Children's Links - RAF Waddington

Children's Links - RAF Waddington
Unique reference number (URN): 2783793
Address: Newhall House, High Dyke, Waddington, Lincoln, LN5 9WL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 15/04/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Children's Links
Inspection report: 30 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
All children have daily access to a wide range of resources and activities to support and
develop their skills. Children benefit from well-planned activities and supportive staff. For
example, babies develop the confidence and skills to independently use scoops and jugs to
transfer dyed pasta from one jug to another. Older children use their developing language
and social skills to chat happily with their friends as they play.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face barriers to
learning, are consistently supported to learn new skills in small and achievable steps.
Children make good progress from their starting points with a clear curriculum focus on
developing positive relationships with staff. Children develop independence skills that help
them for their next stage of learning. For example, children serve their own meals at
lunchtime. Children confidently navigate the new room as they transition in the nursery and
settle well. Overall, children progress well.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff respond to children's needs calmly and sensitively. This promotes consistently positive
behaviour across the setting. Staff promote positive behaviour with words of praise, 'high
fives', clapping and consistently talking about 'kind hands'. The children behave well and
follow routines with increasing confidence throughout the rooms. For example, children
independently collect their plates and cutlery for lunchtime and sit at the table. Children are
learning to resolve small disagreements and to take turns and play cooperatively. For
example, children work together to agree the order in which they will take turns to use a
bubble wand outside.
Staff understand how to support children to become increasingly confident as they gain
more confidence. Routines are consistent throughout the nursery. This supports children
effectively as they prepare to transition from one room to the next. Children settle confidently
as many of the routines and experiences are consistent and familiar.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders effectively consider the unique situation and challenges that children and parents in
the military community face. For example, they provide resources to help children
understand, and to be reassured, when a parent is on deployment.
Staff know their key children well and are attentive to their emotional needs. They use the
knowledge they gather from parents to provide the right support when children arrive at
nursery and throughout the day. The warm, trusting bonds that staff nurture help the
youngest children to feel safe and secure. As a result, families feel supported and praise the

setting for how well their children settle. For example, one parent spoke of how staff will
ensure favourite items are ready for their child's arrival to help them settle.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed a balanced curriculum in line with their values and ethos. This is
well sequenced and supports all children to make progress. The curriculum places a clear
emphasis on supporting children's independence skills. For example, resources in the baby
room are lowered to aid access and promote babies pulling themselves up.
Children confidently navigate the setting and independently select resources and revisit
activities. Staff regularly assess and review children's progress and identify next steps for
their learning. However, at times, staff do not consider how to adapt their interactions during
activities to extend the learning of the most able children.
Staff place a focus on ensuring that children develop the key knowledge and skills needed
for future learning. For instance, children talk about what they are making using the play
dough and how they are drawing pictures in the pre-school room, while 2-year old children
match jigsaw pieces and shape sorters.
The outdoor space is used daily by all children, and children engage in active play both
indoors and outdoors. Staff discuss with the children the opportunities outdoor spaces
provide them for safely running, jumping and climbing. Pre-school children practise using
coordination and balance when riding bikes.
Staff generally implement the planned curriculum well. For example, they provide a range of
songs and interesting conversations throughout the day, promoting children's language
development effectively. They also read stories and encourage children to develop a love of
books. However, there is some inconsistency in the teaching of mathematics as some staff
are more skilled than others in using opportunities to introduce mathematical language and
ideas as children play. Overall, mathematics is not promoted quite as effectively as all other
areas of learning.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders ensure that children's individual needs are carefully assessed and additional
support is identified at the earliest opportunity. Expertise is shared in the team, which helps
to promote best outcomes for all children. Leaders have a secure understanding of the
provision and make adjustments where needed to ensure access for all. Leaders and staff
work closely with other professionals to ensure children receive the right support and make
the progress they are capable of.
Staff confidently highlight children's needs and have an open culture of removing barriers to
learning. Leaders use additional funding effectively to ensure children can fully access the
provision.
Staff recognise children's needs and implement support where needed, for example by
using language to discuss their feelings and providing resources to help children regulate

their emotions. Parents comment on the use of funding to support their child and how it
allows them access to their full entitlement.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have worked hard to embed a safeguarding culture in the setting and an inclusive
approach to teaching and learning. Recruitment procedures are effective, and new staff are
supported well. For example, they receive a thorough induction and attend relevant training
to understand the responsibilities of their role. Leaders empower staff to make decisions in
relation to their key children, such as how best to use additional funding to meet the unique
needs of the children for whom it is allocated.
Leaders are committed to ongoing improvement to promote the best outcomes for all
children and place importance on the children's and families' wellbeing. This is embedded
throughout the setting. For example, staff confidently discuss how adjustments have been
made to remove barriers to learning, buying resources to support self-regulation and
ensuring children's needs are met. Leaders use a range of practical methods to meet
children's needs, such as colour-coded plates to make it easier to monitor that children's
dietary requirements are met.
Staff feel supported and talk of robust induction procedures, training plans and staff
meetings all being used to support their wellbeing.
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
Children are greeted warmly by staff, and interactions are consistently focused on positive
wellbeing. Leaders and staff gather important information from parents to get to know the
families and establish how they can support them, to ensure the children's needs are met.
This allows the children to feel settled and secure. Children show this as they contribute to
tasks independently, for instance by giving other children their water bottles and choosing
the book to read at group time by voting.
During outdoor play, children show how they can solve conflict through discussion and turn-
taking independently. This use of language in supporting emotional regulation is consistently
used throughout the setting. Children are clear about staff's expectations for their behaviour,
and behaviour throughout the setting is positive.
Children show increasing concern for their own and others' welfare as they discuss the need
for red plates at lunchtime due to individual allergies. Mealtimes are well thought through
and support independence as children access their own resources. Children develop
increasing independence skills as they transition through the setting, and this prepares them
well for school.
Children show excitement when engaging in activities with their friends and explore the
range of resources available to them. A love of books is fostered throughout the setting.
Leaders work closely with the community to gain funding to provide a lending library,
available for all who attend the setting. Staff share stories with children, and staff
successfully explain to children how a person may be angry, using age-appropriate
resources to help them understand.

Inspector:
Sarah Asher
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2783793
Address:
Newhall House
High Dyke
Waddington
Lincoln
LN5 9WL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 15/04/2024
Registered person: Children's Links
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Leaders work closely with parents to ensure all children benefit from regular attendance.
This helps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and enables them to thrive.
Next steps
The provider should support staff to plan more effectively to extend the learning of the
most able.
The provider should enhance the delivery of the curriculum for mathematics to offer a
consistent approach to mathematical learning in the setting.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children 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.

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 05:30
Local authority: Lincolnshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 30 March 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
82
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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