Nanny Bears
Nanny Bears is a day nursery in Exeter for children aged 1 to 3, with 40 registered places. Ofsted report card, 8 May 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met.
The Old Stables, 85 Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5ED
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 1 to 3 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 40 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 5 December 2023 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 18:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 8 May 2026
Who runs it
Nanny Bears is run by Nanny Bears Childcare Limited (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 8 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 experience a warm nurturing environment where their personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. They feel a strong sense of belonging because practitioners know them well and understand their interests, ideas, likes and dislikes. Children are greeted with smiles and reassurance at the door, helping them to feel safe and ready for the day. Parents are listened to carefully, which supports children's smooth transitions into play.
Throughout the day, children are absorbed in purposeful play, rich in conversations and well-paced routines. They show concentration during activities and delight in singing nursery rhymes and exploring books with props. Children revisit learning to deepen their understanding and apply what they know. They count, compare and solve problems through activities linked to their interests or previous experiences. For example, after finding a caterpillar outdoors, children later explored a tray of counting and comparing resources inspired by 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to engage and make progress from their starting points.
Children typically play kindly alongside their peers, taking turns and helping one another. Toddlers serve themselves lunch before passing bowls along, building independence and confidence. Encouragement and praise help children feel proud of their achievements and develop positive attitudes to learning and high levels of self-esteem.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Strong standard
Leaders create a fully inclusive, responsive culture where children's individual needs are identified accurately and promptly. Staff offer personalised settling-in sessions, which are adapted for each child. For example, staff offer shorter sessions for children who need reassurance or provide sensory resources for those who benefit from a calm space.
Leaders follow a clear, step-by-step process to identify and support children's needs. They use a range of assessment tools to monitor progress highly successfully and identify next steps regularly. Leaders quickly identify the support children need to access the curriculum. They work closely with parents and other professionals to understand children's strengths and next steps. Staff adapt activities, use visual resources and give extra time for children to process information and respond. Leaders regularly monitor children's progress and review the support provided. As a result, children make positive progress, become more independent and are fully included in all aspects of the setting.
Leaders and practitioners access regular and targeted training, such as recent sessions on supporting early communication and adapting provision for children with sensory needs. Practitioners observe children closely and use professional discussions to respond to their changing needs. Additional funding is used effectively, such as purchasing balancing beams to strengthen physical development. The environment includes resources such as dolls with hearing aids and glasses to promote belonging for all children.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Leaders securely understand the quality of the curriculum and identify areas where practitioners require further support to enhance provision. They are committed to ongoing training and professional development to strengthen practice. Practitioners reflect on activities to ensure that all areas of learning are planned for and taught effectively. They use children's interests to inform planning and individual next steps. Leaders and practitioners are clear about what they want children to know and be able to do. The setting's ethos promotes children's personal, social and emotional development, helping them feel secure and prepared for future learning and transitions.
Children engage in a range of purposeful activities. Babies and toddlers explore colours and early counting through hands-on play. Older toddlers develop mathematical skills through planting and cooking experiences. Practitioners support children's physical development well. Children confidently climb, walk, crawl, throw, draw and handle tools. However, some practitioners do not consistently extend activities or explain the reasons behind boundaries. During the inspection, children were occasionally told they could not do something without an explanation. This meant they did not always understand the purpose of the rule or how it linked to their learning, limiting opportunities to develop reasoning and self-regulation. Leaders recognise the need for additional support to ensure consistently high-quality teaching.
Practitioners embed number, books, songs and rhymes throughout daily routines. They use observations and assessment to support children's progress from their individual starting points.
Achievement: Expected standard
Children make secure and consistent progress across the curriculum. They develop positive personal, social and emotional skills and show pride in their achievements, sharing these confidently with their friends and families. Children learn about one another's lives, families and local community through discussions and shared photos, which strengthens their sense of belonging. They move between rooms and on to new settings with confidence because they understand routines and feel emotionally secure.
All children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care, achieve well from their starting points. They benefit from tailored support, helping them access learning alongside their peers and overcome barriers. Children form close bonds with their key person and become confident communicators who express their needs and ideas.
