Bubbly Gems Ltd
Bubbly Gems Ltd is a day nursery in Sunderland for children aged 1 to 8, with 26 registered places. Ofsted report card, 13 May 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.
Bubbly Gems Ltd, 15 Hylton Road, Sunderland, SR4 7AF
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 1 to 8 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 26 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 19 January 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday : 07:00 - 19:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 13 May 2026
Who runs it
Bubbly Gems Ltd is run by Bubbly Gems ltd (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 13 May 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children's safety and welfare are adequately assured at this nursery. They settle happily, and the nurturing staff make sure their care needs are met in a warm, calm atmosphere. Children are typically confident, independent and eager to participate in a wide variety of activities. Staff gently help children to develop a good understanding of the behaviour and routines expected in the nursery. For instance, they give children warning that their playtime is going to end, so they are ready to tidy up or organise what is needed next for their regular walks in the local community. Generally, older children enjoy being helpful, such as when they are asked to help others with their yellow safety tabards so that they are visible on their walk. Children proudly help staff tidy up and collect books from their friends after story time. This helps children to feel like valued members of the nursery and supports their self-esteem.
Overall, the much-improved learning environment and curriculum gives children and babies positive learning experiences to help them develop. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning and or/or wellbeing, typically make the progress they are capable of. Leaders recognise that partnerships with their families and carers are a strength of the nursery. They proactively monitor and encourage children's attendance at the nursery. Leaders treat each child as unique, and a key focus is to ensure that parents know what they need to do to continue supporting their child's learning at home. This ensures that families feel confident in the care and learning provided.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Expected standard
Leaders can identify children who may face barriers to learning effectively. They put individual support plans in place to support children's learning and wellbeing. For example, for those children who speak English as an additional language, they plan targeted small-group communication and language activities alongside individual next steps to help them make steady progress from their starting points. Leaders work closely with parents and carers right from the start to put effective support in place. This helps leaders to understand children's backgrounds and experiences. They regularly share ideas with parents to continue children's learning at home.
Leaders and staff now discuss children's progress and the barriers they face together. This helps them plan and adapt the day's activities and routines to ensure that all children have their learning and emotional needs met. Leaders are effective at using children's interests and fascinations to support children's learning, in particular communication, language and physical development. Consequently, children maintain their concentration and enjoyment for long periods. For example, while exploring the water tray, they are introduced to new vocabulary alongside early mathematical concepts such as volume and capacity. Leaders do not consistently work with other carers involved in children's care, in particular for children new to the setting with barriers to learning. Promptly sharing information with other professionals and settings involved in children's prior learning ensures that children's wellbeing and learning and development are fully supported as early as possible.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Since the last inspection, leaders have designed a curriculum with a clear intent for what they want children to learn. Staff engage with children adequately as they play and are mentored to improve their teaching skills. This ensures that all children are given sufficient challenge from staff to extend their learning. Staff plan appropriate activities for children to use numbers and counting to support their growing mathematical development. This includes lively number rhymes and songs with actions, and counting and comparing during social mealtimes. Staff communicate effectively with children who need targeted support for their speech and social development. For instance, they make use of resources recommended by other professionals to help build on their communication skills, such as picture prompts. Since the last inspection, leaders are fully aware of the progress of groups of children to provide more specific support to help children who speak English as an additional language to make consistent progress.
Staff have a suitable understanding of how children learn and provide support to promote their development. For example, staff know that some children arrive full of energy, so they organise a group outdoor activity, such as a daily walk, for children to be physically active. Children are very familiar with this routine and make decisions about what resources they wish they take with them, such as a ball. These daily walks are typically packed full of children's conversations, ideas and challenges, such as who can make the loudest and quietest echo and name the birds they can hear. Staff typically support children to develop their imagination, for example, through effective questioning by staff. However, occasionally, some resources, especially for younger children, are too large to help them extend their ideas. For example, children communicating their ideas while printing with plastic animals were hindered because they could not easily manipulate the large animals in paint.
Achievement: Expected standard
Generally, all children develop suitable skills for their next stage in learning and their eventual move to school. For example, children access mark making and write some numbers and letters as they draw and talk about their parents at work. Children who are disadvantaged or have other barriers to learning develop their sensory interests for extended periods and actively take part in both group times and smaller planned sessions alongside their peers.
