Seashells Nursery

Seashells Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY561136
Address: Maude Community Centre Annexe, Station Road, New Romney, TN28 8LQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 22/06/2018
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Babyseashells Ltd
Inspection report: 7 September 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
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Staff build highly positive relationships with children, helping children feel confident and
safe. Leaders and staff create a purposeful, harmonious atmosphere throughout the indoor
and outdoor environments. They set high expectations for children's behaviour, and children
consistently meet these expectations. Instances of inappropriate behaviour are rare. When
minor disagreements arise, staff intervene sensitively and help children resolve them
amicably.
Children remain motivated and engaged throughout the day. Staff provide additional
resources that support children in adapting the activities to reflect their interests. For
example, children choose to build a ramp and gather wooden planks to complete the task.
They listen attentively and respectfully to adults, which helps them remain purposefully
engaged.
Children demonstrate their ability to collaborate, share and take turns. Toddlers work
together to build a train track and take turns adding carriages. Children interact positively
with one another. Older children giggle together as they use a mirror to observe their facial
features. Babies smile at staff while practising their first steps, holding an adult's hand or a
fence for support.
Leaders regularly review accident and absence records to safeguard children. When a child
has an unexplained absence, leaders contact the parents immediately. They explain that
regular attendance enables children to benefit fully from the nursery's activities and
experiences.
Inclusion Strong standard
Staff effectively meet each child's individual needs. They provide targeted support to
individuals and small groups, including speech and language support and opportunities to
use the sensory room for self-regulation. This approach helps to reduce barriers to learning.
The nursery promotes an inclusive environment. Staff identify each child's needs and work
with parents to create and monitor individual support plans. They share these plans with all
staff in the relevant room to ensure consistent support. When necessary, leaders seek
guidance from external agencies. For example, they followed a child psychologist's
recommendations when applying for education, health and care plans. This coordinated
approach enables children to access the full range of nursery activities.
Staff adapt activities to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning. For example, they have modified the
climbing equipment so that children can use it safely. This change enables children to
participate in activities they enjoy while minimising risk.
The nursery maintains strong links with the schools that children will go on to attend.
Teachers and staff responsible for SEND visit the nursery to discuss the support plans for

Expected standard
individual children. Leaders demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of
SEND. They recognise the growing number of children with additional needs and have
planned training to strengthen all staff members' knowledge and understanding of SEND.
Achievement Expected standard
Children rapidly develop communication skills as they progress through the nursery. Babies
smile at adults, move towards things that interest them and link actions with words. Toddlers
observe melting ice and explain that they must rescue the animals trapped inside it. Staff
model accurate pronunciation, while older children chat and use compound sentences.
While making pizzas, for example, children explain that they will not add sweetcorn because
they dislike it. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) and others facing barriers to learning. For instance, children excitedly point to the
colours in the bubble tube, and staff name each one. The development of children's use and
understanding of mathematical language is less secure.
Children of all ages enjoy mark-making activities. Younger children paint with large brushes,
while older children use finer tools to create precise facial features, including eyes. Staff
prepare children well for school by systematically building the knowledge and skills they will
need to succeed. Children concentrate when activities interest them, such as when
identifying animals from different countries on a globe. They understand turn-taking and
sharing, and tell staff when they practise these skills. Focused support helps children with
SEND and others facing barriers make progress across the curriculum.
Leaders broaden children's awareness of cultures beyond their own. They invite parents to
share Christmas traditions from their home countries and incorporate them into nursery
activities, strengthening children's understanding of the wider world.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders create a warm, welcoming environment that prioritises children's wellbeing. They
understand each child's needs and adapt activities accordingly. Staff build strong
relationships with children, helping them feel safe and secure in the nursery. Staff also help
children regulate their emotions and provide access to a quiet sensory room when needed.
Children confidently seek comfort and reassurance from staff.
Throughout their time at the nursery, children develop the skills they need to manage their
personal hygiene independently. Staff protect babies' privacy during nappy changes.
Children follow established routines by using the toilet and washing their hands before
meals. They learn to use simple tools safely; however, the blunt knives provided for cutting
vegetables cause frustration. Staff enable all children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, to participate in activities. For example, they carefully
supervise indoor and outdoor climbing equipment so that children can take appropriate risks
while remaining safe. Children also benefit from regular outdoor activities in the fresh air,
such as dancing to music while making patterns with ribbons in the wind.

