Kids 1st QE

Kids 1st QE
Unique reference number (URN): EY493306
Address: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear, NE9 6SX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 03/11/2015
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 3 August 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
Expected standard
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders have created a highly inclusive culture in the setting, where all children have the
support they need to enjoy nursery life. Gaps in learning and development are swiftly
identified through accurate assessments, and leaders work closely with staff to ensure that
appropriate support and intervention are put in place. Progress is closely tracked and
support is reviewed regularly to ensure that any changes needed are actioned quickly.
Leaders ensure that parents are fully involved when supporting disadvantaged children,
children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children with other
barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. For instance, they work closely with a wide range
of outside professionals and seek specialist advice appropriately.
Leaders make effective use of additional funding to ensure children with SEND are fully
included, for example purchasing a willow den to offer children a quiet and calm space to
support them to regulate their emotions at times of transition. All staff know and consistently
use the identified strategies to support children with SEND, disadvantaged children and
those with other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. This means that children make
sustained progress over time.
Leaders ensure that staff have access to training which helps them understand the specific
needs of children, and use effective strategies to support learning and development.
Achievement Expected standard
Children develop their independence skills throughout their time at the setting. They select
the resources they need in their play and ask adults for support if they need it. They explore
with curiosity and enjoy learning about things which are of interest to them. Older children
talk about what they notice and ask questions to gain further information.
Children develop their resilience skills through routines and activities. For example, at snack
time, older children persist until they have successfully peeled their piece of fruit. However,
this is not consistent across all mealtimes. Some children show a reduced level of
motivation when they are left waiting too long during lunchtime for their friends to finish
eating. This causes some younger children to lose their good levels of concentration and
engagement in conversation and social interactions.
Older children develop their understanding of change, particularly in relation to moving to
school and by talking about moving to school and how they are feeling. They help each
other to practise calming techniques such as breathing exercises. Children play games
together, sharing and making sure everyone has a turn.

All children, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make
progress from their starting points, building on what they already know. Over time, they
develop the knowledge and skills needed so that they are prepared for the next stage of
their learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff have high expectations of children, and behaviour is positive across all age groups.
Staff behave with care and respect and establish secure relationships with all children,
particularly those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.
All children develop a positive attitude and are engaged in their learning.
Staff support children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills by talking to
them about how they feel. They explicitly teach children about emotions by naming them
and modelling breathing techniques to help children manage big feelings. Children play
games together, taking turns and sharing. They play cooperatively and listen to each other
while engaged in play.
Routines are generally well established, and this mostly helps children to know and
understand what is happening throughout the day. For example, younger children take off
their shoes and socks when they know it is nap time, and older children recognise the
signals for tidying up and know this means it is nearly time for lunch. However, during
lunchtime, some children sit and wait for others to finish. This causes them to become
distracted and demonstrate some unwanted behaviours.
Staff give additional support when appropriate, particularly for those children with SEND. For
example, objects of reference are used to signal a transition in the routine for some children.
This also helps these children develop their skills in communication and understanding.
Leaders understand the importance of attendance and have robust systems to monitor this.
They work individually with parents and families to ensure that children attend the setting
regularly, for example changing sessions to meet the needs of changing family
circumstances.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders ensure that there are effective policies and procedures in place for sleeping,
weaning and feeding, and staff generally follow these processes. However, there are a small
number of occasions when children find it difficult to maintain positive behaviour during
lunchtime, and this is because they sometimes wait too long between lunch and pudding.
Leaders are proactively supporting staff to ensure that they are effectively managing
children's behaviour well throughout lunchtime. They recognise that further review is needed
to develop some routines. This means that children do not consistently benefit from securely
established routines at key times of the day. Although leaders recognise that a further review
is needed to establish secure key routines, this has not yet been embedded in practice.

