URN 2753652 · Inspected 2026-03-27 · Published 2026-05-29 · Inspector: Chelsea Woollard
Mini Steamers Childcare Unique reference number (URN): 2753652 Address: 91a Morris Street, Swindon, SN2 2HS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/10/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Mini Steamers Childcare Limited Inspection report: 27 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. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children demonstrate increasing confidence with language and communication. Older children chat with their peers, and younger children happily sing the alphabet as they play. Children of all ages show a keen interest in books and sit independently, turning the pages and repeating familiar phrases from stories. Older children confidently retell key stories such as 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. Older children excitedly write letters in the air using their fingers and say, 'Mine is round. It is O.' This demonstrates their emerging early literacy skills. Younger children excitedly count down from 5 and use language such as 'tall' and 'big' when building their towers with blocks. Older children use language such as 'half' and 'full' as they explore quantities. Children have fun together and work in partnership, helping each other to balance planks of wood, to make roads for their cars. This supports children's personal, social and emotional development. Children typically make steady progress across all areas of their learning. This means they are well prepared for their next stage of development. However, because staff interactions are not yet consistently effective across the day, children's learning is not always fully extended. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children benefit from a positive environment. They show a secure understanding of routines and follow instructions well. Staff ensure they provide gentle reminders about expectations, helping children understand what is expected of them. For example, using 'indoor voices' and 'kind hands' are golden rules. Children happily play alongside each other and form caring relationships with their peers and staff. This helps children acquire positive attitudes towards their learning. Younger children naturally engage in activities with their peers. Staff help children build resilience, with a keen focus on older children, helping them begin to tolerate challenging moments alongside managing their own conflicts. For example, staff intervene quickly when children's towers are knocked down; however, children often respond with comments such as, 'It's ok, but I did work hard on that.' This demonstrates children's emerging ability to manage their emotions and show self-control. Relationships between staff and children are warm and respectful. Staff model calm approaches and enjoy engaging with children, adapting routines and expectations to suit their needs and abilities, which supports smooth transitions. For example, during group activities, staff recognise when some children want to try something different, while continuing to support those who wish to remain engaged. This helps children to further develop their focus and engagement. Providing additional support for less-confident children during large-group times would create more opportunities for all children to share their thoughts. Leaders monitor attendance closely and promptly follow up with families on any non- attendance. They encourage children and families to establish a pattern of attendance and punctuality from an early age. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Staff place focus on children's wellbeing, supporting their care routines to provide comfort, safety and emotional security. Staff know children and families well and recognise when they need to adapt routines, including eating and sleeping, to suit their individual needs. This ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who face barriers to their learning and children who speak English as an additional language, have the support they need to feel valued and respected. Children form positive relationships from a young age and lift their cups, saying 'cheers' to their peers during mealtimes. Children generally benefit from a healthy and nurturing environment. They have access to fresh air daily, and staff recognise the importance of this for children's physical and mental wellbeing. Leaders promote healthy eating and share lunch box expectations with parents. However, leaders have not yet supported staff in making the most of opportunities to talk to children about healthy eating. This does not support children's awareness of healthy choices. From a young age, children wash their hands independently, and staff guide them through the process, helping them develop positive hygiene habits. Older children manage toileting independently, and staff provide ample opportunities for children to practise and develop their independence in self-care tasks. Staff help children to begin to manage risk safely, developing their awareness of their personal safety. Staff place a clear emphasis on helping children recognise, express and manage their emotions. For example, older children are encouraged to make 'scary faces' as they discuss feelings, saying things like, 'Thunder makes me scared.' Younger children explore emotions through stories such as 'The Colour Monster', expressing their feelings by saying, 'I have got my happy face.' Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff demonstrate confident knowledge of the curriculum. They deliver a curriculum that helps all children to build on what they know and can do. Children typically make progress across all areas of the curriculum and access varied activities that meet children's interests and next steps in learning. Staff adapt activities to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who face barriers to their learning, make progress in their learning. Staff prioritise children's communication and language development. Younger children use prompts, such as song cards, to help them make connections in their language. For older children, staff support the development of letters and sounds in preparation for future learning, including school. For example, older children recognise that 'Friday' and 'fine' both begin with the letter 'f'. Children enjoy songs and stories as part of their daily routine, and staff use these interactions to extend their language, introducing more complex words such as 'dimensions', which older children understand as they count boxes they have made. Staff also weave mathematical concepts, including shape, size and measurement, throughout daily routines and activities. Staff promote children's personal, social and emotional development well. Children develop secure relationships, build resilience and feel safe in their environment. However, during large-group times, staff do not provide opportunities for quieter children to share their thoughts and ideas. This does not help them to consistently build on their self-confidence. Staff also support children's gross motor skills, helping them develop coordination, balance and stability through activities such as riding bikes, jumping and running. Inclusion Expected standard Staff have clear procedures for assessing, identifying and monitoring children's learning effectively. