URN EY563109 · Inspected 2026-01-07 · Published 2026-03-10 · Inspector: Clare Wilkins
Nellie's Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY563109 Address: Church Street, Shildon, Durham, DL4 1DU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/09/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Nellie's Day Nursery Limited Inspection report: 7 January 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Needs attention Safeguarding standards not met Leaders do not carry out their safeguarding responsibilities effectively. This puts children at risk of harm. Leaders do not have robust procedures to check the suitability of new staff. This includes obtaining appropriate references before they recruit new staff. Leaders do not maintain a safe culture or ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Weak oversight and ineffective training compromise children's safety and welfare. Children cannot rely on adults to keep them safe in situations where risks are foreseeable and preventable. 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. Achievement Needs attention While children make some progress, levels of achievement vary. Children do not receive the support they need to progress in their learning and develop from their starting points. Children with lower starting points are not given the focused support they need to progress, particularly in their communication and language development. Although, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from more targeted support not all children benefit from purposeful learning to strengthen their knowledge and skills. Children who receive support from external professionals make more secure progress in their learning. Some children achieve well and are ready for the move to school. Others would benefit from more secure, purposeful support to strengthen the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Routines are not embedded and staff do not respond consistently to children's behaviour. Staff do not help children to understand what they should do, and what behaviour is appropriate. For example, staff do not offer children explanations as to why they should not run indoors. This leaves children unsure about expectations and limits their ability to learn safe and positive behaviours. Some staff give helpful reminders, such as how to sit so their friends can see during group time, but this is not consistent across the setting. Learning environments are not planned well enough to inspire children to join in purposeful play. For example, not all children are encouraged to take part and lose interest quickly or move away. Outdoors, staff do not recognise when some children stand and watch and do not encourage them to play or provide enough purposeful activities. This means children who need more support do not develop positive attitudes to learning. Staff model respect, and comfort children when they are upset, helping to build warm relationships. Leaders work with parents to encourage children's regular attendance. This positively supports transitions for settling in, and school readiness. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders do not ensure that all staff understand how to support children's learning. They describe a curriculum based on children's individual needs. However, staff focus on children's interests rather than what they need to learn next. This limits children's progress. Play, at times, lacks purpose. Support for children's language development is weak. Although staff identify gaps in children's learning, they do not plan well enough to help them achieve. Some activities do not reflect the age and stage of children's development. Staff interactions vary and children are not supported consistently to build on what they know and can do. For example, some children are asked to make choices they cannot yet understand. Although staff provide opportunities for physical development outside, they do not adapt their practice to support children's different levels of development. Therefore, children do not get the time they need to practise these skills fully. Some teaching is more effective. For example, staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities use and follow support plans from external agencies. Pre-school children develop number awareness, when staff encourage them to count on their fingers, and small-group times help children to build listening and attention skills. Staff understand what babies need to learn and provide some purposeful activities to support their early development, such as water play, exploring music and reading books. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders and staff do not identify and support all children's individual needs. Leaders know broadly how children are developing, but they do not have effective systems to check whether the support in place is helping children to progress in their learning. This means gaps in children's learning are not always addressed promptly and limits the progress some children make, particularly in their language development. Children who are quieter or less confident join fewer activities and receive less attention from staff. This reduces their opportunities to practise and strengthen key skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have support plans in place and staff focus well on their needs. They seek support from other professionals, which helps these children access the support they need. Leaders offer flexible attendance arrangements that respond to family circumstances. Leaders use additional funding to reduce barriers for disadvantaged children. For example, they have started to improve the garden area to offer richer learning experiences outdoors. Urgent improvement Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement Leaders do not understand or take account of the requirements for safer eating. Staff do not receive guidance on safe supervision during mealtimes. For example, staff carry out tasks and leave children unattended while eating. This places children at risk of choking. Leaders and staff do not understand relevant nutritional guidance, leading to children not receiving meals that support their health. Some children receive only processed food. Some portion sizes are small, leaving children at risk of becoming hungry. Staff report that suitable food is not always available, when groceries fail to arrive. This further restricts children's access to a healthy, varied diet. Leaders do not ensure compliance with fire safety legislation. For example, they do not complete fire safety risk assessments and ensure that fire safety equipment is checked and maintained. Furthermore, staff