Ofsted report card

Rainbows Playgroup Ltd

Eckington, SHEFFIELD · S21 4BG

Inspected by Ofsted on 22 May 2026 under the report card framework.

Curriculum and teaching Needs Attention
Achievement Needs Attention
Behaviour and routines Needs Attention
Welfare and wellbeing Needs Attention
Inclusion Needs Attention
Leadership and governance Urgent Improvement

What each grade means

Each area is judged separately. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear — meeting it is the pass, not a mediocre result.

Curriculum and teaching

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Achievement

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Behaviour and routines

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Welfare and wellbeing

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Inclusion

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Leadership and governance

Urgent Improvement

Falls well below the expected standard, or puts children at risk. Requires immediate action.

Registration

Ofsted URN
EY547383
Provider type
Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Sessional day care
Ages
2 to 4
Registered places
18
Registered since
9 May 2017
Local authority
Derbyshire

On the Early Years Register and the Compulsory Childcare Register and the Voluntary Childcare Register.

Where it is

Eckington, SHEFFIELD · S21 4BG. Location from the Ofsted register.

Inspection history

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall rating rather than grading each area.

  1. 27 December 2023 concern_actions_taken compliant
  2. 17 May 2021 inspection Good
  3. 13 November 2019 inspection Inadequate

Common questions

When was Rainbows Playgroup Ltd last inspected by Ofsted? +

Rainbows Playgroup Ltd in Eckington, SHEFFIELD was last inspected on 22 May 2026. That inspection used Ofsted's report card framework, which replaced single-word overall ratings for early years settings in November 2025.

What did Ofsted say about Rainbows Playgroup Ltd? +

Ofsted graded 6 areas: curriculum and teaching — Needs Attention; achievement — Needs Attention; behaviour and routines — Needs Attention; welfare and wellbeing — Needs Attention; inclusion — Needs Attention; leadership and governance — Urgent Improvement. Each area is judged separately, so a setting can be stronger in one than another.

Is "expected standard" a good grade? +

Yes. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear, so meeting it is the pass rather than a mediocre result. Strong standard and exceptional sit above it; needs attention and urgent improvement sit below.

What ages does Rainbows Playgroup Ltd take? +

Rainbows Playgroup Ltd is registered for children aged 2 to 4.

How many children can Rainbows Playgroup Ltd take? +

Rainbows Playgroup Ltd is registered for up to 18 children at any one time. That is a registration limit, not the number currently attending.

How long has Rainbows Playgroup Ltd been registered? +

Rainbows Playgroup Ltd has been registered with Ofsted since 9 May 2017. Its unique reference number (URN) is EY547383.

Nearby settings

Inspection and registration information is published by Ofsted and reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Little Bees is not affiliated with Ofsted. The grade descriptions are our plain-English summaries of where each grade sits against the standard, not Ofsted's own criteria.

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