Roade Rascals

Roade Rascals
Unique reference number (URN): EY487076
Address: Roade Village Hall, Bailey Brooks Lane, Northampton, NN7 2LS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 17/04/2015
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Roade Rascals Limited
Inspection report: 2 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. They
develop the knowledge and skills needed for their age and stage of development,
particularly in communication and language. Children become confident talkers, join in
discussions with staff and listen to their friends.
Children are typically well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school. For
example, children put on their own shoes and coats, use the toilet independently and follow
instructions well. They show confidence as they take part in a wide range of activities.
Children build on what they have learned, demonstrating growing resilience and readiness
for future learning.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make positive progress due to
targeted support. Children manage routines confidently, as these are adapted to suit their
individual needs. Children who may be more vulnerable benefit from consistent approaches
that help them to remain settled and regulated.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff treat children with warmth and respect and devolve secure attachments with children.
Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They give children choice and flexibility
in their activities. This allows children to engage in ways that suit them and to follow their
interests. Staff use regular routines to help children to develop their independence, such as
handwashing before mealtimes. However, although children are learning to be independent,
at times, staff are quick to help children do things, rather than encourage them to try for
themselves. For example, staff tidy away resources after children, rather than encouraging
them to help. This does not consistently support children's growing independence and help
them to develop an understanding of how to care for their environment.
Staff plan group activities that help children to learn to play together and cooperate. They
encourage turn-taking and sharing. Staff support children to manage minor disagreements
effectively. They use tools, such as a sand timer, to enable children to take turns confidently,
negotiate fairly and wait patiently. These routines are well established and help children to
develop positive strategies for resolving conflicts.
Effective partnerships with parents and carers ensure that they receive messages about
their children's behaviour and their expectations. Leaders promote children's positive
attendance and work closely with families to address any emerging barriers.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders make decisions in the best interests of all children, particularly for disadvantaged
children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They guide staff to
create an inclusive environment that supports every child's progress and wellbeing. Staff

ensure that the settling-in process provides reassurance and emotional security for children
and their parents and carers. This supports children to build positive bonds with not only
their key persons but also all staff in the setting.
Staff are attentive to children's needs. Care routines run smoothly. Staff adapt sleeping,
feeding and toileting routines sensitively. This ensures that all children have their individual
needs met. Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles through everyday routines,
such as snack times, where children benefit from healthy foods provided. Staff have
discussions with children during their play about self-care, such as oral health. They
promote the importance of being physically active, ensuring that children have daily
opportunities for fresh air and exercise.
Staff model empathy, and encourage children to show kindness and care towards their
friends. Children learn how to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Staff take
time to talk to children about how they are feeling and what has made them feel that way. In
addition, staff use visual aids to help children to identify the emotions they are feeling.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Overall, leaders have a secure understanding of the curriculum and work with staff to
improve the consistency and quality of teaching across the setting. They have recently
started to organise older and younger children into separate groups, which means teaching
is better focused on meeting their different learning needs. In the baby room, staff
appropriately prioritise babies' personal, social and emotional development, focusing on
establishing routines and secure attachments. However, there is less focused learning
opportunities for babies that promote their progress in other areas.
Staff place an emphasis on children's communication and language development. Books,
stories and rhymes are readily available for children, who enjoy engaging with stories and
songs during the day. Staff skilfully extend children's vocabulary by introducing new words
through their play and discussions. Staff skilfully use assessment to identify gaps in
children's learning and are quick to offer additional support to those children who need it.
For example, they offer small-group sessions to focus on children's speech and language
development.
Staff plan activities that follow children's interests and stage of development. For example,
toddlers develop coordination as they build structures. Older children demonstrate curiosity
as they mix colours with paint, proudly sharing with their friends what colours they make.
Staff teach mathematical concepts in enjoyable and purposeful ways. For example, at snack
time, children use number cards to count pieces of fruit, and staff introduce concepts, such
as 'full' and 'empty', as children pour liquids during their play.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders promote an inclusive culture, where every child is valued. Staff recognise and
understand children's individual needs well. Staff gather detailed information from parents
and carers, when children join the setting, and use ongoing assessments to identify any
emerging needs promptly. This ensures that delays or gaps in children's learning are
identified at the earliest opportunity.