Each room provides a sociable mealtime environment. Parents supply appropriate,
nutritious food for their children. Staff and children sit together, eat healthy food and engage
in friendly conversation. However, staff miss opportunities to discuss where food comes from
and explain how particular foods support both general and dental health.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have set out a clear curriculum vision that includes all areas of learning. Staff
regularly observe children at play, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning. Staff use these
assessments to plan the next steps in each child's learning.
Leaders and staff provide a wide range of engaging activities, particularly to support
communication and language development. All children, from babies to pre-schoolers, enjoy
sharing favourite books with adults and other friends and commenting on the characters'
actions. However, staff do not always build effectively on children's existing knowledge and
skills. For example, they do not consistently help children develop mathematical language,
such as the vocabulary needed to compare size.
Staff support children with SEND with visual prompts and sign language. Leaders have
acted on a previous recommendation by introducing new climbing equipment that enables
children to climb and take appropriate risks safely. Children strengthen their physical skills
by balancing, jumping and using a range of age-appropriate ride-on toys. They avoid
bumping into others, showing consideration for their friends. Children of all ages learn to use
simple tools. Babies and toddlers use scoops and different brushes to make marks, while
older children use small knives to spread tomato paste on their pizzas. These activities
strengthen the finger muscles that children need for the next stage of their education.
Staff prepare children well for the next stage of their education, including school. Children
manage their personal care, follow instructions and regulate their feelings effectively.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are ambitious. They have recently moved to new premises with dedicated outdoor
spaces for different age groups. They evaluate their practice carefully, and recognise their
strengths in building warm relationships and enabling children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or other barriers to learning, to access every activity. A
sensory room supports small group interventions and emotional regulation. Leaders plan to
develop the garden as an additional learning space.
Leaders acknowledge that staff do not consistently build on children's knowledge and skills,
particularly in terms of mathematical vocabulary. Staff also provide too few opportunities for
children to learn where food comes from and how foods support general and dental health.
Leaders make decisions that benefit all children, especially those with SEND or other
barriers to learning. They use additional funding for enriching activities, including dance
sessions and local community visits, giving children access to experiences that may
otherwise be unavailable.

Staff say that leaders consider their wellbeing and workload and support them effectively.
Regular discussions with leaders help staff to review practice and training needs. Leaders
provide staff with access to training that develops their interests and strengthens practice.
Staff complete mandatory induction training, feel valued and have requested further training
to broaden their understanding of SEND.
Parents praise the staff team, value regular conversations with their child's key person and
colleagues, and appreciate the nursery's flexible approach to each family's individual needs.
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
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are greeted warmly by a member of staff when they arrive at the nursery. Children
are happy and confident, and smile with pleasure at their friends and familiar staff. This
helps children to feel safe, secure and valued in the setting. Children are familiar with the
routines and put their coats and bags in designated spaces. They quickly settle, choosing
one of the many and varied activities already set out for them in the different rooms. Babies
enjoy looking at books, while toddlers enjoy the feeling of oats running through their fingers.
Older children develop strength in their fingers using modelling dough, and this helps to
prepare them for future learning.
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and act as positive role models.
Children respond positively and behave well. Children listen attentively to adults and are

Inspector:
Jill Thewlis
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY561136
engaged in their learning. Children know how to share and take turns. They tell the staff that
they are sharing and taking turns as they each use the control pen for the globe.
Outside, there are different areas to suit the ages and stages of development of the children.
In each area, children experience different sensory mediums, such as sand, water or mud.
Children develop their physical skills riding scooters or bicycles. Younger children paint
using a range of different-sized paintbrushes, while others use chalks to make marks on
slates or on the ground. Children enjoy dancing to music and make patterns with ribbons in
the wind.
Parents, including those whose children have special educational needs and/or disabilities
or other barriers to learning, are delighted with the setting. They value the flexibility of the
nursery in meeting the needs of their families, and appreciate the regular and informative
communication with staff members. Parents are very confident that their children are safe,
secure and happy in the nursery.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure that staff build on what children already know and can do, with
particular regard to the development of mathematical language.
Leaders should more actively promote children's understanding of where their food
comes from and how different foods support our general and dental health.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, parents
and children during the inspection. The inspector also viewed written comments from
parents.
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.

Address:
Maude Community Centre Annexe
Station Road
New Romney
TN28 8LQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 22/06/2018
Registered person: Babyseashells Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Kent
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 7 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 3
Total number of places
60
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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