East Bergholt Young Explorers

East Bergholt Young Explorers
Unique reference number (URN): EY494296
Address: Cherry Blossom Nursery, Hadleigh Road, Colchester, CO7 6QT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 13/10/2015
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Constable Country Childcare Committee
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.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Children make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points as they engage in
rich, meaningful learning experiences. For example, toddlers quickly learn how to press, tap
and squeeze play dough to create dinosaur fossils. Staff engage them in purposeful
discussions about their actions, introducing new mathematical concepts such as 'bigger' and
'smaller'. Children significantly develop their hand–eye coordination and fine motor skills
while deepening their understanding of the world around them.
Children's communication and language skills flourish through the highly effective use of
sign language and intense and meaningful interactions. Older children engage in purposeful
conversations about dinosaurs and their distinctive features, while babies rapidly acquire
new vocabulary.
Children who face barriers to learning also make swift and meaningful progress. They adapt
and settle quickly, showing enthusiasm and eagerness to participate in a wide range of
learning opportunities. All children achieve the skills and knowledge needed to transition
confidently from one stage of education to the next.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, and children rise to these
challenges confidently and with ease. Daily routines are deeply embedded, enabling
children to develop a clear understanding of what happens next. For example, before
mealtimes, children talk about and practise rolling up their sleeves independently to wash
their hands. Older children transition smoothly between activities, such as moving from
outdoor play to indoor learning, understanding the setting's boundaries. They tidy up
responsibly before lining up skilfully at the door to go inside.
Staff communicate behaviour expectations clearly and at age-appropriate levels. They
reinforce positive behaviour through explicit praise and effective role modelling, helping
children learn to act responsibly. For instance, during group activities, staff encourage
children to explore a toy before passing it on to a peer. They guide them to share resources,
take turns and collaborate, which helps develop patience and strengthens their social
interactions. Children show high levels of respect and consideration towards both peers and
adults.
Leaders have effective systems in place to monitor children's attendance and maintain a
thorough understanding of each child's family circumstances. This allows them to work
closely with parents and carers to ensure children do not miss out on valuable learning
opportunities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Staff and leaders are exemplary role models. They create a calm and warm environment
where babies and children can sleep safely and peacefully. Staff and leaders ensure that
mealtimes are closely supervised, and children's dietary needs are consistently well
managed. By guiding children to make healthy choices, staff help develop their
independence. For example, children choose between water and milk while discussing their
favourite healthy snacks.
Staff actively promote a healthy lifestyle, and children embrace this with enthusiasm.
Outdoors, children confidently and safely use the available equipment to develop their gross
motor skills, balance and coordination. Staff gently support babies as they walk over a small
bridge and use ride-on toys to strengthen their leg muscles. Children explore the outdoor
area with increasing confidence, learning to navigate obstacles and developing a secure
understanding of personal safety.
Children are well supported in understanding, expressing and managing their feelings and
emotions by nurturing and supportive adults. Babies benefit from warm, nurturing
interactions that help them form warm, trusting relationships, while older children seek
guidance from adults to support their developing self-regulation skills. All children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, express themselves confidently and
develop a strong sense of emotional wellbeing and resilience.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders are highly skilled and hold ambitious expectations for what all children can achieve,
ensuring learning is closely aligned with their needs, abilities and interests. They have
designed an inclusive, well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that is embedded across
all areas of learning. This curriculum is thoughtfully tailored so that children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as those who face additional barriers,
benefit from rich and meaningful learning experiences. Staff implement the curriculum
effectively through their consistent approach to observing, monitoring and assessing what
children know and can do. All children make significant progress from their starting points.
Staff foster a love of reading from the earliest stages. During story sessions, such as a
favourite book about spring, skilled staff engage children in thoughtful conversations about
the illustrations and characters. Children are encouraged to express their ideas,
strengthening their communication and consolidating their use of sign language to support
deeper thinking. Staff also prompt children to count flowers in the pictures and name their
colours, further enhancing their early mathematical development.
Children's personal and emotional development is a clear priority for staff and leaders. They
create a calm, nurturing atmosphere where older children learn to recognise and express
their emotions, while babies form secure and trusting relationships. Staff gently support
babies to strengthen their core muscles in preparation for standing and walking, and provide
opportunities for creative exploration. With reassurance, babies investigate gloop with their
hands to extend their sensory experiences and use dinosaurs dipped in paint to make