do not receive fire safety training or know how to safely evacuate children from the building. This leaves them unsure how to respond in an emergency and does not equip them well enough to promote children's safety. Staff want the best for children but do not receive the support they need to carry out their key-person role or fully promote children's emotional wellbeing. Leaders have not established ways for staff to build relationships with parents. Staff do not have enough opportunities to share information about children with their parents. In addition, parents do not know who their child's key person is. Despite these weaknesses, children benefit from warm interactions and are comforted when they are upset. Leadership and governance Urgent improvement Significant weaknesses in leadership mean that breaches of requirements go overlooked. Leaders have not ensured effective fire safety arrangements and do not ensure children are safe when eating. They do not ensure children receive a healthy, balanced diet. They lack understanding of recruitment requirements, particularly in relation to obtaining employment references. This does not assure children's safety. Leaders do not support the development of meaningful relationships between staff and parents, which limits the quality of care children receive. The arrangements for staff supervision and support are not effective. Staff morale is very low. They raise a number of concerns about practice in the nursery that leaders have failed to address. Many staff report feeling overwhelmed and undervalued, which affects their motivation and performance. This leads to inconsistent practice and weak implementation of the curriculum and care routines. Professional development opportunities are limited. Staff are not supported to build their skills or strengthen the curriculum delivery. Leaders' lack of oversight means that weaknesses go unnoticed and are not addressed, which limits the capacity to assure improvement to children's experiences. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has not 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 not 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 Lack of oversight in leadership has a significant impact on children's daily experiences. Leaders have not ensured that essential safety requirements are met, including safe recruitment, safe eating practice and effective fire safety arrangements. These weaknesses mean staff do not have the systems and guidance they need to keep children safe. Leaders do not mentor and coach staff effectively. This includes staff having a clear understanding of the curriculum and how to deliver it well. Staff do not have the opportunities to build strong, informed relationships with parents. This means staff do not always understand children's individual needs. While staff are attentive, committed and want the best for children, the lack of effective leadership limits how well they can tailor their care. These weaknesses affect the consistency and quality of care that children receive. Children's learning experiences vary. Staff interactions with children are inconsistent. Children do not always receive the appropriate support to remain engaged in their learning. They drift away from activities or watch others play, which limits their progress. More confident and inquisitive children join in readily and achieve more securely. Although babies and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from more focused support, overall, the curriculum does not prepare all children for their next steps in learning. Children show that they feel safe and respond warmly to the kind staff, who comfort and guide them. However, weaknesses in leadership mean that the key-person approach is not well established. Children are not fully supported to build the knowledge, confidence and emotional security they need to flourish. Next steps The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action. We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure leaders understand and implement robust recruitment procedures, including obtaining appropriate references and suitability checks before employment 09/02/2026 provide effective professional development so staff receive the training, guidance and support they need to build their skills and strengthen the quality of education and care 09/02/2026 provide supervision, mentoring and coaching that ensures staff feel supported and confident in their roles 09/02/2026 establish effective key-person arrangements so staff are supported and able to build strong relationships with parents, gain the information they need to understand and meet children's individual needs and share accurate information with parents about their child's time in nursery 09/02/2026 ensure children receive a healthy and nutritious diet, and sufficient meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day 09/02/2026 Action Completion Date ensure leaders and staff understand and consistently follow safer eating procedures, including maintaining close supervision of children during all mealtimes 09/02/2026 ensure fire safety requirements are met, including maintaining all fire safety equipment in good working order 09/02/2026 ensure all staff receive appropriate training to understand evacuation procedures 09/02/2026 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 strengthen the curriculum and ensure that staff clearly understand its aims so that they are able deliver an effective programme of learning that supports all children's development 09/02/2026 ensure that teaching is consistently tailored to children's individual needs, particularly those who are slower to reach typical levels of development, with a strong focus on communication and language 09/02/2026 provide clear guidance so staff understand how to support children's personal, social and emotional development, including clear and consistent encouragement of positive behaviour 09/02/2026 About this 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. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection. Inspector: Clare Wilkins About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY563109 Address: Church Street Shildon Durham DL4 1DU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 20/09/2018 Registered person: Nellie's Day Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 18:00,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00 Local authority: Durham Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 7 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 75 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. 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