Muddy Boots Childcare

Muddy Boots Childcare
Unique reference number (URN): EY562138
Address: Quickes Farm, Newton St. Cyres, Exeter, Devon, EX5 5AY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 24/09/2018
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Muddy Boots Childcare Ltd
Inspection report: 21 January 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
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff create a learning environment that is positive and inclusive. Staff have
high expectations of all children and give clear and consistent expectations for children's
behaviour. They teach children about rules and support them to share and take turns with
their friends and have confidence to ask for help when required. Staff support children's
personal and emotional development well. Relationships between staff and children are
nurturing and help children of all ages to feel safe, secure and happy.
Leaders understand the importance of children attending regularly. They prioritise this. They
understand the positive impact this has on the care, learning and development, and
wellbeing of children.
Achievement Expected standard
Babies are developing age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills in the prime areas
of learning. Babies make steady progress in their physical development. They relish the
opportunities provided for them to develop their balance and coordination as they practise
their walking skills. Older children experience a broad and balanced curriculum that builds
well on what they already know and can do. Children are typically achieving well from their
starting points. This helps prepare them for the next stage of their learning. Children develop
into confident, inquisitive learners able to make choices in their play, and they work well with
others.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff create a safe, welcoming environment. Children separate well from
parents when coming into the setting. There is a comprehensive handover between families
and staff, and this promotes consistency in care. Children's physical and emotional health
are supported, and all staff are responsive and are swift to meet young children's needs.
Staff in the baby room demonstrate a sound understanding of safe sleep practices. They
consistently promote these. Staff regularly physically check babies as they nap. In the
toddler room, staff encourage children to notice their own self-care needs. For example, staff
speak with children about their need to blow their nose or recognise signs that they need the
toilet.
Children enjoy nutritious meals that form part of a broad and balanced menu. Meals are
prepared on site. Children eagerly try new foods such as broccoli. Staff sit with children for

meals and model conversations. Children excitedly chat with each other as they enjoy a
sociable eating experience.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have devised a curriculum that is broad and balanced and prepares children for
future learning. Learning experiences focus on supporting children to develop physical,
personal, social and emotional skills. Staff offer encouragement and praise to babies as they
play. Language and social skills of babies are well supported. Staff model turn taking and
respect for others. Staff know babies well, and babies clearly feel happy and settled in the
setting. Babies enjoy an environment that is inviting. Staff support babies' emotional
regulation as they provide nurturing cuddles and read stories with them.
Toddlers experience an environment that is full of language. Staff promote safety as children
play. They remind children to be careful with the sand so it does not go in their eyes or their
friends' eyes. Staff promote respect and an awareness of others. As children create
sandcastles, a staff member says, 'Oh, I don't think your friend wants their castle squashed.
He looks sad. Can we make your friend another one?' Children excitedly do so. As children
play, staff interact frequently with children.
In preschool children are happy and settled. They show particular joy when explaining their
feelings in Spanish. Children can recall prior knowledge of how to greet their friends, and
many can confidently state if they are feeling happy, sad or tired. Staff have built close
bonds with children, and these support progress. Staff do not, however, consistently tailor
teaching approaches to best support all children to be able to engage in activities and
access learning.
Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of how to build on the skills and knowledge
children already have. They narrate children's play and introduce children to new
vocabulary, repeating it often so children develop confidence and familiarity with it. For
example, as older children enjoy learning about the different kinds of dinosaurs, they quickly
adopt the new vocabulary modelled by staff into their play. They excitedly create a world of
roaming dinosaurs and enjoy informing visitors about herbivores and carnivores. Children
show high levels of confidence in their play.
Inclusion Expected standard
Staff monitor children's progress effectively. Leaders and staff know children and their
families well. Leaders focus on supporting staff to develop strong bonds with their key
children. These promote all children's sense of belonging. Children show their contentment.
They are happy and feel safe and secure with staff. When children start at the setting,
leaders and staff gain a thorough understanding of children's backgrounds, interests and
needs. Staff work effectively with parents to identify barriers to learning and put support in
place to promote children's progress. Support strategies are used to support children's
wellbeing, but the impact of these varies.
Staff responsible for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
understand their role and responsibility. Training is targeted to develop their skills and
confidence in helping all children to achieve. Staff feel confident seeking support and

guidance from those who specialise in supporting children with SEND. This supports staff to
develop their understanding of needs and barriers to learning and gives them confidence to
try a range of targeted support strategies with children.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leadership is organised and comprehensive and promotes high-quality curriculum
oversight. Leaders support all staff to provide children with quality learning and development
opportunities that are well sequenced and build on what babies and children already know
and can do. Staff support families as a whole and not only the child attending. Leaders are
reflective and carry out regular, robust evaluations of strengths and development areas and
are swift to adapt aspects of their offering to best support staff, children and wider families.
Leaders have developed open, honest relationships with families and provide support when
they experience challenges in life. This supports consistency in care for children and helps
them thrive. Leaders value families' contributions and opinions, regularly seek these and
ensure parent partnerships best support children attending.
Leaders carry out regular supervision sessions for staff, and these support high-quality
provision. Staff comment on how well they are supported in the setting. Leaders provide
relevant and appropriate professional development opportunities for staff to keep skills and
knowledge current. Leaders have constructed a management structure that clearly supports
staff to know who to seek guidance from on best supporting children in their care. Leaders
should further support staff with oversight responsibilities to manage their roles and
responsibilities so that they can best promote the progress of all children.
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 show a real sense of belonging. They arrive eager for the day ahead and separate
well from parents and carers as staff welcome them warmly. Children confidently explore the
environment, selecting activities to play with. Children of all ages are kind and caring and
are greatly considerate of their friends' feelings. They share and take turns with each other
readily. Staff promote positive, respectful relationships. Children experience a broad and
balanced curriculum that prioritises the development of their personal, social and emotional
skills. Children show strong bonds with their key persons, and staff know children well. Staff
know children's characters and uniqueness and help their sense of wellbeing to flourish.
Children show confidence and independence as they play, and they ask for help or support
when needed.
Staff interactions with children are frequent and promote children's levels of focus and
engagement as they play and learn. All children make progress from their starting points and
enjoy a wide variety of learning experiences. Time is spent outdoors daily, exploring ride-on
vehicles and balance courses and developing a joy of exploring in nature. Children develop
balance, core strength and coordination as they play.
Children at all ages and stages enjoy a learning environment that is full of language. Staff
help babies name farm animals as they play. They promote understanding of cause and
effect as babies learn how to turn the tractor's motor on, and they giggle excitedly as it
moves. Older children thoroughly enjoy engaging in imaginative play as they manage their
own restaurant. They enjoy chopping real vegetables and serving them to customers. They
delight as staff inform them their creations are delicious.
Children thrive. They clearly feel safe and secure. Staff form working relationships with
families to best support children. Staff promote attendance. When children are absent, staff

Inspector:
Shirley Evel
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY562138
Address:
Quickes Farm
Newton St. Cyres
Exeter
Devon
EX5 5AY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 24/09/2018
Registered person: Muddy Boots Childcare Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
are quick to communicate with parents to make sure families feel supported and children
return to nursery when well.
Next steps
Leaders should promote a range of teaching approaches to best support development of
children's knowledge, understanding and skills as they play and learn.
Leaders should further facilitate staff to be able to manage their roles and responsibilities
so they can best promote progress for all children.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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.

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 21 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 5
Total number of places
20
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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