URN EY443299 · Inspected 2026-05-06 · Published 2026-06-18 · Inspector: Anne Dyoss
Aqueduct After Hours Unique reference number (URN): EY443299 Address: Aqueduct Community Centre, Majestic Way, TELFORD, Shropshire, TF4 3RB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 09/02/2012 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Binks, Pauline Winifred 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 Children generally make progress from their starting points across the areas of learning and development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language are typically supported to take part alongside their peers and develop increasing confidence, communication and social skills. Children who initially struggle with emotional regulation or communication are beginning to engage more positively with adults, routines and other children. Children generally develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stages in learning. They join in enthusiastically with singing, dancing and storytelling activities and confidently share ideas during play and conversations. Children draw on their own experiences to develop imaginative play themes with their peers and increasingly communicate their thoughts clearly. However, opportunities to consistently maximise children's concentration, independence and engagement are not fully embedded throughout all parts of the day. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders generally establish clear expectations for behaviour, attitudes and routines. Staff provide clear guidance and reminders that help children understand expectations, routines and boundaries. Children respond well to reminders and understand what is expected of them during the day. Staff use praise and positive reinforcement appropriately to support children's emotional regulation, behaviour and participation. Children develop positive relationships with staff and their peers and play cooperatively together. Children are typically motivated to learn, particularly during child-directed play experiences where they sustain play ideas, communicate with others and engage positively in activities. Staff support children who need additional help with emotional regulation and behaviour through adapted environments, targeted strategies and smaller group experiences. Leaders promote the importance of attendance and follow up on absences appropriately with families. They work with parents to encourage children to attend regularly and access their funded entitlement. However, some routines and group activities do not consistently support children's engagement and involvement equally well. At times, children spend too long waiting during routines and opportunities for children to make choices, develop independence and maintain concentration are not fully maximised throughout the day. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders generally promote children's welfare and wellbeing appropriately, and staff understand children's individual care needs well. Staff work closely with families and other professionals to support children's emotional wellbeing, physical care and safety. Children with additional needs typically receive targeted support, and staff adapt routines and environments to help children feel secure and included. Staff typically support children to develop healthy routines and positive habits. Leaders provide guidance for families about healthy lunch boxes, oral health, immunisations and healthy lifestyles. Staff reinforce these messages through daily routines, themed health initiatives and discussions with children and parents. Leaders have recently introduced a stronger focus on oral health in response to needs within the community. Children benefit from regular opportunities for fresh air and physical play through daily outdoor experiences and active learning opportunities. Children are generally cared for in a calm and nurturing environment where positive relationships support their emotional wellbeing. Staff help children to settle, regulate emotions and develop a sense of belonging within the setting. However, opportunities for children to consistently develop independence within daily routines are not fully embedded. At times, staff complete tasks for children that they are capable of attempting for themselves. This does not consistently support children to develop confidence in their own abilities and support children to gain a positive attitude towards everyday tasks. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that generally supports children to develop knowledge and skills across the prime and specific areas of learning over time. Leaders have recently introduced changes to routines and the organisation of the day, including increased outdoor learning opportunities, to support children's engagement and wellbeing. Staff use assessment information and ongoing observations to identify children's next steps and adapt experiences to reflect children's interests and individual needs, for example to support children who speak English as an additional language and children experiencing delays in their language development. Leaders and staff use a range of helpful strategies to support children's communication and language development, including using home languages, songs, rhymes, repetition, translation tools and targeted language interventions. Staff's teaching is typically more effective during the child-directed play experiences where children are engaged, motivated and able to follow their own interests. Staff generally support children's thinking, communication and problem-solving appropriately through interactions and play experiences. However, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently effective across all parts of the day. At times, large-group activities and routines do not maintain the involvement of all children equally well. Staff planning during these routines is not precise enough to maximise the learning of each child, including those who face barriers to learning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders generally demonstrate an inclusive approach. They identify children who may need additional support and work appropriately with external professionals to help reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Staff use assessment information, ongoing observations and discussions with families to adapt support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and children facing other barriers to their development. Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to provide targeted support. This includes providing additional staff to support smaller group experiences and more targeted interactions. Staff adapt routines and teaching approaches to help children access the curriculum alongside their peers. Their strategies help children to build confidence, regulate their emotions and take part more successfully alongside their peers. Leaders promote attendance, follow up on absences and work with families to encourage children to access their funded entitlement regularly. They are reflective and realistic about the needs within their community and are proactive in seeking additional support for families where needed. However, leaders do not yet monitor the impact of all adaptations and support strategies precisely enough to ensure approaches are as effective as possible for all children. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are reflective and generally demonstrate an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They have recently introduced changes to routines and the organisation of the day, including increasing opportunities for outdoor learning. Leaders are open to feedback and identify areas for improvement realistically. However, monitoring and evaluation are not yet precise enough to consistently identify the impact changes to routines and teaching have on children's experiences and learning. Leaders generally support staff wellbeing and workload appropriately. Staff describe working as part of a supportive team and value the guidance and supervision they receive. Leaders provide staff with regular training, inductions and ongoing professional development opportunities to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Leaders work appropriately with external agencies and other professionals to support children and their families. Leaders generally work positively with parents and the wider community. They use handovers, social media, displays and individual communication systems to share information with families. However, partnership working to support children's learning at home is not yet fully consistent for all parents. This reduces the continuity in some children's learning and development between home and 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 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 experience a caring and inclusive environment where staff know them well and support them to feel secure and valued. Children who initially find separation from parents difficult are typically soothed well by staff who understand their individual needs and interests. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and children attending part time are included thoughtfully in daily experiences. Children benefit from additional support, including high adult-to-child ratios and staff who work closely with other professionals to help them build confidence, Inspector: Anne Dyoss develop communication and take part alongside their peers. As a result, children generally make progress from their starting points and are prepared for their next steps. Children enjoy learning, particularly outdoors where they are motivated, active and deeply engaged in play. They explore a broad range of experiences, including water play, role play, climbing equipment and sensory resources. Children initiate their own play. They pretend to cook and serve food to others, explore bugs hidden in sand and work out solutions during play rather than relying on adults to lead. Children generally behave well and understand expectations. They respond well to staff's calm and consistent approaches that help them learn routines and manage their behaviour. Children's care needs are generally supported well. Children learn routines, such as washing their hands before meals, tidying away resources and sitting together socially at snack and lunch times. Children are encouraged to be involved in their own care routines, such as gathering their belongings during nappy changing and engaging positively with staff, who help these routines feel calm and reassuring. As a result of the positive relationships children build with staff, children arrive happy and ready to learn. This helps them settle quickly into the routines of the day and engage confidently in the experiences available to them. Next steps Leaders should strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of changes to practice so they identify the impact on children's learning and experiences and recognise where further adjustments are needed to improve the effectiveness of practice. Leaders should support staff to ensure teaching and interactions are consistently high quality across all parts of the day to maximise children's learning and development. Leaders should strengthen partnerships with parents to share more consistent guidance about children's learning and ways to support learning at home. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, children, parents and grandparents 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. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY443299 Address: Aqueduct Community Centre Majestic Way TELFORD Shropshire TF4 3RB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 09/02/2012 Registered person: Binks, Pauline Winifred Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Telford & Wrekin 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 2 to 11 Total number of places 50 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. 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