URN 2766452 · Inspected 2026-03-17 · Published 2026-05-13 · Inspector: Kelly Hawkins
First Step Daycare & Nursery Ltd Unique reference number (URN): 2766452 Address: 104 Bellegrove Road, Welling, DA16 3QD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 12/12/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: First Step Daycare & Nursery Ltd Inspection report: 17 March 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 swiftly identify the needs of all individual children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff rigorously assess children's progress and ensure they meet the children's individual needs and plan accordingly. Staff have highly effective partnerships with other early years professionals. For example, they share beneficial and effective advice and strategies. This includes using real items to support visual time lines, showing children what is happening in the routine and what is happening next. Staff monitor children's progress thoroughly. Staff have recently reflected on the organisation of the setting to ensure that they can meet all children's needs and help them get the most out of their learning opportunities. For instance, they have adapted the environment and included a sensory space to help engage children with SEND in incredibly engaging ways. This includes implementing spaces for them to access if they become overwhelmed. Staff and leaders have established strong links and seek and share support with outside agencies and families. This includes sharing training ideas with parents, such as how to help manage children's behaviours and support their children's communication development. Leaders use additional funding highly effectively. For example, they purchase resources to support children's individual progress and provide children with unique trips and experiences, such as language lessons. Achievement Expected standard All children make progress in relation to their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children develop skills to support them to be ready for their next stage of learning. For instance, children are confident to communicate their needs and express their emotions. Children are well supported to build on their own knowledge and skills. This includes staff attending specific training to support children with SEND. Children develop their communication and vocabulary skills. For example, during a cooking activity older children talk about each ingredient and how they feel. Younger children listen to sounds and all children enjoy a vast range of singing and stories. Staff support children with SEND through effective ways. This includes using visual prompts, such as signing. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard All staff are positive role models and support children to learn the expectations of their behaviour. Children are kind, polite and behave well. All children fully understand and follow the rules with maturity. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children play well together and enjoy each other's company. There is a positive relationships between staff and children. For example, children happily seek out staff to share ideas, receive comfort and reassurance. Children of all ages appear to feel very happy, safe and secure in the company of staff. Staff are skilful in swiftly identifying how to support children who have SEND. This is evident when staff redirect children to activities that they know will engage and focus them more productively, such as participating in more physical play opportunities. Staff monitor children's attendance closely and ensure that they follow up any unexplained or unplanned absences. This helps staff to ensure they can identify and address any potential patterns of attendance that may require further support and advice. Diversity and inclusion is prioritised by staff. They teach children about other religions, cultural traditions and festivals, such as Hindi beliefs and black history. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children of all ages are very happy, settled and confident, this includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have successfully created a safe and welcoming space to support children to come into the setting happily and engage in their learning opportunities swiftly. The curriculum is effectively embedded. However, organisation of group activities and routines, such as meal times are not as effectively managed. This means there are breaks in learning whilst children wait for lengthy periods of time. However, children still remain well behaved and wait patiently during these times. There is an effective key person system in place which supports all children to feel safe and secure. Staff plan and provide learning experiences that they know children will enjoy, such as baking and construction activities. All children know the routines and are independent in managing their own needs. During meal times staff teach children about the importance and benefits of healthy eating. Children learn about the importance of following good oral health routines. Staff know children's are routines well. This includes meeting the needs of babies, such as fully knowing and understanding their sleep patterns. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff have a clear knowledge of what they would like children to learn and how they will support them to continue to develop new skills. Staff know what children have achieved since they started at the setting and what they are capable of accomplishing. The setting is inviting and staff have thought out the organisation of the setting to ensure that all children enjoy their learning. Curriculum is well planned and effective. However, art and creative activities tend to be adult directed. All finished art looks similar and lacks uniqueness. Therefore, children do not have consistent opportunities to express their creativity more freely. Staff support all children to develop their communication skills. For example, older children confidently talk about the process of cooking. Younger children listen to sounds and all children enjoy a vast range of singing and stories. Staff effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes using visual prompts. Children use mathematical language as they play. For instance younger children listen to number songs and older children talk about quantities. All children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. This is demonstrated when children learn to move their bodies in different ways, such as during yoga and dance activities. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are evaluative and reflective on practice effectively. They identify areas they wish to continue to enhance and celebrate the effective practice they have implemented. This includes the high support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff well-being is supported effectively and their workload is manageable. Staff have time to complete training and have regular meetings and one to one discussions with leaders to ensure that they feel well supported, listened too and valued. Leaders have a clear knowledge of safe recruitment and ensure all staff checks are carried out. Leaders monitor and support staff in helpful and constructive ways. This includes carrying out regular observations of the quality of their teaching and interactions with children. They highlight and celebrate strengths as well as making plans to develop areas they prioritise for improvement, such as accessing beneficial training. All staff have positive partnerships with parents. They keep them fully informed and involved in their children's learning. This includes establishing starting points together and sharing their achievements and what their children will learn next. Staff support parents and help provide effective consistent links between the children's home and the setting. This includes sharing tips and advice on topics, such as toilet training. What it's like to be a child at this setting All children are settled in the safe, friendly and welcoming setting. Staff know the children's likes and dislikes. This helps them to plan interesting activities that they know will motivate children to learn. Children remain engaged in learning opportunities. For example, older children enjoy baking banana bread and babies explore sounds as they use musical instruments. Staff know all children well, this includes babies care routines. They successfully meet all children's individual needs. This helps children feel safe and secure and settle quickly. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress in relation to their starting points and develop new skills to support their future learning. This includes using effective ways to communicate and manage their feelings. Older children go to sensory areas if they feel overwhelmed and younger children use visual signs. All staff are reflective and adapt activities and experiences to ensure that all children get the most out of their learning. For example, they confidently adapt resources, such as different sized scoops and tweezers to ensure children of all ages and abilities can achieve the intended goal from colour matching games. Staff use the wider community to extend children's learning experiences. For example, children visit the local shops in the community and enjoy trips on the bus to the aquarium. Leaders continue to implement an effective curriculum to support all children, including those with SEND across all learning environments. They plan for staff to continue to develop their skills and knowledge in even more specific training to support individual children's needs even further. Staff have a high expectation of all children and this includes having a high expectation of their behaviour. As a result, all children behave well. This includes showing each other kindness and empathy to other's differing abilities and needs. Next steps The provider should ensure staff are well prepared and organised during larger group activities and routines to minimise the length of break in children's learning The provider should support staff to ensure all children have consistent opportunities to express their creativity and own ideas more freely. Inspector: Kelly Hawkins About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2766452 Address: 104 Bellegrove Road Welling DA16 3QD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 12/12/2023 Registered person: First Step Daycare & Nursery Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00 Local authority: Bexley Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 17 March 2026 Children numbers About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinator, 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. Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 40 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? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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