Children's personal care needs are sensitively met because staff have a clear understanding
of the relevant processes and confidently implement them. Positive relationships with
parents ensure that the setting has all information needed to support each child. For
disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those
who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, staff work closely with
parents to ensure that individual care needs are met. Parents are kept up to date with all
relevant information to ensure continuity of care.
Children enjoy healthy, nutritious meals and develop their understanding of a balanced diet.
They learn about keeping safe in the sun and know it is important to wear sun cream and
sun hats when playing outside. Children develop healthy habits, such as washing their
hands before and after they eat. Staff talk to children about why this is important. Children
develop their independence skills by serving their own meals at lunchtime and pouring their
own drinks.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed the curriculum to ensure that children make progress across all
areas of learning. Staff typically show a secure understanding of what they want children to
learn, and they can talk about how they adapt this to meet the needs of the children,
including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities
and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff match activities to
children's interests to ensure that children are motivated and enjoy learning. They carry out
regular assessments and track children's progress to ensure that key developmental
milestones are met.
Staff focus on developing language and communication skills throughout the setting, with all
children enjoying stories, songs and rhymes as part of the daily routine. Children develop a
love of stories and often choose to share books with adults. Staff model appropriate
vocabulary and encourage children to use this in their play.
Mathematics is taught explicitly and incorporated into the daily routine to ensure that
children develop an understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, younger
children enjoy completing jigsaws, and older children learn and can talk about 2-D and 3-D
shapes they see in their environment. Children enjoy joining in with counting songs to help
them develop their awareness of numbers.
Younger children develop the physical skills they need to begin crawling and walking, and
older children enjoy activities which support them to run, jump and climb. Children use a
range of tools and resources, such as rolling pins and dough cutters, and this helps them to
develop the finger muscles they need to use pencils and writing tools later on.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are passionate about their role and are committed to supporting children and
families. However, the setting has recently undergone a period of change and transition, and
this has resulted in changes to leaders and other roles. Those new to their role are receiving
effective support, and this is helping the recent changes to have a positive impact on the
experiences of children. Parents feel that leaders have communicated appropriately with

them about recent changes and this has had a positive impact on securing positive
partnerships.
Leaders are mindful of workload and promote positive staff wellbeing, ensuring that staff
know how to access support, help and guidance if they need it. Staff feel valued and talk
about how the training and support they receive help them to do their job more effectively.
Leaders work closely with a range of outside professionals to ensure that disadvantaged
children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face
other barriers to their learning receive the support they need quickly. Parents are fully
involved and feel that leaders communicate well with them about the progress their children
are making.
Leaders have a suitable understanding of the setting's strengths, and they know what they
are working on, such as mealtime routines. They recognise that practice is not yet
consistent across all mealtimes and continue to match training and targeted professional
development to further strengthen this key daily routine. Leaders and staff are reflective and
firmly committed to responding to feedback and seeking advice and guidance from outside
professionals to help them drive forward further improvements.
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 happy and excited to learn when they arrive at nursery. They explore the
environment with confidence and develop a strong sense of belonging. Children form
positive attachments with their key person, and this means they feel safe and secure.
Parents speak positively about how much their children enjoy attending the setting, and they
value the daily updates which keep them informed about their children's progress and
experiences.
All children are fully included in everyday routines, activities and experiences. Staff know
children very well and make appropriate adaptations to ensure that all children, especially
disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
or other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are fully involved in nursery life.
Children are encouraged to be independent throughout the day. For example, older children
can put on their coats and shoes, and younger children are encouraged to explore the
environment and seek out resources which appeal to them. Children develop resilience and
are supported to persist when they find something challenging. For example, when children
try to fit jigsaw pieces, staff encourage and praise their efforts, celebrating their success.
Children develop secure language and communication skills because staff value and share
books with all children, modelling vocabulary and encouraging children to repeat this and
use it in their play. Children also enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes as part of the daily
routine.
Children get on well with each other, making friends and developing the personal, social and
emotional skills they need. Children, including those with SEND, those who are
disadvantaged and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are

Inspectors:
Vanessa Foster
Joanne Hughes
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY493306
Address:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
GATESHEAD
Tyne and Wear
NE9 6SX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 03/11/2015
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
supported to develop the knowledge and skills they need to move on to the next stage of
their education.
Next steps
Leaders should continue to review mealtime routines to ensure that they meet the needs
of all children.
Leaders should continue to support staff to consistently embed routines which support
children's best behaviour, particularly at mealtimes.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, 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.

Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Gateshead
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 3 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
108
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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