URN EY456634 · Inspected 2026-02-24 · Published 2026-04-08 · Inspector: Danielle McEwan
Wow Kids Unique reference number (URN): EY456634 Address: 29 Cleggs Lane, Little Hulton, MANCHESTER, M38 9WU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/01/2013 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Wow! Kids Limited Inspection report: 24 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 Needs attention Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff provide a welcoming space where children explore their interests. Staff support children to develop an age-appropriate understanding of their physical health and wellbeing. Children learn hygiene routines suited to their stage of development and have access to outdoor play. Staff work closely with parents and carers to gather information on children's feeding routines, promote healthy eating, and they offer guidance on balanced packed lunches. Children show independence skills at mealtimes and enjoy the healthy, balanced meals and snacks provided. As a result, children are supported to understand how to keep themselves healthy. Leaders and staff gather information about children when they start about their sleeping routines. Furthermore, they have attended training to ensure safe sleep practices are followed. This ensures that children have a calm, safe space to sleep. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For example, children are supported to help with tasks such as tidying up. This helps children to manage and identify potential risks around them. Children develop secure, trusting attachments to staff. They seek out their key person for cuddles, which helps them to settle. Staff encourage children to talk about how they are feeling. Children smile and give a 'thumbs-up' when asked whether they feel happy. This supports children's emotional wellbeing from an early age. Achievement Needs attention Some children do not make the progress they are capable of because the curriculum and daily experiences do not consistently build on their knowledge, skills and understanding. This means gaps in children's development do not close quickly enough. Although children explore activities that support their interests, they do not always extend their thinking or secure new learning. Children who may require additional support are not always provided with learning experiences that precisely meet their individual needs, limiting their opportunities to achieve as well as possible. Some children make progress in some aspects of their learning. Children demonstrate progress in their language development and social skills. For example, children smile and play cooperatively as they push the cars down the ramp. Additionally, children begin to use single words as they explore books with staff. This supports children's early language development. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Staff support children's overall wellbeing. However, there are inconsistencies in how staff support children's behaviour. For example, when children continually stand on furniture or splash water on their friends, staff do not always support children to understand their actions and the impact their behaviour has on others. This means children do not develop an understanding of boundaries. Leaders prioritise children's attendance at this setting. They have procedures in place to follow up on concerns and log reasons for absences. These procedures are shared with parents and carers to maintain continuity in children's care and learning. Staff are positive role models. Children develop warm, respectful relationships with their key person and peers. For example, children help each other to build the train track. Staff support children in a caring manner when transitioning into the setting. This helps children to settle. However, staff do not always organise themselves effectively, particularly when routines change. This means that during these times, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, often become less engaged in their learning. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders have recently begun taking action to improve the curriculum and teaching. However, the curriculum is not yet fully implemented or differentiated to meet the needs of all children effectively. Staff observe and assess children's development. However, children's next steps are not always unique to the gaps in their learning. Therefore, activities do not always build succinctly on what children know and can do, and some lack a clear purpose. For example, children explore mark-making with paint and begin to recognise that they are mixing colours. Staff do not build on this to expand on children's ideas. This does not maximise all children's learning and impacts on the progress of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have some broad ideas of the key skills they intend for children to learn. They focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. They recognise that children must first feel safe and emotionally regulated before they are ready to engage in new learning. Staff spend time building secure attachments with children. Leaders emphasise the importance of developing children's communication and language. They expose children to books. Children excitedly choose their own books, and staff read to them with enthusiasm. They encourage children to repeat words and phrases from the story. This fosters a love of reading. Inclusion Needs attention Some children, particularly those who need additional support, do not always receive the same learning experiences as their peers. Staff do not consistently implement children's next steps, and some are not appropriate for their age and stage of development. These weaknesses affect the progress children can make. Leaders and staff identify gaps in children's learning during their settling-in period and regularly assess their development. Staff know the children well. They understand children's needs, routines or interests and can explain the progress children have made so far. They build positive relationships with parents to maintain continuity between home and the setting. Leaders demonstrate how they will use additional funding. They are beginning to make reasonable adjustments to reduce barriers to children's learning. For example, for children who show an interest in spinning objects, staff provide resources to support the children's interests and develop their engagement. Leaders and staff have begun liaising with external agencies, such as social workers and speech and language therapists, and are attending training to shape children's support and experiences in the setting. However, this is in the early stages and has not yet had an impact. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders understand the setting's strengths and the areas for development. They have begun taking action to improve the curriculum and staff's knowledge of it. However, this has not yet been implemented effectively to meet children's individual needs and next steps in learning. Leaders engage positively with parents. However, engagement with external professionals is within the early stages. As a result, children do not yet benefit from the timely, coordinated support that external professionals can provide, which limits how effectively staff can meet some children's emerging needs. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing. They provide regular meetings and training to enhance staff knowledge in their areas for development. For example, recent safeguarding training has strengthened staff's understanding of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a team member. Staff report that they enjoy working at the setting and feel well supported by leaders. Since the last visit, leaders have taken action to improve staff's knowledge and understanding of safe sleep arrangements. They have worked closely with parents to ensure children receive healthy meals and snacks, and they provide children with access to fresh drinking water. Additionally, leaders have implemented information and record-keeping systems to ensure the safety and safeguarding of children. Furthermore, leaders have strengthened their key-person system to ensure that all children receive a key person and that staff know the children in their care well. 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 Staff provide a warm environment that supports children's current interests. For example, staff recognise that children have recently shown an interest in role play and provide activities to support their imagination. Children feel safe, secure and valued in this setting. They settle quickly on arrival, eager to play with their friends, and they benefit from the warm interactions with staff. The key-person approach supports children's overall wellbeing, for example when staff play turn-taking games with children. Children laugh and smile, asking to play the game again. Children demonstrate they are happy. Attendance is promoted in the setting, and flexible arrangements are put in place to help families access the provision. Leaders and staff work closely with families and develop secure relationships. Staff take time to understand children's experiences outside the setting. Children are a part of the local community and enjoy exploring their local park. Children are independent. They confidently choose activities and enjoy helping with small tasks, such as sweeping up. However, the curriculum children receive is not yet effectively implemented or well sequenced to build on what children know and can do. Although leaders and staff know the children well, they do not always adapt activities to meet children's individual needs. As a result, this limits all children's progress and engagement in their learning and daily routines. Staff have kind and nurturing attitudes. Overall, children behave well. However, there are inconsistencies in how staff support children's behaviour. Children do not always learn how their actions may impact others. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date design and implement a well-sequenced curriculum that is planned to reflect what children need to learn next across all areas of learning 24/03/2026 ensure staffing arrangements, in particular during transition periods, meet the needs of all children 24/03/2026 improve staff's knowledge and skills in managing behaviour, with a focus on promoting consistent, positive approaches. 24/03/2026 About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, staff and the local authority 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. Inspector: Danielle McEwan About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY456634 Address: 29 Cleggs Lane Little Hulton MANCHESTER M38 9WU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 30/01/2013 Registered person: Wow! Kids Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 06:00 Local authority: Salford Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 24 February 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 10 Total number of places 42 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. 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