marks. They are captivated by the cause and effect of their actions, which supports their
emerging cognitive development.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff are highly skilled and experienced, implementing robust strategies to
identify children's emerging needs and respond swiftly. Robust partnerships with parents,
carers and external professionals, such as speech and language therapists and
occupational therapists, ensure that every child receives comprehensive support from the
outset, helping to remove barriers to learning. For example, all children, including those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are taught and encouraged to use
sign language. This strengthens their communication and language development, as
reflected in their detailed intervention plans. All children are well prepared for the next stage
of their education.
Leaders demonstrate a deep understanding of how to make precise and meaningful
adaptations to meet individual needs. They undertake relevant training to keep their
knowledge current and implement the graduated approach effectively. For instance, staff
receive specialist training on feeding techniques for children with complex medical needs.
This ensures that children with SEND experience safe, nurturing and comfortable learning
environments. Leaders make effective use of additional funding to ensure that children
facing barriers to learning benefit from tailored, high-quality and enriching learning
experiences. Furthermore, the consistent level of support and active involvement from
leaders and staff enables all children to rapidly develop the skills they need to become
confident, independent learners.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are ambitious and reflective. Their powerful commitment to giving children the very
best start in their early education is wholeheartedly shared by all staff, who demonstrate
dedication and pride in their work. Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's
strengths and successfully embed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation to
enhance children's learning experiences.
Leaders cultivate robust, meaningful relationships with parents, carers and the wider
community. For example, to better support children and families facing barriers or
challenges, they plan to introduce targeted services and enhanced educational programmes
designed to enrich children's learning experiences. Through their proactive engagement and
deep commitment, leaders ensure that all children, including those who face barriers to
learning, are warmly welcomed and able to thrive within this inclusive and inspirational
setting.
Leaders place high value on staff's professional development and wellbeing. They empower
staff through tailored training opportunities and regular supervision, which enhance
professional skills and build confidence. Staff express high levels of job satisfaction and
experience genuine career growth alongside increasing expertise in delivering high-quality
care and education.

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 at the heart of this unique setting. They arrive happy, eager and ready to begin
a day filled with exciting and engaging activities. Nurturing staff welcome them with warm
smiles and gentle reassurance, helping children settle quickly into the activities they enjoy
most. Attendance is supported closely by leaders, who work in partnership with parents and
carers to ensure children do not miss out on valuable and inclusive learning opportunities.

Staff and leaders thoughtfully plan a dynamic and stimulating environment that reflects
children's needs, abilities and interests. They provide meaningful opportunities for children
to make choices, fostering independence while offering gentle guidance throughout their
learning experiences. Children feel genuinely involved, valued and appreciated during their
time at the setting.
Staff and leaders provide a wide selection of inspirational activities. They carefully adapt and
tailor their interactions to ensure that all children, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully engaged. For example, staff sensitively
encourage children to act as positive role models for peers with SEND, working together
during creative mark-making activities. This promotes social development and strengthens
positive peer relationships.
Staff consistently introduce new vocabulary and concepts to enhance children's
communication and language skills, embedding this across daily routines and activities.
Consequently, older children confidently discuss distinctive signs of spring, while babies
quickly acquire new words, such as 'green' and 'leaf', demonstrating strong progress from
their starting points.
Warm, nurturing relationships are evident between staff and children. Staff are caring,
attentive and intuitive, responding promptly to individual needs. Children show high levels of
enthusiasm and energy, developing a positive attitude towards learning and building
emotional resilience.
Next steps
Leaders and those responsible for governance 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 disadvantaged learners,
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or
previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their
learning and/or wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents
and children 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:
Anca Sandu
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY494296
Address:
Cherry Blossom Nursery
Hadleigh Road
Colchester
CO7 6QT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 13/10/2015
Registered person: Constable Country Childcare Committee
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Suffolk
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
0 to 11
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.
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