Inspectors praise Hartlepool's Bloom Childcare despite welfare concern

Ofsted has said that Bloom Childcare, in Hartlepool, has shown "highly effective" support for children with additional needs.

In their latest report, inspectors highlighted the "strong standard" of inclusion.

The report noted that staff are highly skilled in identifying and meeting children’s needs, particularly for those with SEND or other barriers to learning.

The support has been described as "meticulously planned and highly effective."

Bloom Childcare operates from Ward Jackson Primary School in Clark Street, Hartlepool.

Parents said the support they receive has "positively transformed their experiences as parents."

However, the report also identified key areas for improvement, stating that leadership and children’s wellbeing "needs attention."

Inspectors found that procedures to promote children’s welfare were not always consistently implemented, particularly around mealtime supervision and food preparation.

The report said: "There are times when procedures to promote children's welfare are not consistently upheld.

"For example, while staff supervise children when eating and when preparing and serving food."

Concerns were also raised about risk assessments not being reliably applied in practice, especially during staff absences.

Despite these concerns, many aspects of their work were praised.

Children were found to make steady progress, showing increased use of speech, physical skills, and growing confidence in social and learning situations.

Inspectors described the nursery as having a "positive and nurturing atmosphere".

Children have demonstrated independence, good behaviour, and a willingness to explore and learn.

They added that the curriculum was well-structured to be inclusive, offering clear, achievable steps for all children and supporting those who progress more slowly to develop at their own pace.

Parents were especially positive about the nursery's impact.

The report said: "Those whose children face barriers to their learning speak of how swiftly leaders and staff have helped them to get the support they need to help their children to thrive."

Leadership was also commended for its commitment to staff development and improving outcomes for children.

The report said: "They take decisive action to support children who need additional help, including increasing staff-to-child ratios, securing specialist involvement and offering extra attendance hours to support their progress."

The report recommends that the next steps include ensuring that all staff understand how to identify, manage and reduce risks, particularly during mealtimes.