Cathedral View Childcare - Central

Cathedral View Childcare - Central
Unique reference number (URN): 2767953
Address: 72-74 Market Street, Ely, CB7 4LS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 07/12/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Cathedral View Childcare Ltd
Inspection report: 2 April 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
All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, gain the depth and breadth of
knowledge and skills they need to be very well prepared for their move on to school.
Children of all ages engage enthusiastically in a wide range of learning opportunities,
revisiting key skills to embed their knowledge and apply it confidently. They enjoy selecting
and looking at books independently, pointing out objects to staff. Babies and toddlers
develop their physical skills, building their strength and coordination. They persevere and
celebrate when they master their early walking skills.
Children become confident and articulate communicators. Older children eagerly engage in
meaningful conversations with their peers and adults, sharing their thoughts, ideas and
experiences with ease. They develop their imagination and thinking skills successfully and
show pride in their achievements. Children confidently share their creations with others and
show determination to complete tasks to the best of their ability.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff get to know children exceptionally well. They are ambitious for all children,
regardless of their starting points. Leaders and staff use effective monitoring systems to
track children's development, quickly identifying any emerging gaps in learning. They are
attentive to children's needs and are keen to understand some of the barriers that children
and their families may face. Staff access a range of training to extend their knowledge and
expertise to best support children. When speech and language gaps have been identified,
children respond positively to opportunities to develop their skills. They use the Makaton
signs they have learned, explore and use new vocabulary, ask and answer questions and
apply words appropriately in meaningful situations, showing growing confidence in
expressing their ideas.
Leaders work closely with parents and carers to agree clear, targeted strategies that support
children's ongoing progress, including those who may face barriers to their learning,
ensuring that timely interventions are in place. They work with external agencies to ensure
that all children's needs are met, demonstrating a clear understanding of processes and
seeking additional support when required.
Leaders and staff carefully plan children's transitions into the setting and when moving to
other nursery rooms to ensure that children are extremely well prepared for each stage of
their learning. Leaders ensure clear communication between parents and staff, for instance,
so that children's individual needs are met. As a result, this supports calm, smooth
adjustments that promote children's security and ongoing progress.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff build positive and supportive relationships with children, creating a calm and
welcoming environment. Leaders and staff set clear expectations for behaviour, which is
reflected in children listening, cooperating and following simple instructions. Staff manage
children's behaviour calmly, using gentle prompts such as 'walking feet' to reinforce routines.
Staff respond well to children's needs, recognising cues and offering appropriate support,
using a sand timer, for instance, to help support children to wait patiently at the table for their
lunch.
Children respond well to praise and actively take part in daily tasks, such as tidying away,
showing an understanding of routines and a sense of responsibility. Children share, take
turns and show kindness to each other. Staff are positive role models and support children
in sharing how they feel. As a result, children begin to see how their actions affect others.
Children grow positive social skills in a caring, nurturing setting.
Leaders encourage regular attendance and maintain effective communication with parents
and carers. They discuss care routines, behaviour, attendance and punctuality, and agree
on shared strategies so that children experience consistency between home and nursery.
Staff understand the procedures for monitoring attendance and follow up consistently with
families when needed, promoting children's ongoing participation and engagement in daily
routines.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders provide well-structured and thoughtfully planned settling programmes for all
children, which are flexible to respond to the individual needs of each child. Staff actively
engage with parents and carers to gather essential information regarding children's care and
development. This ensures that staff can plan effectively to meet the children's needs.
Children benefit from familiar routines that mirror those at home, contributing to a sense of
security and stability. This helps children feel confident and settled. Babies and young
children are supported to settle for sleep with the care of familiar staff and, where
appropriate, their personal comforters. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the sleep
policies.
Leaders encourage children to be active and eat well. Children's individual dietary
requirements and needs are very well supported. All children benefit from well-balanced
nutritious meals and snacks. Older children take responsibility to serve their own meals,
which supports those children who are getting ready for school.
Staff support children's physical development effectively by providing a variety of surfaces
and environments that challenge and extend their physical skills. Babies and younger
children receive the support they need to pull themselves up, helping them develop the
balance, coordination and strength required to master their early walking skills.

