URN 2838019 · Inspected 2026-09-24 · Published 2026-10-23 · Inspector: Anita Dunn
Penkett Day Nursery Limited Unique reference number (URN): 2838019 Address: 32 Penkett Road, Wallasey, CH45 7QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/04/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Penkett Day Nursery Limited Inspection report: 24 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 Expected standard Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff work closely with families to understand their children's needs from the start and put support in place quickly. Staff know the children very well. Robust assessment, observations and close partnerships with parents and professionals ensure that early help is swiftly identified. Leaders offer flexible sessions, which help families and children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to learning, to settle into nursery life. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of such flexibility and comment how this has had a positive impact on the family as a whole. Additional support staff ensure that children access the full curriculum offer and are supported to make good progress in their development. Staff sensitively adapt activities and the environment so that all children can participate. Additional funding is spent appropriately to ensure that this has a positive impact on children. For instance, some children have their own resource box, which helps them feel secure in their learning environment. Leaders support staff to undertake specialist training to help them learn new strategies to help children regulate their behaviour. Staff recognise the impact of their new learning, which is shared with parents to try at home. Achievement Expected standard Overall, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning, typically make steady progress from their starting points. Some children do not receive high-quality teaching interactions due to inconsistencies in the teaching of the curriculum. That said, children with identified communication needs make clear progress, moving from limited language skills to being able to communicate their needs through signs and pictures. Children confidently manage their own self-care tasks such as toileting and washing their hands and faces after lunch. They complete tasks such as helping to tidy away their resources in readiness for the next part of their day. They explore their environment both indoors and outdoors with confidence. These skills help children prepare for the next stage in their learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders and staff set high expectations for children's behaviour, attitudes and routines. The calm, inclusive and harmonious atmosphere created by leaders and staff helps all children to feel safe and secure. Staff are positive role models who are kind and caring. Children have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to show off their achievements with pride. Babies and young children's routines are individualised. They are gently settled before being placed down to sleep, in line with safer-sleeping procedures. Nappy changes are unrushed and babies are softly spoken to. The calm and harmonious atmosphere created by leaders and staff helps all children to feel safe and secure. Leaders employ additional support staff who have close connections with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. They offer encouragement and appropriate adaptations during such routines. Leaders promote regular attendance through flexible attendance arrangements and effective monitoring. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of the relationships they have with the staff, which has helped their children to flourish both in the setting and at home. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders establish effective policies and procedures to promote children's health and wellbeing in a busy but calm environment. Typically, children behave well and know what is expected of them through familiar routines. For example, children wait to be counted at the gate before they move into the garden. When outside, they instinctively put on their safety helmet before using the wheeled toys and are mindful of their friends as they whizz around. Leaders provide healthy nutritional food and ensure that children have access to fresh drinking water. Lunchtime is a real social occasion, full of chatter and conversations around the table. Children self-serve their food and drinks, having washed their hands before coming to the table. Safer-eating practices are embedded, and mealtimes are supervised carefully. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Overall, leaders and staff deliver a varied and inclusive curriculum. Planning is typically informed through children's interests and what they need to learn next. For example, babies are provided with opportunities to develop their core strength through tummy time, and they reach out to staff who help them with their balance when learning to stand. Older children are provided with a wide range of tools and materials to help them develop early writing skills. However, teaching is not consistent across the setting. For example, during some adult-led activities, staff do not consolidate learning before they move on to the next activity. Furthermore, on occasion, staff do not always extend children's responses to deepen their thinking. This means that some children may miss out on important information. Communication and language skills and mathematics are promoted effectively. Staff use clear age-appropriate language and engage children in meaningful conversations. Children are introduced to new vocabulary such as 'carnivore' and 'kiwi' as they play. Staff weave mathematical concepts through everyday routines such as counting when they line up outside. Children independently select books and familiar stories, which are read to them frequently. The lending library enables children to take books home to enjoy with their families. Staff use a range of communication strategies to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers to learning. All children are learning to communicate with confidence and are building their language and mathematical structures. Where children need more targeted support, leaders identify this through observation and put individualised plans in place, which staff review regularly with parents and carers. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. Overall, they have an understanding of the setting's context, strengths and areas for development. They are reflective in their practice and strive to improve outcomes for children and families. Leaders seek external specialist advice, and practitioners receive appropriate training. For example, staff and children have undertaken a 6-week physical sensory course. Staff have implemented new learning, which has had a positive impact on supporting children's regulation during transition times. Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the setting. They appreciate the support and guidance provided by leaders through regular supervision and professional development opportunities. Leaders promote staff wellbeing and take appropriate steps to ensure that workloads remain manageable. Leaders and staff have positive relationships with the families they serve. They support families to receive the funding they are entitled to, which is used effectively to help children make progress in their learning. For example, specialist sensory resources are purchased to provide children with designated quiet spaces. Additional support staff are employed to provide one-to-one care to enable all children to access the full curriculum offer. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of the relationships they have with the staff, which has helped their children to flourish both in the setting and at home. 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 skip down the path to be met by warm and friendly staff who are familiar with their arrival routines and know them well. This homely, inclusive learning environment ensures that children feel safe and secure and settle well into nursery life. Children experience a broad and balanced curriculum that is carefully planned to meet the needs and interests of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning. Children enjoy the wide range of learning opportunities staff provide both indoors and outdoors. For example, older children enjoy dinosaur play in the garden and are supported to learn their tricky names. Toddlers have a go at cutting their own fruit at snack time and thoroughly enjoy eating it all, while closely supervised by staff. Additionally, babies enjoy song time outside where they can see all their friends. Such activities, alongside staff's positive, supportive and encouraging interactions, help to build children's knowledge and skills across all areas of the curriculum. Overall, children are making steady progress in their learning and development, which prepares children for their next stage in education. Children build positive relationships with those that care for them through the effective key- person system in place. Children seek out comfort and reassurance from familiar staff and are met with smiles, cuddles and comforting words. Children behave well, use their manners appropriately and play cooperatively, sharing resources and taking turns. Children benefit from regular routines, as staff track attendance and follow up on any absences swiftly. Parents and carers say that they feel welcomed at the nursery and that the daily conversations and regular updates help them to feel part of their child's day. Inspector: Anita Dunn About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2838019 Address: 32 Penkett Road Wallasey CH45 7QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 17/04/2025 Registered person: Penkett Day Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Wirral Facts and figures used on inspection Next steps Leaders should consider ways to support staff to consistently provide high-quality interactions to better support children's overall development and learning. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff 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. This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 24 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 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. 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. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? 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