URN EY440996 · Inspected 2026-02-24 · Published 2026-04-28 · Inspector: Courtney McAllister
Club Kingswood Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY440996 Address: Club Kingswood, Clayhill Lane, BASILDON, Essex, SS16 5JP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/04/2012 Registers: EYR Registered person: Kingswood Sports Centre Limited 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 Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff have developed a nurturing and thoughtful environment that considers the needs of all children to help them feel safe and secure. They use effective strategies and deploy themselves well to help manage children's behaviour. Staff consistently role model expectations for children to reinforce positive behaviours. For instance, they help children with daily rules and give gentle reminders, such as 'soft hands'. This helps to build positive interactions as children show consistent care and kindness to one another. Staff have sensitive relationships with young babies and children. They gently soothe children to help them settle and sleep. Leaders and staff plan a daily routine that meets the needs of children of all ages. Older children interact with younger children during times of the day. Leaders and staff thoughtfully plan transitions for children to help their regulation and support their emotional development. Leaders and staff have embedded robust processes where absences are followed up consistently. They swiftly identify patterns of non-attendance and work closely with parents and carers. Leaders make flexible adjustments to support parents to understand excellent attendance and punctuality. This demonstrates a commitment to meeting children's individual needs. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff develop caring and warm relationships with all children. Children regularly check-in with staff when they need reassurance and have settled very comfortably. This helps them to build positive self-esteem and develop emotional security. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children as they build independence from a very young age. Children demonstrate hygiene practices effectively, and staff actively encourage their personal care needs. Children learn when to wash their hands as staff encourage their participation throughout the day. Staff demonstrate to children and help them understand the importance of self-care in their daily habits. Children are actively encouraged to make healthy choices. Leaders and staff provide children with healthy and balanced meals to develop their overall physical health. Staff discuss with children the positive impact food has on their bodies, developing their interest and desire to make healthy choices. Leaders and staff support children's individual needs. When children become tired, they relax in cosy areas with cushions. Staff consistently recognise children's feelings and support them to feel a sense of belonging. This helps children to build secure attachments. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children make positive progress from their starting points, including children who may face barriers to their learning. Staff prioritise communication and language and use various ways to build children's vocabulary, as they demonstrate using Makaton throughout their day. Children express how they feel and receive regular praise, which helps to build their confidence. From a young age, children learn to carry out tasks and manage these effectively, using appropriate cutlery to feed themselves. Pre-school children cut their own fruit and vegetables. Children get ready for mealtimes and scrape their own plates. They confidently demonstrate how to recycle waste in appropriate signposted bins. Children become ready for their next stage of learning and develop their fine motor skills. For example, children safely use scissors to cut around shapes and develop their hand-eye coordination. This helps children to develop across all areas of learning and gain the skills needed to achieve their next steps. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have developed a balanced curriculum that offers children a wide range of activities to build on their interests. There is a focus on children's physical, emotional and communication and language development. Children benefit from high-quality interactions from nurturing staff who know them very well. This helps them to build on children's current skills and learning, including those with additional needs. Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to know and achieve. For example, staff promote children's independence from a very young age and encourage their individual abilities. This helps children to develop confidence and meet tasks that support their age and stage of development. Children show a love for outdoor play. They excitedly explore equipment to build their core strength and stability. Leaders and staff encourage children with sand timers as they share equipment. For instance, children learn to use bikes and engage in turn-taking as they take an interest in gross motor activities. The nursery provides children with a spacious area to practise their physical skills and negotiate spaces. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff work closely with parents to support children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They build effective partnerships with other professionals to remove barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. Leaders and staff monitor children's development closely, using an effective key-person approach. Children's learning is accessible as staff are highly responsive and make adaptations for children to access a curriculum that meets their individual needs. For example, staff use Makaton with children to extend their communication skills and develop their understanding. This helps children to become confident communicators and join in with play. Leaders and staff recognise early support that is needed and make timely referrals for children, so they make steady progress. They attend training with the local authority to give children targeted support with their behaviour. Leaders understand the use of some funding that is available to children. However, they recognise the need to develop the use of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium should children be eligible, and the further benefits this can have on their achievements. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have made improvements since the last inspection. They have reflected on the nursery and identified areas for development to have a positive impact on all children. Leaders have worked with the local authority to provide required training. However, leaders have not yet strengthened the use of additional funding to support children's individual learning experiences. Staff report that they feel supported by leaders. They enjoy coming to work and have regular access to online training. Although staff morale is high, leaders acknowledge and recognise plans to provide further support for staff. For example, leaders are currently reviewing coaching methods to build staff's individual confidence and share ideas in practice. Leaders have implemented robust risk assessments. They have established more structured processes to monitor children's accidents and incidents and have clear systems to support all children. Parents praise all staff for the care children experience. They positively discuss the regular communication they receive and efforts taken to share detailed information consistently. Leaders and staff access support for children to make transitions to school. They attend transition meetings and liaise with class teachers to discuss children's development, including those who may have barriers in their learning. This helps to prioritise continuity in children's learning. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are welcomed into the nursery by nurturing leaders and staff. They wave goodbye to parents as they get ready to start their busy day. Children settle well. Leaders and staff Inspector: adapt to children's individual needs, providing a sensitive settling process. Children from a young age form meaningful attachments with their key person and develop a positive attitude to learning. Children follow their interests and demonstrate deep impulses to learn. They explore sensory activities that trigger their curiosity. For example, children use cups and spoons to scoop water from a tray and pinch tweezers to lift small sea creature toys from water. Children help one another with gentle encouragement and share their ideas with one another. Staff encourage young babies to crawl, reach and develop their leg strength. They plan activities to paint blocks and make marks, encouraging children's imaginations. Staff support children to explore outdoors and learn about the world around them. Adult-led activities are planned, such as children using water rods to role play how to put out a fire drawn in a tough tray. Children learn about protective clothing to wear and use their imagination to be a firefighter. Children explore colours and talk about the effects of mixing paints. Staff plan for individual children and support their learning through an accessible curriculum. Children talk about their feelings and make references to what makes them feel happy. They reflect on important people in their lives and involve staff in their conversations. Leaders and staff gather information about children from the very beginning of their journey and work with parents to remove barriers to learning and meet the needs of all children in their care. Next steps Leaders should strengthen the use of additional funding to develop and further consider children's individual learning experiences. Leaders should further develop staff's continuous development to strengthen their practice. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator 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. Courtney McAllister About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY440996 Address: Club Kingswood Clayhill Lane BASILDON Essex SS16 5JP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 20/04/2012 Registered person: Kingswood Sports Centre Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30 Local authority: Essex 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 4 Total number of places 45 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. 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