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children know and
can do. Staff use assessment trackers to monitor children's progress and plan for their
future learning. They ensure that children have regular opportunities to practise skills that
support their self-help and care needs. Staff plan activities and routines based on their
assessments of what children already know, promoting children's independence and
confidence. Staff prioritise spending time with children new to the setting. This supports
them to feel safe and secure in their care.
Staff focus on supporting children's communication and understanding. They use simple
words and repetition to help babies learn new words. Staff ensure that older children hear
and use language as they play with adults and each other. They generally use strategies,
such as Makaton signing and visual aids, to aid communication and help children convey
their needs.
Staff typically follow children's interests and extend their ideas. This helps children to focus
for longer periods and builds their creativity and confidence. Staff teach children about the
wider world using books, discussions and maps, for example. They explore similarities and
differences between families and cultures. Outdoors, older children enthusiastically explore
the available resources. However, leaders and staff do not always help children to build on
their understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe, for instance removing items
rather than encouraging children to work out things for themselves. Leaders are aware that
the curriculum needs to be embedded throughout the nursery, following the recent changes
made to the layout.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
The provider is passionate about providing the best environment for children to thrive in.
Parents, children and staff are often asked to give their views, which creates a real
community feel to the nursery. Leaders work collaboratively as a team and have high
expectations for all children. They continue to evaluate the nursery provision and make
improvements to benefit the needs of the children. For example, the recent building work to
convert the loft space allows for more dedicated rooms for the different ages of children
attending.
Leaders develop close links within the wider community. Staff regularly visit local places and
attend events in the community with groups of children. This offers children enriching
experiences that help broaden their understanding of the world around them.
Leaders provide supervision, ensuring that staff have regular opportunities for training to
enhance their practice. They are aware that the curriculum now needs to be embedded
following the recent changes to the layout of the nursery. However, leaders have not fully
established ways to help staff develop their own confidence and deepen their knowledge
about how to deliver the curriculum content to continually improve the learning experiences
of all children.
Staff share that they are well supported by leaders and the team around them. Leaders
make staff's wellbeing a high priority, and this in turn leads to a happy staff team. Staff work

well together as a team and are passionate about the nursery, expressing their enjoyment at
working there. They feel valued and well supported to do a good job. Staff take on
community challenges outside of work to help raise funds and awareness of meaningful
organisations to families who attend, such as the Lullaby Trust.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy the time they spend at this warm, welcoming and homely nursery. They arrive
happily and show that they feel safe and secure in the environment. Children build warm,
trusting relationships with their key person and other staff, including leaders. Staff respond
with care to each child's needs. They take time to get to know babies and children new to
the setting so that they can fully understand their uniqueness. Staff offer calm reassurance
and attentive care. This helps children to settle quickly as they become familiar with their
new space.
Children are busy as they play and explore. Babies and toddlers enjoy sensory play,
investigating a range of media, such as sand, soil and paint. They express delight as they
use chunky paintbrushes and fill and empty containers with sand. Toddlers bring books over
to staff who take the time to point out pictures, providing the names of items to support
children's developing vocabulary. Older children are well supported to develop a love of
learning. They concentrate for prolonged periods of time and remain purposefully engaged
at activities of their choice. Children are proud to show their friends and adults what they
have achieved. Outdoors, children enthusiastically explore the available resources. They
develop their coordination skills as they use bats and balls, and they instigate games of hide
and seek with staff, who join in with enthusiasm and purpose. Children confidently recall
prior learning and count as they play. They use their imagination, making 'whale food' at the
outdoor kitchen, and move around the area as 'dinosaurs'. Staff are well deployed and
engage effectively with the children as they play and explore.
Children are regularly provided with enriching experiences that help broaden their
understanding of the world around them, such as visits to the local care home, for instance.
Leaders work closely with parents and carers to ensure that children attend regularly and
benefit fully from the learning experiences on offer.

Inspector:
Karen Harris
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2767953
Address:
72-74 Market Street
Ely
CB7 4LS
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 07/12/2023
Registered person: Cathedral View Childcare Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Cambridgeshire
Next steps
Leaders should build on the already sound practice and seek further ways to help all staff
develop more confidence in their role to ensure consistency in delivery of the curriculum
content.
Leaders should make sure all children have opportunities to take some responsibility to
keep themselves and others safe.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the provider, leaders, staff 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.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 2 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
89
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
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and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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