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who speak English as an additional language, and children who face barriers to their learning. Staff implement visual prompts, small-step targets, and tailored routines to support children in achieving their learning outcomes. Staff share these with parents to ensure continuity of care, although further self-evaluation from leaders will help to create a more consistent approach to parent partnerships. Staff work closely with external professionals, including speech and language therapists. As a result, all children receive timely, targeted support that helps them engage and learn alongside their peers. Through continuous evaluation of children's learning, staff identify the impact of support. This helps staff to adjust strategies and provision to ensure children continue to make steady progress in their individual learning. Leaders provide regular training, enabling staff to develop their knowledge of inclusion. For example, staff have attended training on SEND and now incorporate more intensive interactions into their practice, supporting the development of children's social interactions and communication. Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of funding and how it can be used to further refine support for children and families. This creates an inclusive environment where children can confidently access new opportunities and experiences. Leadership and governance Expected standard Overall, leaders have maintained oversight of the setting and have made decisions in the best interests of children. They use self-evaluation well to help identify areas of strength and define areas for further improvement. For example, yearly development plans help them strive for high-quality provision, currently focusing on enhancing a sensory space for children. Leaders typically work in partnership with parents, sharing information about children's development, inviting them in for stay-and-play sessions and daily handovers. Parents report that children are progressing well in their social development, communication and confidence. However, leaders have not yet reflected on how to include all parents in their children's learning and development. This does not provide consistent continuity in children's learning between home and the setting. Staff report feeling well supported in their roles, and morale is high. Leaders ensure staff have opportunities to develop their own professional knowledge and encourage training. For example, staff work towards gaining their qualifications and implement what they have learned into practice, including strategies to support children's behaviour. Staff receive regular supervision, and leaders ensure their workload is manageable. This creates a positive working environment. Children benefit from regular trips out into the community. These include walks to the local parks and trips to the farm and shops. Children learn about culture and diversity when celebrating cultural events. Parents and staff enjoy cooking traditional dishes to share with children. This widens children's awareness of similarities and differences. 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 Staff greet parents and children warmly. Children separate from their parents with confidence and quickly join their peers to explore the activities on offer. They develop a sense of belonging and feel safe and secure within the setting. Staff support children's Inspector: Chelsea Woollard emerging independence from a young age. For instance, children take off their shoes and carefully place them on the shoe rack. Older children continue to build on this as they relish the responsibility of small tasks, such as scraping their own plates after lunch. Children show confidence as they ask for support when needed and express their thoughts and ideas to staff. They demonstrate curiosity by asking questions, for example during story time when they ask what the word 'villagers' means. Staff provide clear explanations, helping to extend children's understanding and broaden their vocabulary. Children demonstrate keen interest, focus and engagement in their learning. They progress through the curriculum steadily from their starting points and are ready for their next stage of learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language, and children who face barriers to their learning. Staff know children well and adapt routines and activities to meet their ages and individual abilities. This helps children feel a sense of belonging, included and valued. Staff, children and their families build caring, nurturing and supportive relationships with one another. These secure relationships help children develop friendships with their peers. Younger children enjoy singing their favourite songs together, while older children engage in back-and-forth conversations about their interests. As a result, children develop confident social skills. Next steps Leaders should consider the organisation of large-group activities to support less- confident children to engage fully in their learning, sharing their thoughts and ideas. Leaders should support staff to strengthen their interactions throughout daily routines, including mealtimes, to help children to learn more about healthy choices for their future. Leaders should further develop parent partnerships to ensure continuity for children's learning and development. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff and children during the inspection. Parents shared their views. 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. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2753652 Address: 91a Morris Street Swindon SN2 2HS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 17/10/2023 Registered person: Mini Steamers Childcare Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Swindon Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 27 March 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 10 Total number of places 120 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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