URN EY479956 · Inspected 2026-05-06 · Published 2026-06-22 · Inspector: Dominique Allotey
Charlton Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY479956 Address: 123 Winterstoke Road, Bristol, BS3 2NS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/07/2014 Registers: EYR Registered person: Charlton Nursery Ltd Inspection report: 6 May 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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face other barriers to their learning, typically achieve well in all areas of the curriculum from their individual starting points. They acquire the foundation knowledge and skills they need that will help them succeed in their later learning and future lives. Children build on what they already know and can do and practise the new skills they are learning. For instance, pre- school children learn to use pedals to ride bikes. Children often choose books and seek out adults to read aloud to them, which further supports their language and understanding. Children develop a range of skills as they play. They are confident to explore and lead their own play. Children show an interest in the world around them. For example, babies look at trees and watch in wonder as the leaves blow in the wind. Children persevere at tasks well and show positive attitudes when attempting tricky or new tasks for the first time. Children delight in reading familiar stories with adults and regularly choose to look at books, which enhances their language and literacy skills. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff have high expectations of children and are consistent in setting out the rules and expectations that are fair and suitable for the age and developmental stage of each child. Staff do not always, as consistently, explain the reasons for the rules to children. This limits their opportunities to develop a strong awareness of safety to aid them in managing their own behaviour in the future. Overall, children's attendance is positive and they all attend regularly. Leaders work with parents and carers to ensure a collaborative approach in relation to attendance and healthy routines for the future. There are some inconsistencies in the quality of staff practice during the organisation of key transitions in the daily routines within the pre-school. Consequently, at changeover times, such as after lunch as they prepare to go outside, children spend too long waiting and without interaction from staff. While children wait, staff finish housekeeping tasks and organise children's care routines, such as toileting and applying sun cream. During these times, children wander as there are few purposeful play opportunities accessible for them to engage with. Staff encourage children to work with others and overcome challenges. For example, they help toddlers to work together as a team and help their friends as they collectively tip and empty heavy wheelbarrows of mud and sand. Staff give children specific praise, which helps develop their social skills and self-confidence. Staff model positive manners and respectful interactions and children mirror this in their own play, where they show respect and kindness to one another. Positive relationships are fostered through an effective key-person system. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children's wellbeing and welfare are paramount to staff and leaders. They have developed a highly effective key-person system, which places high emphasis on them developing a deep knowledge of the children and their individual needs. This is particularly pertinent for those considered to be most vulnerable. A particular strength for the setting is in the continuity of care children receive. Staff are extremely attentive to children's emotional needs and use a range of caring and nurturing approaches. For instance, they settle babies to sleep in similar ways to their parents and carers and respond quickly and sensitively to children, when they show signs of feeling unsettled or upset. Staff create secure attachments with children and children often seek out their key person for reassurance, or as a safe person to be with or to express their feelings to. Staff develop children's skills and confidence in managing their own personal care and independence. For example, they encourage children to serve their own food at mealtimes, and all children are toilet trained in time for starting school. Freshly cooked meals are extremely nutritious, and children are exposed to a wide range of tastes and flavours. This helps them expand their diets and supports healthy habits and lifestyles for the future. Routines of the day allow plenty of time for children to be physically active and get fresh air. Staff are vigilant and keep children safe in all weathers. For instance, they check how strong the sun is and ensure all children have sun cream applied before playing outside on sunny days. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff have a secure understanding about how children learn. They know each child's interests, what they already know and can do and what they need to learn next. Leaders have recently developed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all children. They have introduced effective systems for staff to plan, deliver and review a range of activities and experiences that engage children and help them develop the key skills and knowledge they need for their future learning. There is clear intent for what they want all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, to be able to do and know in time for their transition into the next room. All children make positive progress from their starting points. Staff encourage children's participation in a range of physical activities throughout the day. Staff place high focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. For example, staff use recording devices to translate core books into children's home language and use sign language alongside speech. Staff encourage children's love for books. Staff incorporate mathematical and physical learning into play and routines. For example, through modelling counting as babies stack cups and modelling mathematical language as children transport quantities of mud in wheelbarrows. There is scope to improve some aspects of staff interactions, such as in pre-school at busy changeovers in the routine and to extend children's knowledge of rules and expectations to further enhance children's personal, social and emotional development. Inclusion Expected standard Staff know children well and recognise quickly those who may be in need of additional support. They provide a welcoming and caring environment, where all children feel included and thrive. Staff and leaders respond to the unique needs of children. They recognise the importance of observation and assessment in identifying children's needs. They take a gradual approach and adapt the support they provide to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning, make the progress that they are capable of and receive the care and support they need as individuals. Children with speech, communication and physical difficulties in particular receive highly effective, targeted support, which helps them make, at times, rapid progress from their individual starting points. