want children to know and learn. In particular, staff prioritise children's physical, communication and language development and their personal, social and emotional development. This helps children acquire fundamental skills. Staff use what they know about each child to provide targeted educational experiences that build on each child's prior learning as they transition from the younger age groups to the oldest. For example, babies are given space to crawl and practise their early walking skills to develop their gross motor movement, while toddlers are encouraged to grip resources to engage in water play and print painting. Pre-school children mark make and paint on an easel using paintbrushes, as well as being able to perfect their fine motor grip by using pipettes and syringes to mix 'potions'. Staff sing and read books to children often and model a broad vocabulary, such as talking about the 'potion mixture' and how to 'squeeze' the pipettes and 'squirt' the liquid. Number games and counting activities also support children's early mathematical understanding. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently provide effective support and encouragement for children's language and maths skills, as they do not regularly model a wide and rich range of vocabulary. Equally, staff do not consistently apply early mathematical concepts across the curriculum. This impacts on children's learning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders have a secure understanding of their local area and the needs and different circumstances of the families they serve. They are committed to ensuring all children and families are provided with help where needed. For example, leaders have developed positive partnerships with external agencies, the local authority and outreach support to provide families with advice and guidance where needed. They offer personalised support to reduce barriers and ensure all children have access to activities. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning are provided with individualised support to help them make positive progress from their starting points. Leaders use funding effectively to purchase specialist resources to help children regulate and communicate. Leaders ensure that staff understand the graduated approach and recognise that for some children, progress is measured in smaller steps. Staff are ambitious for all children and work hard to ensure they are ready for their next stage in learning. Staff support babies and young children with additional needs well. Staff are confident with early identification processes in order to address developmental concerns. This results in appropriate support being accessed in a timely manner. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders recognise the journey that they are on and the significant changes that have been made to the provision. They are positive and proactive about the future and are committed to ensuring children and families receive high standards of care and education. For example, leaders meet regularly to consider strengths and priorities for the setting and to discuss implementation of improvement strategies. Leaders and managers have a good overview of the provision curriculum and support staff to implement it, taking account of the children and families that the provision serves. Leaders are also able to identify areas where some staff would benefit from further training. For example, consistent application of communication and language practices across the whole setting. Leaders discuss the process of prioritising these areas to further benefit staff's practice and impact children's learning and development. Leaders monitor children's progress closely and identify those who need extra help. Strategies for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are adapted in response to their changing needs. This responsive approach contributes to the highly inclusive culture that is evident across the setting. Leaders demonstrate their commitment to staff wellbeing by offering an approachable open- door policy. This encourages staff conversations with leaders and ensures that leaders are aware of staff workloads. 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 are supported to quickly settle with their key person, showing they feel happy, safe and secure in this inclusive and nurturing setting. Leaders and staff take the time to really get to know the children and families during settling-in sessions. This helps children and families build a positive relationship with the staff from the beginning. Leaders and staff support children in feeling welcome by understanding each child's individual needs. Staff work closely with parents to highlight the importance of regular attendance and the positive impact this has on their children's development. In turn, this helps to embed Inspector: Marie Briggs About this setting children's routines. Children benefit from these being in place and know what comes next. This supports children's independence skills to help prepare them for their next stage of learning. As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, and this helps them forge firm friendships. Children's physical development is supported well. They enjoy indoor and outdoor spaces to move around and learn skills such as running, climbing and balancing. This supports children in learning how to play safely and develop an awareness of keeping themselves and others safe during activities. Children's literacy skills are supported, along with a love of books, as children are read to by staff in the setting. Children engage enthusiastically in story time and listen intently as staff use puppets and character masks to enhance the visual experience. Staff ask children questions about the story and encourage children to reflect and consider alternative outcomes. This supports children's understanding and enables them to engage in critical thinking. Staff are positive role models. Children respond with smiles when they are praised and encouraged to have a go by kind and caring staff. This supports all children's confidence in their own abilities and in readiness for school. Next steps Leaders should support all staff to implement a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum consistently, with a particular focus on early language and maths skills so that children build on what they already know and can do to make the best possible progress. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, special educational needs coordinator and practitioners 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2851601 Address: Carlisle Business Centre Carlisle Road BRADFORD West Yorkshire BD8 8BD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 01/09/2025 Registered person: Envisage Group Europe Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday,Sunday : 07:00 - 19:00 Local authority: Bradford Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 28 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 5 Total number of places 47 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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