URN 105876 · Inspected 2026-02-09 · Published 2026-04-13 · Inspector: Mikaela Jauncey
Leapfrogs Trust Unique reference number (URN): 105876 Address: Old Haywards Courtyard, East Street, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3AX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/09/2001 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Leapfrog Trust Inspection report: 9 February 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face barriers to their learning achieve well and make rapid progress from their starting points. Children are developing a wide range of skills and knowledge they need ready for school and beyond. Children of all ages speak incredibly confidently in a range of contexts. They ask questions, make comments, and hold lengthy conversations with staff and each other. For example, young children say, 'Look at the puddle. It's getting muddy. It's changing colour.' Older children listen intently and concentrate for extended periods of time. They safely and independently use scissors to cut small pieces of play dough and create wonderfully imaginative stories as they play with dinosaurs and volcanoes. Children demonstrate highly developed social skills. Young children show care towards each other as they say, 'That's ok, I'll help you' as they take their boots off. Older children show excellent collaboration as they work together using pipettes to fill test tubes with water. They cheer and say, 'Yes! We did it!'. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff have created a warm, positive, and purposeful environment where all children thrive. Relationships are extremely caring and secure. Children confidently seek out their key person for reassurance and enjoy sharing their interests and experiences. Staff are consistently nurturing and responsive. They know each child extremely well, including their strengths, interests, care needs, and next steps. Regular communication with parents ensures practice is adapted swiftly when needs change. Families are reminded of the importance of good attendance in preparation for school. Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff use a highly positive, inclusive, and consistent approach to behaviour management. Gentle reminders and simple phrases help children to learn to share and cooperate. Individual roles, particularly during tidy-up time, support children who need help with communication and language. Children respond promptly to instructions. For example, young children fold and pack away blankets when they hear the tidy-up song. Children engage deeply in purposeful play. They show enthusiasm, sustain focus, and eagerly participate in activities. Older children show excitement as they volunteer to practise their early writing skills. They clap when their friends accurately write letters on the board. Support for managing feelings is thoughtfully embedded. Staff help children recognise and name emotions, model turn-taking, and plan small-group games to strengthen social skills. Children are encouraged to show kindness including helping friends rebuild towers after they accidently knock them over. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Detailed information is collected, regularly updated. It is used effectively to tailor care routines to each child's individual needs, including dietary or medical requirements and when children start toilet training. Safe, comfortable areas are created for children who need to sleep or rest. Parents value the helpful guidance staff provide during these significant milestones. Lunchtimes are calm and sociable. Staff promote healthy eating by explaining how different foods support the body and by sharing up-to-date guidance and nutritionally balanced lunchbox ideas with parents. Staff carefully supervise mealtimes, reminding children to take small bites and sit safely. Young children independently use face cloths and mirrors to clean their faces after eating. Any changes to children's medical or dietary needs are swiftly implemented and shared with all staff to ensure consistency. Leaders promote good oral health by providing toothbrushes and toothpaste for home use. This encourages positive lifelong habits. Children's emotional welfare is prioritised. Caring staff build strong, trusting relationships with children and parents. Staff support children to manage their emotions in ways that reflect their age and stage of development. They consistently talk about how everyone is feeling and use stories to help embed this. This enables staff to provide additional sensitive support during changes, such as the birth of a sibling. Children show they feel secure, valued, and part of the group. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum and have high aspirations for every child. There is a shared commitment to helping children become confident, independent, resilient, and enthusiastic learners. Assessment and monitoring is accurate and regular, ensuring next steps build securely on prior learning. The curriculum, routines, and priorities are carefully adapted to meet children's needs. Recently, leaders have strengthened the focus on developing independent play, sustained concentration, and deeper engagement. As a result, children focus and concentrate for lengthy periods of time to extend their learning. Highly skilled staff deliver the curriculum consistently well. They have a secure understanding of child development and sequence learning carefully from each child's individual starting points. Teaching is thoughtfully adapted to each child's developmental stage, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps all children to make continual progress across all areas of the curriculum. Staff interactions are expertly timed to extend learning during play. They use effective questioning to deepen understanding, develop thinking skills, and encourage problem- solving. Children's communication and language is exceptionally well supported. Staff model rich vocabulary, clear pronunciation, and gently correct errors to build children's confidence and fluency. Children benefit from extensive opportunities to develop physical skills through motivating activities that strengthen both small and large muscles. Young children thread and place pegs in boards to build finger strength. Older children begin each day with music and movement sessions. These are skilfully adapted for children who need additional support with their physical development. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders have high ambitions for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with families to set personalised, aspirational goals and create a fully inclusive environment where every child feels valued and part of the nursery family. Leaders prioritise ongoing training to strengthen staff knowledge of SEND to continuously improve outcomes for all children. Robust assessment and monitoring systems are embedded. Staff use 'I can' flowers to identify children's individual progress and quickly identify any gaps in learning. Personalised strategies, additional resources, and modified routines are implemented and carefully reviewed to ensure they are having a positive impact. For example, a traffic light colour system supports children who find transitions difficult to manage their emotions. Children respond positively to this system and join in at tidy-up time. Staff have a secure understanding of local procedures to secure timely support from other professionals. Successful strategies are shared with parents to promote consistency between the home and the setting. For instance, photos of key objects and places help children who need support with communication and language to make choices and express their ideas at nursery and at home. Children facing barriers to learning are well supported. Additional funding is used effectively to provide enrichment experiences and close gaps in children's learning. This includes weekly dance sessions and the provision of waterproof suits so children can access the garden in all weathers to help promote children's understanding of the world around them. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders have a secure understanding of their local area. They are reflective and flexible in ensuring high-quality care and education. Leaders carefully analyse the needs of the children who attend and use this knowledge to tailor the curriculum, daily routines, and teaching for individuals and groups of children. Staff deployment and professional development are thoughtfully planned to maximise outcomes for children. Leaders understand their strengths and are committed to continual improvement. Staff are encouraged to use their individual strengths and take responsibility for specific curriculum areas. Regular quizzes identify any gaps in staff's knowledge or skills, and support is then given to swiftly address these gaps. Targeted training on the needs of two-year-olds has significantly improved how staff provide high-quality learning experiences for this age group. Effective systems support staff workload and wellbeing. Staff report feeling valued and empowered. They show they are highly motivated to provide the best possible care and education. Partnerships with other providers, professionals, and local schools are well established. Transitions to school are carefully organised. Staff work closely with parents to set individual targets and share practical ideas to promote independence. Information and effective strategies for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are shared promptly, helping ensure smooth and successful transitions to school. 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 flourish in their learning and development due to an extremely well-designed and expertly delivered curriculum. Leaders and staff create a motivating environment where children thrive as they engage in a wide range of purposeful learning opportunities. Staff have a secure understanding of each child's starting points and interests. This enables them to provide experiences that help children achieve their individual goals. Children settle quickly and immerse themselves in stimulating play indoors and outdoors. For example, younger children delight in dressing up as animals and experimenting with how to make water flow faster down chutes outside. Older children extend their imagination as they discuss what dinosaurs are eating and how they might escape a volcano. Staff join children's play and skilfully extend their learning by suggesting ideas or introducing new resources to sustain children's interest. As a result, children develop a strong foundation of skills and knowledge in preparation for school and beyond. Staff's extremely caring and responsive approach helps children form secure bonds with their key person and the wider team. Children confidently seek help, invite staff into their play, and talk about their families and daily experiences, showing they feel safe and valued. They beam when they receive praise for their efforts and achievements. Routines and boundaries are clearly embedded, and behaviour is excellent. Older children intently listen and show pure enjoyment when staff encourage them to listen the different sounds that letters make in spoken words. Young children happily line up ready to go back inside after being thoroughly engaged in physical activities outside. Children understand what staff expect of them. Leaders promote regular attendance through face-to-face discussions and providing helpful guidance for parents. This builds positive habits for the future. Next steps Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, 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. Inspector: Mikaela Jauncey About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 105876 Address: Old Haywards Courtyard East Street Crediton Devon EX17 3AX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 01/09/2001 Registered person: The Leapfrog Trust Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR 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 9 February 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 2 to 11 Total number of places 40 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. 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