URN 2750348 · Inspected 2026-01-30 · Published 2026-03-30 · Inspector: Rebecca Stead
Poulton Childcare Unique reference number (URN): 2750348 Address: Poulton Le Fylde Methodist Church, Queensway, Poulton-le-fylde, FY6 7ST Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/08/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Poulton St Chads Nursery Ltd Inspection report: 30 January 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 are making rapid and sustained progress through the ambitious curriculum. This is because children have meaningful conversations with each other at mealtimes and during hygiene practices. They share, take turns and put on their waterproof clothing to independently play outside. Children do this with ease and confidence and build resilience rapidly. Furthermore, children develop a deep curiosity to try new things and demonstrate a highly positive attitude to learning. Consequently, older children are well prepared for their next stage of learning or on to school. Babies eagerly bounce and move, listening to their favourite nursery rhymes during outings to the local library. They engage well with other babies and make new friends during these experiences. Babies delight in playing with sensory toys and materials, demonstrating a willingness to have a go and try again. As a result, all children develop a secure foundational knowledge for their next stage of learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff have the highest expectations for every child and build secure relationships with them from the start. Staff are excellent role models and show enthusiasm in everything they do. Routines are familiar for children, and the environment is rich, well resourced and highly inclusive. For example, staff support children to choose their favourite toys from low-level shelves. They carefully observe and let children lead their own play, intervening when appropriate. Staff carefully support children to consider their peers as they play in small groups. As a result, children build autonomy, confidence and lasting relationships with each other and staff. Leaders recognise the importance of punctuality and attendance. They make every effort to follow up on absences and monitor this very well. They understand each family's personal circumstances and adapt sessions to meet children's needs. As a result, all children benefit from familiar routines and clear expectations. Staff champion each other and all children at every opportunity, saying, 'I am so proud of you!' to children and praising staff's achievements. The impressive way that leaders advocate for their staff is commendable and highly beneficial for children to see and imitate. Consequently, children demonstrate the best possible behaviour and attitudes. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff place children's wellbeing and emotional resilience at the heart of everything they do. They ensure that care routines are sharply tailored to each individual child's needs, and this works well. Staff use visual resources with children to ensure that barriers to care and learning are removed. This means all children can express their needs in a way that suits them. Furthermore, staff show deep kindness and support to each other, which strengthens the key-person system. As a result, babies and children develop secure and responsive attachments to all staff. Staff support children to have a high awareness of their emotions, offering well-resourced books and activities. For example, staff encourage children to express their emotions through exploring in the mud and creating self-portraits, which they excitedly share with the inspector. Mealtimes are an opportunity to learn about personal safety and health. Staff discuss healthy foods with children, and they chew carefully as they eat. Staff use laminated cards at mealtimes, displaying names and allergy information. This encourages discussions about safer eating with children. As a result, children develop remarkable levels of emotional wellbeing and learn how to stay safe. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders thoughtfully assess children in relation to the context of opportunities made available to them. They plan a highly ambitious curriculum, which prioritises children's mathematics, language, personal, social and emotional development. Staff provide consistent opportunities for children to develop a deep love of books, songs and rhymes. Children excitedly sing and read together, learning about nature and winter bears. Staff and trainees skilfully adapt their interactions and model language well. Staff encourage children's curiosity, supporting them to test ideas while exploring various materials. Consequently, all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, are making excellent progress across all areas of development. Leaders ensure all staff and trainees know children very well, providing targeted training and support for them. Staff have expert knowledge of children's starting points and next steps. Consequently, children benefit from tailored support, even when their key person is unavailable. Staff support babies to develop physical and language skills rapidly, and older children count beyond 10 in English and other languages. Staff recognise that children benefit from developing an understanding of processes over time. They support children to engage in projects, such as making a model bear in small groups. As a result, children confidently build skills at their own pace. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leadership is inspirational. This is because leaders have the best interests of children, families and staff at the core of their approach. Staff speak highly of the warm and responsive way that leaders support them, and leaders speak highly of their wonderful team. Leaders sharply tailor training to staff's strengths, enabling them to take on roles that maximise their expertise. Leaders carefully evaluate their priorities for improvement and the impact of strategies put in place for children. When these strategies are challenging, leaders are quick to reflect and refine alternative approaches. As a result, children benefit from a highly responsive and adaptive quality of care and learning. Leaders build robust professional relationships with agencies and their local authority early years team. This means that they are quick to respond to any concerns for children's development and swiftly put plans in place to reduce any barriers to learning. Leaders ensure all staff and trainees have a secure knowledge of safeguarding in its broader context, and staff discuss this with ease and confidence. Leaders actively prioritise staff Expected standard wellbeing, adapting their workload to help maintain a healthy work–life balance. This means staff are not overworked, which contributes strongly to excellent outcomes for all children. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff have created an inclusive culture across the nursery. This is because children's individual needs are identified and assessed quickly. Leaders make every effort to engage families and agencies, putting strategies in place to remove all barriers to learning. Staff use familiar visual cards and sign language with children, and they respond well to this. However, some strategies for supporting children and families who speak English as an additional language do not work as effectively as leaders would hope. Leaders and staff face challenges when using translators to share key messages with these families. That said, leaders monitor this well and are making every effort to strengthen these strategies. Leaders and staff prioritise children's progress at every opportunity. They plan inclusive strategies that support all children to listen attentively and sustain focus. Leaders train all staff to implement these approaches well. For example, staff offer a graduated approach to their interactions with children and frequently check on children's learning. They support children in small focus groups when reading stories to them. They carefully consider story structure when reading books with children and give 5-minute prompts for tidying-up times. As a result, all children know what comes next in the routine of the day and are well prepared for future learning. 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 achieve, thrive and belong in this nurturing and highly family-centred nursery. This is because leaders put children, staff and families at the heart of everything they do. Leaders recognise the value of prioritising families, and this is securely embedded within their ethos. Parents commend leaders and this strong partnership has led to parents taking on staff roles. Leaders spend quality time with parents during handovers and arrangements for transitions are securely focused on meeting children's needs. Fathers who drop off their children are heavily involved in their children's learning and highly valued. As a result, children make the best possible start and develop a sense of belonging rapidly. Leaders and staff prioritise nurturing children's sense of belonging. They read and sing to children, which children thoroughly enjoy. Staff provide consistent opportunities for children to have open discussions about their feelings together. This means children demonstrate excellent self-regulation and build positive relationships with each other. Children achieve way beyond their next steps and make excellent progress. Leaders and staff encourage children's independence and age-appropriate risk-taking at every opportunity. Babies confidently pull up to stand on low-level furniture and older children become increasingly independent as they explore in the garden. Staff are observant and intervene when necessary. As a result, children are always kept safe. Leaders and staff recognise barriers to learning and make every effort to find effective ways to reduce them. Leaders engage effectively with outside agencies so that strategies are in place to support families and regular attendance is supported. Leaders and staff place the utmost importance on children's wellbeing and cultural capital. Children are provided with ample opportunities to learn new languages, and they engage in plentiful outings and experiences, resulting in a deep understanding of the differences and similarities within their community. Children who face barriers to their learning are included and their contributions highly valued. Next steps Leaders should strengthen the strategies staff use to ensure key messages are consistently shared with families who speak English as an additional language. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, children, practitioners 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 Inspector: Rebecca Stead About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2750348 Address: Poulton Le Fylde Methodist Church Queensway Poulton-le-fylde FY6 7ST Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 22/08/2023 Registered person: Poulton St Chads Nursery Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Lancashire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 30 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 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. 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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