Overall, children make suitable progress. This is supported by typically effective interactions from staff, who provide suitable experiences for all children and support their learning across all areas of the curriculum. For example, while children pour water into different containers, staff introduce measure and quantity into their play as children learn to share and take turns to use the equipment. Children typically become increasingly independent. They make discoveries and show curiosity as they play. For instance, they have fun making their words come back as an echo on their daily walk.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Leaders typically place a high priority on helping children to learn to accept and manage their feelings and respect how others around them may feel. This includes those children who have additional needs and barriers to their learning. Staff are caring role models for children and remind them of the importance of good manners and behaviour to keep everyone safe and happy. Children behave well. Staff promote positive behaviours. For example, they offer praise to reward older children who help and assist younger children in activities and routines. Children are typically learning how to socialise with others ready for school. For instance, they form close friendships with other children and show respect for one another.
Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance to help children make the most of the learning opportunities and experiences provided. Generally, clear and consistent routines help develop children's sense of security and contribute to their growing independence. Leaders understand that not all children have access to a garden at home. Therefore, they offer regular experiences in the local community where children can enjoy the open space and fresh air. This is a routine children clearly look forward to, and they enjoy learning outdoors.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
All children are generally happy and settled in this welcoming nursery. Typically, the attentive staff support children's emotional needs well. Children form close bonds with the designated key person, and the staff team creates an enjoyable family atmosphere. Staff are respectful to children. They regularly use clear words and picture prompts to help remind children when they need to use the toilet or wash their hands. They ask permission from children to change their nappy. This supports children effectively who have limited language or speak English as an additional language.
Since the last inspection, leaders have worked hard to share information with children and families about healthy lifestyles. Parents provide food and drinks that are healthy and nutritious. Additionally, staff skilfully use opportunities to help children understand which foods and drinks are healthy and which are not. Children learn about good oral hygiene and how to blow their own noses. They enjoy spending time on long walks in the local community, getting fresh air and exercise while learning about nature, wildlife and different cultures. This helps support all children's health and wellbeing. Parents state that leaders and staff are approachable and share detailed information about children's wellbeing. They say the staff discuss their child's interests and their learning daily so they can support them continuously at home.
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Generally, leaders have a suitable understanding of recruitment procedures and safeguarding and welfare requirements. For instance, they consistently check staff's ongoing suitability to work with children and monitor this regularly. However, leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to persons listed with Companies House who are legally responsible for the company. It is a legal requirement to do so. This means Ofsted has not been able to carry out the required suitability checks on a new director to ensure that they are suitable to have contact with children. However, the provider removed the unchecked director and has improved her knowledge of suitability and notifications. This means children are no longer at risk, and there is no impact on children's learning and development, and safety or welfare.
Leaders ensure that they deploy staff effectively across the premises to monitor children suitably and follow required ratios consistently. They review safety procedures and risk assessments and put precautions in place to help keep children safe. Leaders have addressed all actions raised at the last inspection. With the support of the local authority, and following their own research, they now have an accurate evaluation of the setting and value the opinions from staff, parents and children. Leaders have a clear plan in place to develop and improve further. For instance, they are preparing a books and games library for families to take home so they can continue to develop the skills they need to learn for the future. Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have taken opportunities to access training online and face to face to benefit children. Staff's ongoing professional development and wellbeing is considered during regular supervision sessions with leaders.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should consistently consider children's physical development and review the size of equipment used in activities so children can use them effectively and independently.
- Leaders should consider how to improve communication with other settings children attend prior to joining to support consistency of learning.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 13 May 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.
The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.
Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.
Source: Ofsted reports
Funded childcare hours in England
All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.
Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.
The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.
Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)
Other nurseries nearby
- Sunderland Women's Centre - Pre-school, Sunderland SR1 3PZ, 0.3 miles
- Siblings Nursery Beacon Ltd - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 1SU, ages 0 to 4, 37 places, 0.6 milesOfsted, 24 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Crickets Argyle House - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7LA, 6 places, 0.6 miles
- Kids 1st Ashbrooke - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7BX, ages 0 to 4, 108 places, 0.7 milesOfsted, 27 October 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Your Co-Op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Tavistock House - Day nursery, Sunderland SR1 1PG, 132 places, 0.7 miles
Schools nearby
- University of Sunderland, 0.2 miles
- St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy - Secondary, 0.5 miles
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland - Primary, 0.5 miles
- Diamond Hall Junior Academy - Primary, 0.6 miles
- Endeavour SR - Special, 0.6 miles