Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School Tunbridge Wells

Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School TunbridgeWells
Unique reference number (URN): 2622349
Address: 6 Clanricarde Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1PH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 30/12/2020
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Junior Childcare Limited
Inspection report: 14 April 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Expected standard
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.
Achievement Expected standard
Children generally make progress from their individual starting points, including children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with other barriers to their
learning. Children learn age-appropriate independence skills. For example, babies learn to
get aprons for staff to help them put on. Older children get their own jumpers or coats when
needed. Children confidently complete these tasks, which help them to be ready for their
next stage of learning at school.
Children enjoy choices of activities and are often drawn to those of interest. For example,
they join together to explore a fishing game where they catch fish with different numbers.
Older children show confidence in role modelling number recognition and enjoy practising
using the net. All children show excellent patience as they wait for their turn. The areas in
need of further development around teaching of the curriculum and support for children with
SEND mean that children's achievement could be further supported.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children show positive attitudes towards their learning and easily engage in activities. They
enjoy a range of learning opportunities on offer. Staff sensitively implement strategies for
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities that benefit all children. For
example, children have a clear understanding of how to use a sand timer to help to take
turns of popular toys. As a result, children enjoy playing with others and show kindness
towards their friends. Staff's support for children's behaviour is effective. However, there are
slight variations in staff's practice, which impacts on some of these experiences that children
receive. However, leaders are fully aware of how to address these so practice is more
consistent across the setting.

Children and staff form suitable relationships. Staff get to know individual children well. They
meet children's care needs successfully. For example, staff who work with babies sing
songs to them to let them know that it is time for them to have a nappy change. Younger
children receive support to sleep or have some rest time while at the setting to support their
routines from home. Leaders promote children's attendance well to support children to make
the most of their time at setting.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
In the main, leaders and staff promote all children's wellbeing and welfare well. Staff are
attentive to children's emotional needs and are close by to offer a cuddle where needed.
Children thoroughly enjoy spending time outside in the setting's garden. All age groups of
children have their own designated space and are able to extend themselves physically. For
example, younger children learn to climb on a ramp or steps. Staff gently encourage
children to consider if their choices of activities are safe. This supports children's emerging
understanding of their own safety. Staff enthusiastically encourage children's movement
through games, such as hide and seek or chasing games. Children giggle as they run
around and catch each other and staff. As a result, children gain strength and coordination
to support their overall physical development.
Staff promote effective personal hygiene routines. For example, they encourage children to
wash their hands and faces after eating. Children enjoy warm cooked lunches. Staff support
these times well to help children build their skills. For example, staff promote positive
manners and help children to choose the correct cutlery to use. There are suitable
processes to support children's individual dietary preferences and requirements.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
The new leaders have quickly gained a detailed insight into the needs of the children who
attend the setting. Due to the new ownership, the curriculum is in a transition period but
continues to include all 7 areas of learning. Overall, staff are aware of what it is that they
want children to learn while at the setting. This includes for children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Activities are generally appropriate for children's ages and
stages of development.
Babies enjoy sensory opportunities as part of their learning. For example, they explore
painting using brushes and rollers as well as water play. Staff know children's capabilities
and aware of what it is they want children to learn next. However, at times, staff's teaching of
the curriculum varies, and children, including those with SEND, do not consistently benefit
from the learning opportunities.
Staff use stories well throughout the day to extend children's communication and language
skills. For example, babies enjoy age-appropriate picture books. Staff skilfully encourage
interactions as babies begin to make the noises of the animals. Older children show
extended concentration and focus as they choose multiple stories for staff to share with
them.

Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders with responsibility for supporting children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) have extensive experience but are new to the nursery. They are using
support plans that were previously in place and adding further enhancements. Leaders and
staff work very well with other professionals, such as the local authority, to help structure the
support they offer. They review any support in place regularly, alongside parents and carers.
Leaders make sure that parents' views are well considered. However, staff do not fully and
consistently implement some of the strategies that children with SEND benefit from. This
means that they may not be fully effective in providing the intended support. Staff support
younger children's personal communication preferences well. For instance, staff sign with
children alongside speech. They are aware of children's individual signs that they use at
home.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
The nursery has had a change of ownership since the last inspection, and there is a new
leadership team in place. The new leaders are aware of the development journey that they
are on and have swiftly set about identifying and taking steps to develop the nursery. This
shows effective reflective practice.
Staff receive supervision sessions to support their practice. Leaders consider staff's
wellbeing and workload appropriately. These areas have been recently developed by the
new leaders, and, overall, staff give positive feedback about the support they receive.
There are training plans in place for staff to ensure that they receive statutory training, such
as safeguarding and paediatric first aid. However, the new leaders have only been in place
for a short period of time, and this has impacted on the opportunity they have to further work
on some inconsistencies in staff's practice that they are aware of.
Overall, parents and carers positively feed back about the communication from staff. For
example, they appreciate easy access to photos of their children's day through an app.
Parents know that children enjoy healthy meals and name individual staff as being
particularly important to their children. Leaders have close working relationships with other
settings that children attend.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children receive a warm greeting by staff on arrival and quickly settle at nursery. All children
show a sense of belonging and understanding of the routine, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other barriers to learning. For instance,
they move around freely and confidently within the rooms and show high levels of wellbeing.
There is additional support for children with SEND during these times to ensure that barriers
to their participation are broken down.
Children show they enjoy the company of other children and staff. For example, younger
children play alongside each other during activities, and older children build and develop
friendships, which benefits their play and learning. Staff are playful and fun for children to be
around. For example, staff enjoy saying rhymes about jelly, which makes children giggle.
Children eagerly engage with staff and are excited about playing. For example, staff
encourage role play and discussions about where they could go on their trip as they chase
around the garden. As a result, children easily engage in their play and learning to support
their overall progress.
Staff understand children's own context and family backgrounds. This is possible through
working closely with parents and carers. For example, children who speak more than one
language or who speak English as an additional language benefit from their development
being assessed in their home or other languages, as part of the overall understanding of
their development. Staff ensure that they understand why children have not attended. They
use this information well to support the children the next day they attend, such as if they
have been unwell.
Next steps
Leaders should take steps to ensure that staff's teaching of the curriculum is consistent
across all age groups so that all children receive high-quality teaching to further their
progress.
Leaders should develop the support for children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities so support strategies are more highly effective and consistently implemented.
Leaders should develop support for staff through supervision sessions to target areas of
practice to develop and create more consistency in practice to benefit children's
experiences further.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with 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

Inspector:
Sarah Taylor-Smith
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2622349
Address:
6 Clanricarde Gardens
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1PH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 30/12/2020
Registered person: Junior Childcare Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Local authority: Kent
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 14 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
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.

Total number of places
92
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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