Abacus Day Care Limited

Abacus Day Care Limited
Unique reference number (URN): 2862346
Address: Abacus Childrens Nurserys Ltd, Kingfisher Drive, Chatham, ME5 7NX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 04/12/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Abacus Day Care Limited
Inspection report: 12 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children are provided with activities and experiences to help support them to develop age-
appropriate skills across all areas of the curriculum. Children learn about their friends and
their different families successfully. This supports their understanding of others and their
local community. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have tailored
support to enable them to make positive progress from their starting points. For example,
children develop their communication skills effectively, learning to hold conversations and to
make their needs known successfully.
Children develop positive bonds with their key persons, who know their children well and
help families access a range of external expertise to help reduce barriers to children's
learning. This ensures children receive the necessary support to reach developmental
milestones successfully. Children develop into confident communicators and are suitably
prepared for their next learning stage effectively. For example, children develop firm
friendships, developing positive personal and social skills. They demonstrate that they know
and understand the rules and routines of the setting well to support them when they
transition to school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. For example, older children
put bowls and cups away and empty rubbish into bins after mealtimes. Younger children
know to put their own things away. These activities help children develop independence
skills successfully. Where needed, staff support children to understand how their behaviour
impacts on others. Staff are gentle and patient. Older children comfort their friends,
demonstrating that they learn how to treat others with kindness and care.
Staff have high expectations for children. They are positive role models, promoting good
manners. As a result, children are polite and follow instructions. All children behave well.
Leaders have worked hard to establish a positive environment. They recognise the
challenges they have faced and ensure children and families remain at the heart of what
they do. They promote an inclusive and respectful environment where all families are
welcome. Staff support families to attend, offering flexible sessions to ensure children's
attendance is regular. This supports children's understanding of the routines of the setting
successfully.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children are successfully supported to develop self-care skills. For example, babies learn to
feed themselves using spoons, developing their confidence and coordination skills. Older
children learn to use the toilet independently and to wash and wipe their hands. This
supports children's independence and understanding of how to keep themselves healthy.
Staff prioritise children's understanding of oral health. Staff access funding to supply all
children with their own toothbrushes, supporting their knowledge and understanding. Older

children excitedly look forward to receiving their own toothbrushes and to starting a regular
toothbrushing routine at the setting. These activities support children to learn to manage
their own personal care needs successfully.
Leaders work closely with families to support understanding of healthy eating. For example,
children and families are given advice on healthy lunch boxes and appreciate the help to
learn about different colours on food packets. For example, older children identify that a 'red'
label is not the healthiest option when choosing snacks, and that this means foods are high
in fat. Children learn that 'green' indicates a healthier choice, supporting their understanding
further. This supports children's knowledge of healthier foods effectively and helps them
develop healthy habits for the future.
Relationships between staff and children are warm and responsive. This supports children's
emotional wellbeing successfully, and as a result, children manage their own emotions. They
are confident to ask for support from trusted staff. Routines are embedded and children
learn to keep themselves healthy and safe. For example, children know to put their coats
and boots on when going outside, to keep them safe in the rain.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of the curriculum and where they can
support staff to enhance what they offer. For example, leaders are committed to ensuring
staff access training and support to improve their practice and skills. They prioritise support
for staff to take additional qualifications to improve knowledge and understanding. For
example, staff encourage children's learning and understanding. Children enjoy learning
about different colours during a matching game and learning about shapes when exploring
play dough. However, at times, not all staff recognise when they could extend activities to
further support children's developing mathematical understanding.
Staff prioritise children's language and literacy skills effectively. Babies enjoy joining listening
to rhymes, supporting their engagement and focus. Older children choose stories from the
'book swap' shelf to take home, which promotes a love of reading. Children who have
special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with pictures to help their
understanding successfully. Staff are patient and calm in their approach, supporting
children's personal and social skills effectively. Staff ensure the curriculum benefits
children's physical skills. For example, babies enjoy exploring soft play to help them to climb
and balance. Older children use cutlery with skill, demonstrating confidence and
coordination.
Leaders ensure staff tailor their teaching to individual needs. They reflect on assessment
processes to ensure they match children's changing needs and identify specific progress.
Although this is yet to be fully embedded in terms of mathematical learning, leaders are
committed to ensuring staff support all children's next steps effectively.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders have a sound understanding of their local area and the needs and different
circumstances of the families they serve. They are committed to ensuring all children and
families are provided with help where needed. For example, leaders have developed