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to ensure a collaborative approach between the setting and home. This helps gaps close and prepares children well for starting school. Leaders recognise when some children would benefit from further opportunities to practise and embed skills before transitioning on to the next room and they carefully place children in rooms that can best meet the children's needs at that time. Leaders and staff are proactive in signposting parents and carers to agencies and professionals that can provide continued support for their children. Leaders use of funding has a positive impact on the development of disadvantaged children. Leadership and governance Expected standard There is a very effective leadership team in place that has been extremely proactive and made a number of well-considered changes and improvements in recent months. Leaders demonstrate a commitment to providing quality care and education. Leaders carefully monitor staff practice and maintain accurate oversight of what works well and what needs to be improved. This sharp attention to continually improve ultimately enhances the quality of the interactions and support children receive. Leaders have developed more effective partnerships with parents and carers. Parents and carers comment on the improvements they have seen, particularly in relation to robust leadership, improved communication, quality of care and staffing arrangements. Staff morale is high. Staff value the professional development opportunities they get and comment that support from leaders is positively influencing their practice on an ongoing basis. Leaders have a deep understanding of barriers some children face and continually work hard to reduce barriers to children's learning, always acting in the best interests of children. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as children who are disadvantaged, receive extra support, when needed, and additional funding is used carefully to help all children achieve the best outcomes. The provider notified Ofsted about previous significant events that led to breaches in requirements relating to safeguarding policies and procedures and staff to child ratios. The provider has since reflected upon this and taken appropriate steps to address previous weaknesses. All leaders and staff are now clear and consistent in implementing the policies and procedures in place for safeguarding and supervise children effectively. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are happy and enjoy their time at this setting. They settle well and arrive keen to get involved in the range of fun and interesting activities and experiences that staff plan for them. Settling-in approaches are flexible and thorough, allowing staff to get to know each child as an individual and ensuring that they are ready to welcome the children. Key people conduct home visits for new starters. This allows children to start to build relationships with staff in a familiar environment and allows staff and parents and carers to foster positive relationships with one another from the outset. Children benefit from a varied and broad curriculum. Staff use children's interests to help them build on what they already know and can do and ensure children take part in a broad range of activities that support their learning and development. Children develop well in their communication and language skills and there are plenty of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning or with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make positive progress during their time at the setting and are well prepared for the eventual move on to school. Children behave well. They listen to instructions and have positive manners. Children socialise well with adults and their peers and they make friends easily. Staff support children in developing effective social skills, which helps them get on well with others. Children know how to engage in conversation and enjoy back and forth conversation around the meal table telling one another about their lives outside of the setting. Regular communication with parents and carers enables an open sharing of information. Shared approaches are used to support children with particular behaviours and routines at home and at the setting, for instance, in helping children with toilet training and the use of consistent strategies to help children with their behaviour. Staff act as positive role models to children. Children play well together cooperatively. For instance, older children independently solve their own problems working together as a team to ensure fairness, enabling them to take turns with resources. Next steps Leaders should help staff to organise transitions for pre-school children more effectively to reduce waiting times and keep children involved in purposeful play. Inspector: Dominique Allotey About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY479956 Address: 123 Winterstoke Road Bristol BS3 2NS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 29/07/2014 Registered person: Charlton Nursery Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30 Local authority: Bristol City of Leaders should support staff to teach children the reasons for rules and boundaries, so that children gain a deeper understanding of safety and learn to manage their own behaviour. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents 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. Since the last inspection, the setting has undergone significant staff changes and has a new leadership team in place. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 6 May 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 78 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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