URN EY557128 · Inspected 2026-07-17 · Published 2026-09-17 · Inspector: Anita Dunn
S4YC @ Portside Unique reference number (URN): EY557128 Address: Portside Children's Centre, Egerton Street, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 2BY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 31/01/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: S4YC Limited Inspection report: 17 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. Strong standard Expected standard Inclusion Strong standard Leaders are highly proactive in ensuring that the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing are successfully met. Leaders and staff work closely with families to understand their children's needs from the start and put support in place quickly. Robust assessment, observations and close partnerships with parents and professionals ensure that needs for help are identified early. Leaders and staff work tirelessly to ensure that children receive their full entitlement so that all children have access to the full curriculum offer. For example, leaders have used early years pupil premium funding to purchase resources that support individual children's play and learning, such as equipment that helps children to develop their coordination and balance. As a result, these children make significant progress from their starting points. Leaders work closely with all staff to develop their expertise in strategies, such as sign language, which strengthen and support children's communication. Those staff with specific roles to support children with SEND are well qualified and understand their roles effectively. They offer guidance and advice to both parents and children's key persons when needed. Staff apply appropriate strategies consistently, including for children with SEND. Leaders also use a speech and language audit to assess children's needs precisely. As a result, children make rapid progress in their communication and language skills. Achievement Expected standard Children make progress from their starting points across the curriculum. Children are supported to develop their confidence and independence skills by staff who know them incredibly well. They confidently manage their own self-care tasks such as toileting and organising their packed lunch at mealtimes. Children complete tasks such as helping to tidy away their resources in readiness for the next part of their day. They explore their environment both indoors and outdoors with confidence. Parents and carers report significant improvements in their children's communication and language skills since attending the setting. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing benefit greatly from additional support that helps them to access the whole learning environment. Staff have secure knowledge of all children's needs and what makes them unique. As a result, children develop secure attachments with staff who are kind and caring, and settle quickly. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Overall, children behave well and enjoy their time in the nursery. Leaders and staff set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. Staff consistently reinforce positive behaviours, praising children for sharing, listening and helping one another. When minor conflicts arise, staff sensitively support children to resolve the issue. This helps children to learn to share, take turns and play cooperatively. Effective key-person systems are in place to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders understand how well their practice works, and children experience steady routines and positive attitudes to learning. Children build trusting relationships with staff who know them incredibly well. Staff use what they know about children and their families to best support children to understand their feelings and emotions when their routines are changing. For example, some children are finishing for their summer break, and others are moving on to school. Staff have prepared children for such changes and plan to keep in touch with those who will be returning, to support their transition back into the setting. Leaders have robust processes in place to follow up on children's absences. Parents and carers have a clear understanding of their responsibility to make contact with the setting if their children are going to be absent. This helps to set good habits for future learning. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff closely focus on building trusting partnerships with parents and carers. Equally effective partnerships are in place with external professionals such as children's centre and school staff. Such partnerships ensure that they work together to support the health and wellbeing of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders and staff promote children's physical health particularly well. Children have plentiful opportunities for physical play. Staff interact well to support children as they learn to take appropriate risks. For example, they demonstrate to children how holding your arms out helps you balance along beams. Children access climbing apparatus and take part in music and movement, which helps develop their core strength and coordination. Staff remain close by to help all children requiring additional support. Leaders provide healthy snacks, which include fresh fruit and water, and work with parents to promote healthy lunch boxes. Children brush their teeth and wash their hands as part of their daily routines in the setting. However, some staff do not consistently use routines such as lunchtime and physical play to teach children about keeping themselves healthy. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff securely understand the individual learning needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff use information from children's starting points, likes and interests to plan individual learning for children. Staff know children's next steps in development and consider what children need to learn to become ready for school, such as independence, social and language skills. Staff generally provide teaching and interactions which successfully promote children's learning. For example, when singing animal songs, staff teach younger children the sounds animals make. Some staff are skilful in extending children's learning during their self-initiated play. For instance, in the role-play area, they make pretend cups of tea for each other, and staff ask thought-provoking questions, such as is it too hot or cold, and how can we cool it down or heat it up. However, in the pre-school room, some staff do not consistently take opportunities to further extend children's learning, for example during carpet time and daily routines. This means that some children may not make the progress they are capable of. Leaders and staff create an environment which encourages children to independently choose resources and activities to help them engage and explore with their friends. For example, when playing in the sand, children make pretend ice creams for each other and nearby adults. Others work hard using tools to transfer small objects from one bowl to another. During such activities, staff weave in mathematical concepts such as colours, number and shape. Overall, children develop the skills they require for their next stage of learning. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have taken appropriate action to ensure that children are supervised during outdoor activities. They have reviewed their risk assessment procedures and provided additional training for staff. This means that staff understand their responsibility to identify and minimise risks to children. Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children and overall have an understanding of the setting's context, strengths and areas for development. They successfully work in partnership with parents and carers and external professionals to promote children's ongoing development. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and recognise the support they are given personally and the support to help them continue their children's learning at home. Leaders are proactive in supporting parents to access available funding and promote a culture of inclusion as they navigate referral pathways and help with school applications and transitions. Leaders work with a range of external professionals to ensure support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing is coordinated and effective in meeting their needs. Leaders and staff work effectively with local schools to aid smooth transitions. This helps to ensure that all children, including those facing barriers to their learning, have a seamless transition to the next stage of their education. Staff receive appropriate supervision and support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Closer monitoring of staff's practice will further develop their teaching and learning skills to provide consistently high-quality experiences for all children. Staff report that their wellbeing is good, workloads are manageable and they access professional training opportunities to ensure their skills remain current. 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 receive a lovely warm welcome at this nursery and are keen to start their day. They arrive with their lunch bags on their arm, wave goodbye to their family members and go off Inspector: Anita Dunn to hang up their belongings. Children form positive relationships with staff and each other. As a result, they feel safe and secure and enjoy their time at nursery. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, those known to social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, show an enjoyment of their learning. Children engage purposefully in activities, which are tailored to their individual needs. They play and learn through a range of resources that support their exploration and engagement. For example, when outside, children use paint and chalks independently to begin with, to develop their mark-making skills. This quickly grows into a group activity to produce a large piece of colourful art. Children enjoy joining in with songs, rhymes and stories to enhance their communication and listening skills. They play alongside their friends in a harmonious way. Such activities help with children's all round-development and prepare them for their next steps in their learning. Children attend regularly because leaders ensure they promote the importance of this to parents. This means children benefit from the learning and social experiences on offer. The flexible service provided for parents and carers helps to meet the needs of the children and the extended family. Parents comment on how such support helps them with their daily routines. Leaders are proactive in following up when children are absent and quickly contact parents and other professionals to check that children are safe and well. Next steps Leaders should support staff to consistently adapt teaching so that children benefit from intended learning and build on what they already know and can do. Leaders should precisely monitor staff's interactions, teaching and routines so children consistently experience high-quality practice that supports their learning and progress. 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. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY557128 Address: Portside Children's Centre Egerton Street Ellesmere Port Cheshire CH65 2BY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 31/01/2018 Registered person: S4YC Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Cheshire West and Chester Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 17 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 56 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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