positive partnerships with external agencies, the local authority and outreach support to
provide families with advice and guidance where needed. They offer personalised support to
reduce barriers and ensure all children access activities. For example, children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning are provided
with individualised support to help them make positive progress from their starting points.
For example, leaders use funding effectively to purchase specialist resources to help
children listen and communicate. Children who were unable to move independently when
they started now demonstrate confidence when navigating space. Leaders ensure that staff
understand the graduated approach and recognise that for some children, progress is
measured in smaller steps. Staff are ambitious for all children and they work hard to ensure
children are ready for their next stage in learning.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders recognise the journey they have been on and the significant changes to the
leadership and governance of the setting. They are positive and proactive about the future
and are committed to ensuring children and families receive high standards of care and
education. For example, leaders identify that they could strengthen ideas for parents to
ensure families know how to support further their children's learning at home. Leaders have
effective plans to ensure improvements are swift and effective. For example, they have
identified that information-sharing with parents about how to further support learning at
home could be strengthened and have plans to do this imminently. They also recognise that,
at times, staff need further support to extend children's mathematical understanding.
Leaders are in the process of prioritising these areas to further benefit staff's practice and
impact children's learning and development.
Leaders access effective local authority support to ensure they continue to offer quality care
and education and prioritise the right areas for development. For example, staff attend
training sessions on understanding children's special educational needs. This helps them
understand how to meet children's individual needs most effectively. Leaders ensure staff
feel valued and monitor their workloads appropriately. Staff appreciate the support they
receive and the positive vision the new nominated individuals have for the setting.
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

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are at the heart of this setting. Leaders and staff work hard to ensure all families
are welcomed and included. Staff greet them at the door with smiles, supporting all children
to feel safe and to settle. Staff provide experiences that build on what children know and can
do. This ensures all children, especially those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, make positive progress from their
starting points. Staff develop effective partnerships with local schools and sources of support
to ensure all families can access help and advice where needed. This means children
develop the necessary skills and knowledge ready for their next educational stage.
Children benefit from a range of activities planned to support their communication, social
and physical development. For example, babies listen attentively to rhymes with nurturing
staff, who cuddle and comfort them. This supports their emotional wellbeing successfully.
Older children independently enjoy exploring pencils to make marks, talking with staff about
what they are drawing. Other children enjoy kicking balls into nets with skill. These activities
support children's confidence and development effectively. Staff encourage children to
develop mathematical knowledge. Younger children delight in talking with staff about the
different lengths of dinosaur tails, building on their interests. Older children learn about
circles as they make different play dough shapes. This helps children to develop
mathematical understanding effectively.
Staff work closely with parents to highlight the importance of regular attendance and the
positive impact this has on their children's development. As a result, children demonstrate
positive attitudes to learning, and this helps them forge firm friendships. Staff are positive
role models. Children respond with smiles when they are praised and encouraged to have a
go by kind and caring staff. This supports all children's confidence in their own abilities and
in readiness for school.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to identify when they can extend activities to further develop
children's mathematical knowledge and understanding.
Leaders should enhance information-sharing with parents to enable them to support
further their children's learning at home.

Inspector:
Victoria Salisbury
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2862346
Address:
Abacus Childrens Nurserys Ltd
Kingfisher Drive
Chatham
ME5 7NX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 04/12/2025
Registered person: Abacus Day Care Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Medway
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 12 February 2026
Children numbers
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and the special educational needs
coordinator 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
0 to 4
Total number of places
80
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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