Source · Care Inspectorate

Headstart Nursery School at Leith

Provider Headstart Nursery Schools Ltd Type Day Care of Children Location Edinburgh Last graded 29 Jun 2026

Recorded Key Question grade range: 4 — Good  View on Care Inspectorate

Key Question scores

Six-point scale
Support and wellbeing
Care and support planning
4
Setting
4
Staff team
Leadership
4
Care, play and learning
4

Enforcement

4 actions

Formal enforcement action under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

S62 (Improvement notice) 5 June 2019
Case 2018370733

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S62 (Improvement notice) 7 May 2019
Case 2018370733

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S62 (Improvement notice) 12 March 2019
Case 2018370733

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S62 (Improvement notice) 17 October 2018
Case 2018370733

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Requirements & recommendations

0 requirements · 3 recommendations

Verbatim text from the Care Inspectorate datastore. Requirements cite a specific regulation and deadline; recommendations are good-practice guidance against the Health and Social Care Standards.

Visit: 22 September 2025
Recommendation 1

1. To ensure that all children have positive mealtime experiences and a balanced diet in line with current best practice guidance, the service should consider: how long children spend waiting for food to be served the balance of nutrition across the day choice of healthy snacks how food is presented to make it enticing. The monitoring of serving temperatures, to ensure that these are safe. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state: 'I can choose suitably presented and healthy meals and snacks, including fresh fruit and vegetables, and participate in menu planning' (HSCS 1.33).

Recommendation 2

1. To ensure that children have consistently high-quality experiences in the nursery the service should review the effectiveness of staff deployment. This should include, but is not limited to: considering how personal care, sleep and mealtimes can be provided more responsively attachment is considered as part of deployment decisions and practice. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that as a child: 'I am supported and cared for sensitively by people who anticipate issues and are aware of and plan for any known vulnerability or frailty' (HSCS 3.18) and 'People have time to support and care for me and speak with me' (HSCS 3.16).

Recommendation 3 Not met

1. To ensure children have a consistently safe place to play, the service should review the security of the low fencing around the pre-school garden. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'My environment is secure and safe' (HSCS 5.19).

Conditions of registration

As published by the Care Inspectorate

1. To provide a care service to a maximum of 70 children aged between three months - entry into primary
school, of whom no more than 30 children shall be under two years of age and of whom no more than 40
children shall be between the age of two - five years.

2. The care service will operate between the times of 8:00am and 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.

3. Staffing ratios as stated in the National Care Standards - Early Education and Childcare up to the age of
16 (Appendix A). A minimum of two adults must be present at all times in each room of the premises
above.

4. Space standards as stated in the National Care Standards - Early Education and Childcare up to the age
of 16 (Appendix A) must be maintained at all times.

Registry facts

Service no: CS2007167787
Provider no: SP2008009639
Ownership: Private
Registered places: 70
Registered: 29 February 2008
Council area: City of Edinburgh
Health board: Lothian
Integration authority: Edinburgh
Risk band: MEDIUM