Children engage well in purposeful activities and develop secure physical skills as they climb, crawl, throw and draw with increasing control. However, some children do not deepen their understanding as fully as they could. At times, children are unsure why certain actions are unsafe or inappropriate, which limits their ability to reason, make informed choices and regulate their behaviour independently. This means that, while children achieve well overall, their progress in these areas is not always consistent.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Leaders and practitioners generally set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes for learning through fair, clear and consistent expectations. They typically address any minor challenging behaviour quickly and discuss it with individual children. Practitioners model positive interactions and manners and respond calmly and in a timely way. Relationships between practitioners and children are warm, nurturing, trusting and secure.
Children typically receive explicit praise to reinforce their positive behaviour and progress and are well supported when they face challenges. For example, practitioners talk children through the process of trying again. Children take turns during games, get along with each other and show care for the setting. Staff consider children's ages and stages of development when applying expectations so all children can participate effectively.
Practitioners make adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, allowing them to meet the setting's expectations. Leaders address children's attendance and understand the reason why some children arrive later due to family needs. Throughout the day, transitions are smooth, purposeful and unhurried, helping children to know what comes next and why. However, routines and expectations are not yet implemented with complete consistency across all practitioners, meaning some children occasionally need additional reminders to fully understand what is expected.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeing are consistently promoted through thoughtful, individualised practice, placing them at the heart of the setting. Excellent key-person relationships help children to feel safe, confident and ready to learn. Practitioners know children extremely well, including their emotional needs, likes and dislikes. They support children consistently well to develop their self-care skills. For example, babies wash their hands before feeding themselves, building their coordination and confidence. Toddlers wash their hands, serve food, share with others and use cutlery safely, which supports their independence and healthy lifestyles.
Practitioners promote children's understanding of oral health highly effectively through planned activities, including role play and discussions about the importance of dental care. Leaders work closely with families to reinforce healthy eating and discuss positive food choices daily. Children also make their own healthy decisions, such as choosing fruit at snack time or selecting water when they are thirsty.
Children benefit greatly from calming daily practices, including music, yoga and cosy quiet spaces called 'Hygge areas' designed for relaxation. This helps them to prepare for the day while regulating their emotions. Warm and positive relationships are evident throughout the setting for all children, including those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning. Staff work closely with families to ensure consistent routines between home and the setting, supporting children's wellbeing and enabling them to thrive.
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Leaders recognise the significant journey the setting has undertaken, including changes to leadership and governance. They are reflective and proactive with a clear commitment to ensuring that children and families receive high-quality care and education. Leaders know the setting well and take action to address identified areas for improvement, offering purposeful support for staff. Governance arrangements provide appropriate oversight, regular appraisals and ongoing support to promote continuous professional development.
Practitioners benefit from a range of professional development opportunities, including online and bespoke training tailored to the setting and the individual needs of the children. This strengthens the positive attitude to inclusive practice. Leaders model reflective practice using a structured reflection tool to identify strengths and areas for development appropriately.
Partnership working is effective. Leaders collaborate with external agencies to prioritise children's learning and wellbeing and build trusting relationships with families. They offer sensitive guidance when required and promote a positive, nurturing culture. Staff feel valued and supported through supervision, daily communication and thoughtful workload management. However, leaders are still embedding some aspects of curriculum monitoring, meaning practice is not yet implemented with complete consistency across all practitioners.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should consistently support children to understand the reasons behind boundaries and expectations to make connections, develop reasoning and build greater independence.
- Leaders should continue to provide targeted professional development and constructive feedback to help practitioners embed interaction strategies consistently to ensure that all children access equally ambitious learning experiences.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 8 May 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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
- Puffins at Manston Terrace - Day nursery, Exeter EX2 4NP, ages 0 to 7, 58 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 24 September 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Nanny Bears The Cottage - Day nursery, Exeter EX1 2QJ, ages 1 to 4, 32 places, 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 7 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Discovery Nursery - Day nursery, Exeter EX1 2ND, ages 0 to 4, 85 places, 0.2 milesOfsted, 5 December 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kip McGrath Exeter East - Pre-school, Exeter EX1 2QN, 0.2 miles
- Puffins Nursery - Day nursery, Exeter EX1 2PD, ages 1 to 4, 40 places, 0.2 milesOfsted, 27 September 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Exeter School - All-through, 0.1 miles
- Magdalen Court School - Special, 0.3 miles
- Devon Hospitals' Short Stay School - PRU, 0.3 miles
- St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy - Primary, 0.3 miles
- Ladysmith Infant & Nursery School - Primary, 0.4 miles