URN 2733354 · Inspected 2026-04-20 · Published 2026-06-09 · Inspector: Michelle Latchford
Childsplay Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2733354 Address: Catherine Beckett Community Centre, Deepdale Road, PRESTON, PR1 5AR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/06/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Preston Childsplay CIO Inspection report: 20 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. Expected standard Needs attention Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children's health is promoted well. They clean their teeth each day, learning the importance of this personal care routine from a very early age. This impacts positively on children's health. They benefit from fresh air every day, exerting themselves and building their stamina and physical health. Staff deliver flexible routines to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. For instance, when children are tired, they are offered a comfortable and safe place to rest. This flexibility enables children's care needs to be met, and children remain happy and ready to learn. Safety is carefully considered, and simple yet effective measures are in place to minimise possible risks and hazards in the environment. To illustrate this, remote access systems are located on all doors, both internal and external, to prevent unauthorised visitors from accessing the space. This is one example of a plethora of safety measures in place to promote children's welfare. Achievement Needs attention Children's expected achievement and progress are not supported due to inaccurate assessments and teaching that is not always targeted to meet children's different needs and abilities. Although children make steady progress in their language and physical development, other areas of learning are not fully supported. Children are physically confident. They climb on large play equipment, navigating slides and steps with ease. Children run around the outdoor garden with energy and excitement. They balance across wooden planks and clamber over large tyres with impressive coordination. The environment promotes children's physical development extremely well, and children thrive in this aspect of their development. Children enjoy playing with water, developing their fine motor skills through this exploitative play. Children pour water between containers and squeeze spray bottles, practising their hand–eye coordination. They pour water down different spouts, extending their concentration and problem-solving skills as they predict when the water will reappear. Children are curious and enjoy their play. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Staff have completed training related to behaviour management, but this is not yet having an impact on their practice. As a result, staff are not consistently implementing the strategies leaders expect, and children's behaviour is sometimes disruptive to their learning. Friendships between children begin to flourish. Children seek out their peers and invite them to join in games. Generally, children enjoy each other's company and learn to be social. For example, during mealtimes, children discuss their morning experiences. Staff coordinate these group discussions while eating, and children enjoy conversing about weekend plans and experiences at home. The role of the key worker is very well established. Staff understand their role to build positive relationships with children in their care. Children speak about their 'special workers' and seek them out if they need any help. Furthermore, if key workers are absent, 'buddy key workers' will step up to ensure that children's needs are consistently met. These positive relationships help to foster children's sense of self-esteem and confidence. Children complete small responsibilities, helping to build a 'can-do' attitude. For instance, children register their attendance when they arrive each morning. This task starts the day off well and children have a good attitude from the outset. Typically, children's attendance is punctual and consistent. Leaders check on the whereabouts of children who are unexpectedly absent. Parents understand the need for regular attendance to benefit children's learning. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Staff's assessments of children's abilities and skills are not always accurate. This means, occasionally, that their teaching is not delivered with precision to help children to make the progress of which they are capable. For instance, staff track children's progress and make regular observations of their learning. However, sometimes, assessments do not accurately reflect children's abilities and skills and, in turn, staff teaching does not match children's needs. Additionally, teaching is not always adapted, inclusive or accessible to all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. Although leaders have a clear understanding of their curriculum design, this is not being consistently delivered by all staff. Weaknesses in assessment and adaptive teaching mean children are not always well supported to make progress across all areas. The quality of teaching to support children's emerging language skills is a notable strength. Staff model vocabulary and sentence structure through their quality interactions. They make sure to listen to children's insightful comments and respond with questions to extend conversations and discussion. Language development is heavily prioritised and, in turn, children make steady progress in this area of their learning. The range of activities and games offered is interesting and helps to captivate children's enthusiasm. Specialist football teachers deliver weekly lessons to enrich children's learning experiences further. Typically, children remain busy and occupied throughout the day. Inclusion Needs attention Staff do not always adapt their teaching to ensure all children access learning that closely meets their needs. Sometimes, staff do not change their interactions and teaching to support younger children or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that sometimes these children lose interest during play and become frustrated because staff teaching is too challenging for their needs. Leaders clearly have a positive attitude towards inclusion. They celebrate all families' diverse backgrounds with a welcoming approach. Some staff are skilled in speaking foreign languages and use their talents to fully include children who speak English as an additional language. Staff invest time getting to know children and assessing their needs. They work with other professionals such as health visitors and specialist teachers to further meet children's needs. This is a diverse and welcoming setting where children's unique backgrounds are understood and celebrated. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders do not effectively monitor the quality of staff practice, including assessment and teaching, with sufficient rigour. Leaders have designed a clear curriculum, but they do not ensure that this is implemented consistently by all staff. Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to committee members. Recent changes to managers have also not been shared with Ofsted. As such, Ofsted has not verified the suitability of all trustees or managers linked to the setting. Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have completed training courses beyond mandatory requirements. This has helped to raise staff confidence in some areas. Leaders recognise and value the importance of training. However, there are currently gaps in staff knowledge relating to behaviour management and teaching and assessment to raise rates of children's progress. Leaders know what they do well. They have taken some steps since the last inspection to address gaps in the quality of their service. However, these improvements have not gone far enough to raise standards across all aspects of the provision. Leaders do not have an accurate overview of the setting's current areas to develop. Self-evaluation is not fully effective to help raise standards. What it's like to be a child at this setting Since the last inspection, leaders have made some improvements to the quality of the service. However, they have not sufficiently ensured that all children receive consistently high-quality learning opportunities to meet their needs. For instance, children with special Inspector: educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language do not benefit from tailored learning opportunities. Staff are not always consistent in their approach to behaviour management, which means children do not always know what is expected of them. Children make some progress from their starting points and they generally enjoy their time spent in this setting. They acquire some key skills in readiness for school. For instance, children grow in confidence and are increasingly independent and social. They engage in conversations and their speech and vocabulary are beginning to emerge. Children show that they feel safe and secure. For instance, they approach visitors with inquisitive questions. Staff and parents communicate daily about children's care needs. For instance, parents share updates about children's welfare each morning. This open and two-way communication enables children to benefit from complementary care between home and the setting. Staff value children's diverse backgrounds and children learn about each other's different cultures and backgrounds, extending children's appreciation for others. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date extend professional development opportunities to ensure staff skills are improved in areas that will most benefit children, such as behaviour management, adaptive teaching and children's assessment 20/05/2026 monitor the quality of teaching with greater rigour to assure leaders that the curriculum design is being implemented consistently by all staff. 20/05/2026 About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners 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. Michelle Latchford About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2733354 Address: Catherine Beckett Community Centre Deepdale Road PRESTON PR1 5AR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 08/06/2023 Registered person: Preston Childsplay CIO Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30 Local authority: Lancashire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 20 April 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 2 to 4 Total number of places 24 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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