Pop Up Irchester

Pop Up Irchester
Unique reference number (URN): 2817522
Address: Irchester Village Hall, 36 School Road, Irchester, Wellingborough, NN29 7AW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 04/11/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Pop Up Irchester Ltd
Inspection report: 21 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
Achievement Strong standard
Children make progress from their individual starting points and are confident in what they
know and can do. They are proud of their achievements and eagerly show adults their
pictures, creations and developing skills. Children become increasingly independent as they
move through the nursery and confidently take responsibility for aspects of their learning
and play.
Children communicate confidently with adults and one another. They use an increasingly
wide range of vocabulary to express their ideas, needs and experiences. They ask
questions, listen carefully and respond with interest to what others say. Children enjoy
sharing books, turning pages and joining in with familiar words and phrases. Younger
children explore early mathematical concepts through hands-on play, including counting and
investigating shape.
Children are highly engaged in their learning and sustain their interest in a wide range of
experiences. They confidently explore, investigate and solve problems through play.
Children develop a strong awareness of their feelings and increasingly recognise and
manage emotions such as sadness and anger. They use strategies that help them to
manage their feelings and return to learning.
Children who face additional barriers make strong progress and participate confidently
alongside their peers. Children develop a secure sense of belonging and are well prepared
for their next stage. They become familiar with their future school, its environment and the
adults they will meet. As a result, children approach the transition to school with confidence
and excitement.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Children behave incredibly well because they understand the expectations for behaviour
and respond positively to the consistent boundaries in place. They show kindness, care and
respect towards adults, their peers and the environment. Warm, trusting relationships
underpin children's behaviour. Children are affectionate towards staff and confidently seek
them out for reassurance, support and shared enjoyment.
Children learn to collaborate and get along well with others. They listen to their friends, take
turns and work together during play and shared activities. Staff model respectful behaviour
and consistently recognise children when they show kindness, care and consideration. This
helps children develop a strong understanding of how their actions affect others.
Children of all ages and stages respond positively to the expectations of the setting. Babies
and younger children receive appropriate support to understand routines and develop
positive behaviours, while older children demonstrate increasing independence in managing
their own behaviour and relationships. Staff make thoughtful adaptations for children with
additional needs, including providing targeted support to help children develop emotional
regulation, communication and turn taking.

Children attend regularly and benefit from consistent routines. Leaders place strong
importance on punctuality and attendance and work closely with families to promote this.
Therefore, children experience continuity in their learning and relationships.
Children are highly engaged, confident and settled. Their exemplary behaviour and positive
attitudes enable them to make the most of the learning opportunities available and
contribute to a calm, respectful and caring nursery environment.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children feel safe, secure and emotionally well supported. They develop deep attachments
with their key person and benefit from warm, responsive relationships with familiar adults.
Children confidently seek comfort and reassurance when needed and show affection
towards the adults who care for them.
Children experience care that reflects their individual needs and circumstances. Their
settling-in arrangements are thoughtfully adapted so that children and families can build
confidence at their own pace. Children benefit from sensitive arrangements that help them
become familiar with new adults and the nursery environment before starting. This helps
children settle confidently and develop a secure sense of belonging.
Children develop a secure understanding of how to care for their bodies and stay healthy.
They enjoy nutritious meals prepared on site and are encouraged to try new foods. Children
use cutlery independently, and older children wash their own plates and bowls after eating.
Babies confidently feed themselves using their hands. Sleep routines meet individual needs,
with babies comfortably dressed and supported to settle to sleep and adults remaining close
by to check them regularly.
Children talk openly about their feelings and develop strategies to manage emotions such
as sadness and anger. They use sensory and calming resources when needed and
increasingly regulate their emotions independently.
Children benefit from an inclusive environment where their welfare is prioritised. Families
receive support to understand online safety, including the impact of screen time and ways to
reduce children's exposure to online harm.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum, with a strong focus on developing children's
independence, confidence and readiness to learn. Staff create an enabling environment
where children freely explore, practise existing skills and develop new knowledge. They use
their detailed knowledge of children's abilities and next steps to plan purposeful experiences
and skilfully weave learning opportunities throughout the day.
Communication and language are particular strengths. Staff engage children in sustained,
meaningful two-way conversations and deliberately introduce and reinforce new vocabulary
across all areas of learning. They read stories expressively, encourage children to turn
pages and join in with familiar words, and pause to ask questions that check and deepen
children's understanding. Visual aids enable children with less-developed speech to