Staff work effectively with parents and carers and other professionals to develop targeted
plans that focus on the areas where children need the most help. Staff adapt their teaching
and care to meet individual needs and ensure that all children can fully access the
curriculum. For example, the use of picture cards, communication lanyards and visual
prompts help children who find communication difficult. This enables every child to
participate meaningfully in learning and make progress from their starting points.
Leaders closely monitor children's progress and regularly review the effectiveness. They
have effective systems in place to support children known to children's social care and work
closely with other agencies to ensure children needs are understood and met. Staff provide
practical advice and support to parents, who may need additional guidance in navigating
external processes. This collaborative approach ensures support is well coordinated,
leading to improved outcomes for children and helping them move forward confidently in
their development.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Newly appointed leaders are aware of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement.
They put plans in place to ensure that the nursery is always developing. For example,
leaders have identified that reorganising rooms ensures that children benefit from age-
appropriate learning.
Leaders typically monitor the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all children,
including those on the pathway to requiring additional support. However, they have not yet
fully refined the curriculum for babies to ensure they benefit from clearly planned learning
opportunities that promote their progress. Leaders acknowledge they are on a development
journey and, while further improvements are needed, they have a clear and focused plan to
drive progress and secure the best outcomes for all children.
Leaders maintain clear oversight of the setting. Their knowledge of the local community and
their engagement with other agencies support children and families effectively to help their
children to thrive. Staff take part in regular professional discussions with the staff team
during planned meetings to share information, discuss practice and enable staff to raise any
concerns. This supports staff to understand their roles and responsibilities. It also aids
sharing of information and safeguarding children. Leaders value and nurture staff's
wellbeing. They provide support and guidance and ensure that staff's workloads are
manageable.

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 settled and happy in this welcoming nursery. They explore confidently in a safe
and nurturing environment, and separate easily from their parents and carers. Staff form
positive relationships with staff and each other. Babies show secure attachments, sitting
comfortably with staff while exploring instruments. Older children engage deeply in role play,
demonstrating cooperation and positive social interactions.
Children experience a wide range of opportunities to develop communication and language
through group activities and one-to-one interactions. They enjoy taking part in music and

Inspector:
Charmaine Cayton
movement sessions, as well as sharing quiet stories with their key person. Children also
engage enthusiastically in activities that support their physical development, indoors and
outdoors. For example, pre-school children regularly walk to the local park to use large
equipment to climb, balance and manoeuvre their whole bodies. Younger children build on
their hand strength, such as they dress dolls and enjoy the sensory experience of squeezing
sponges to create bubbles.
Children benefit from a varied curriculum that includes all areas of learning. Staff know what
children already know and can do and what they need to learn next. They use their
knowledge of child development to adapt activities so they meet each child's needs,
ensuring that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities,
continue to make progress. As a result, children are eager to join in and explore.
Children develop the key skills they need for the next stage in their education. They learn to
be independent and begin to manage self-care skills, such as toileting and handwashing.
Staff use clear expectations to help children to understand what is happening now and next.
Children behave well, show respect towards one another and make typical progress
appropriate for their age and stage of development.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen the curriculum for babies to ensure that teaching is
consistently focused and that babies benefit from clearly planned learning opportunities
that promote their progress.
Leaders should develop staff's knowledge of how to further support children's
independence skills, so that they develop a positive attitude to caring for their
environment.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and the special educational needs and/or
disabilities coordinator 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): EY487076
Address:
Roade Village Hall
Bailey Brooks Lane
Northampton
NN7 2LS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 17/04/2015
Registered person: Roade Rascals Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: West Northamptonshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 2 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 10
Total number of places
18
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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