participate successfully. Children reflect this strong modelling in their interactions with each
other, asking questions, listening carefully and responding with interest.
Staff prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. Children
confidently take on physical challenges, including lifting heavy blocks to build together, riding
tricycles and balancing on equipment. Staff talk openly about emotions such as sadness
and anger and help children consider strategies for managing their feelings.
Teaching is consistently adapted to individual children. Staff make subtle adjustments to
routines and provide targeted one-to-one and small-group support to develop language, turn
taking and other identified skills. As a result, children make progress from their individual
starting points and develop increasing confidence and independence as learners.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff know children and their families very well. They identify children's
individual needs promptly and respond quickly when they have concerns about children's
development. To establish clear starting points, staff assess children when they start at the
setting and use a tracking system to monitor progress. They identify appropriate next steps
and use these to focus teaching and support through planned activities, group times and
individual interactions.
For children developing communication and language, staff deliberately extend vocabulary
by repeating familiar words and encouraging children to use them. They adapt
communication approaches for children who are nonverbal, using visual aids, including
picture and word lanyards and communication folders, to help children understand routines
and communicate their needs. These approaches help children understand what is
happening throughout the day and participate confidently.
Leaders work closely with parents and carers and respond sensitively to individual family
circumstances. They proactively support families to improve attendance and help parents
complete relevant paperwork when necessary. This enables families to access appropriate
support and apply for local school places.
Leaders monitor the impact of support and work effectively with families and professionals.
Staff value children's home languages and learn key words to support communication. They
invite families to record familiar phrases for staff to use when children feel unsettled.
Leaders also seek professional expertise, such as inviting physiotherapists to model
strategies for staff. Parents value this support and report that staff go above and beyond to
meet their children's needs. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding thoughtfully to
provide resources that support children's emotional security.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders have a comprehensive understanding of the setting and continually consider how to
strengthen practice. They have responded proactively to changes in safer sleep guidance,
reviewing risks within the building and ensuring that staff understand current expectations
and receive appropriate training. This has strengthened the consistency and safety of
practice across the setting.

Leaders place children's interests at the centre of their decision-making. They are
particularly committed to reducing barriers for children and families who may need additional
support. Leaders work closely with families to help them access services, resources and
school applications. Parents speak highly of the practical and emotional support they
receive, describing how staff go beyond their usual responsibilities to help families secure
the support they need. Leaders also develop meaningful links with the local community,
broadening the experiences and opportunities available to children.
Leaders give careful consideration to staff wellbeing and workload. Staff speak positively
about the support they receive, and value the ongoing opportunities to develop their
knowledge and skills. Leaders identify professional development thoughtfully in response to
the needs of the setting.
New staff receive a thorough induction that equips them with essential knowledge from the
outset. This includes safeguarding, the 'Prevent' duty, safer sleep and caring for babies.
Regular training and support ensure that staff remain confident in their responsibilities and
understand how their practice contributes to children's safety, development and wellbeing.
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 happy, confident and deeply engaged in their play and learning. They make
choices about how they spend their time and confidently move between indoor and outdoor
experiences. Outside, children balance carefully on equipment and practise walking along it,
developing their physical confidence and coordination. They hold hands as they walk
together and negotiate what they would like to do next.
Children enjoy being together and show kindness and respect towards one another. They
work collaboratively to build structures with large wooden blocks, demonstrating excellent
teamwork and shared enjoyment. When a child falls, their friends immediately ask if they are
okay and help them to get back up. Children listen to one another, cooperate and show
genuine care for their friends. Kindness is an integral part of their relationships.
Children confidently talk about their feelings. They use interesting resources to help them
describe emotions and recall times when they have felt cross or sad. They think about what
they can do to help themselves feel better and increasingly understand how to manage their
emotions.
Children immerse themselves in imaginative and sensory play. They make pretend tea using
pots, pans and tea-stained water, pouring and mixing as they explore different sensations.
They use diggers in the sand and enjoy shared stories inside the tent, turning pages and
recalling familiar books.
Children show genuine curiosity about the natural world. They delight in digging up potatoes
they have grown themselves and proudly talk about their harvest. They order potatoes by
size, use mathematical language and count their produce. Children wash the mud from their
potatoes and excitedly discuss with the chef what they could make with them. This
experience helps children understand where food comes from and develops positive
attitudes towards healthy eating.

Inspector:
Betty Ekberg
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2817522
Address:
Irchester Village Hall
36 School Road, Irchester
Wellingborough
NN29 7AW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 04/11/2024
Registered person: Pop Up Irchester Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Children are proud of what they achieve and eagerly share their discoveries with others.
They show confidence, independence and a strong sense of belonging.
Next steps
The provider should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high
standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and
experiences of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, 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.

Local authority: North Northamptonshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 21 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 3
Total number of places
30
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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