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Barracudas Achieves Strong Standard Across Summer 2026 Ofsted Inspections
This summer, we were delighted to welcome Ofsted inspectors to four of our camps: Bushey, Croydon, Hemel Hempstead and Orpington. Following the inspections, we're incredibly proud to share that all four camps achieved positive outcomes, with Bushey, Orpington and Hemel Hempstead achieving the new Strong Standard judgement, while Croydon achieved Expected Standard, and all camps met safeguarding standards.
These inspections provide independent recognition of the high-quality care, exciting experiences and strong support that children receive at Barracudas camps every school holiday.
A New Ofsted Framework for Holiday Camps
Summer 2026 marked the introduction of Ofsted's new inspection framework for holiday camps and childcare providers.
Previously, providers received a simple judgement of "Met" or "Not Met" for safeguarding. The new framework goes much further, assessing the quality of provision across multiple areas and introducing five new outcomes:
Exceptional – Practice is of the highest standard nationally and other settings can learn from it.
Strong Standard – Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.
Expected Standard – The setting is meeting the standards expected of it.
Needs Attention
Urgent Improvement
The introduction of this framework creates a much more detailed and meaningful picture of the quality of children's experiences, wellbeing, leadership and safeguarding.
Achieving Strong Standards
We are incredibly proud that our camps at Orpington, Bushey and Hemel Hempstead all achieved Strong Standard under this new and more defined inspection framework. This means inspectors found that leaders were operating above the standard expected of them.
What makes this achievement particularly special is that this is the first year of the new grading system. Inspectors recognised not only the quality of the experiences we provide, but also the strength of our leadership, staff training, safeguarding culture and commitment to continuous improvement.
What Ofsted Praised Across Barracudas Camps
Although each inspection is unique, several consistent themes emerged across all four reports.
Children Feel Safe, Happy and Valued
One of the strongest messages throughout the inspections was how safe, secure and welcomed children feel at camp.
At Bushey, inspectors found:
"Children enjoy a warm, calm and highly organised environment, where they feel safe and ready to join in."
At Orpington, inspectors reported:
"Children arrive happily and are warmly welcomed by practitioners, who know them well."
At Croydon, inspectors noted:
"Children receive a warm welcome from staff, when they arrive at the camp. They make strong bonds with staff, who understand their needs."
These findings reflect something we strive for at every Barracudas camp: creating an environment where every child feels they belong from the moment they arrive.
Strong Leadership and Well-Trained Staff
Inspectors repeatedly highlighted the quality of leadership and the investment made in staff training and development.
At Orpington, inspectors recognised that:
"Leaders responsible for governance provide ambitious and highly effective leadership that places children's experiences, safety and wellbeing at the heart of every decision."
Bushey inspectors judged that:
"Leaders' actions have a strong impact. They transform the school into a camp quickly and create a safe, inclusive and well-organised environment."
Inspectors noticed leaders at Hemel Hempstead camp:
"demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous improvement and use the organisation's values, particularly 'innovation', to evaluate and develop provision."
These findings reflect the extensive recruitment, safeguarding, induction and training processes that help ensure children receive outstanding care every day.
Exciting Activities and New Experiences
Ofsted inspectors also highlighted the wide range of opportunities available to children.
At Hemel Hempstead:
"Children enjoy a wide range of varied and stimulating experiences at the camp.They access high-quality facilities and take part in a wide range of activities..."
At Orpington:
"They enthusiastically take part in activities they may not usually experience, such as archery, go-karting, arts and crafts and the aqua slide."
At Bushey:
"Children enjoy a wide range of activities that build their confidence and independence."
At Croydon:
"Children join in a wide range of interesting activities that help them build on their physical abilities."
This variety is central to the Barracudas experience, helping children discover new interests, develop new skills and enjoy active, engaging school holidays.Children's Wellbeing Comes First
Children's Wellbeing Comes First
Across all inspections, inspectors praised the way staff support children's emotional wellbeing, confidence and independence.
At Hemel Hempstead, Ofsted noted:
"Leaders and staff place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their work."
At Bushey, inspectors found:
"Children thrive because relationships are warm and secure."
At Orpington, inspectors recognised that children develop:
"Confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging."
At Croydon, they commented:
"They work effectively with parents to support children's wellbeing. Parents talk highly about children's experiences at the setting."
These comments reinforce our belief that school holiday camps should provide much more than childcare. They should be places where children build confidence, develop friendships and create lasting memories.
Creating a Welcoming Environment
A key theme throughout the inspections was the positive impact of our approach.
At Orpington, inspectors recognised:
"Leaders establish a highly inclusive culture, where all children are welcomed, valued and supported to participate fully in camp life."
At Bushey, inspectors praised how:
"Leaders remove barriers quickly and effectively so that all children can enjoy the camp."
Hemel Hempstead inspectors highlighted:
"Leaders promote a highly inclusive culture at the camp."
The reports recognised our detailed pre-camp information gathering, close communication with families and commitment to ensuring every child can access the opportunities available at camp.Why We Are Particularly Proud of These Results
Why We Are So Proud of These Results
One interesting aspect of the new framework is that the highest judgement, Exceptional, requires practice that is considered among the very best nationally and that can be learned from across the wider sector.
What is especially encouraging is that the recommendations provided following our Strong Standard inspections focused largely on extending the impact of already highly effective practice. For example, Bushey's next step was to share its strongest leadership, inclusion and staff development approaches more widely to contribute to sector-wide improvement.
For us, this reinforces just how much positive practice inspectors observed across our camps.
Thank You to Our Amazing Teams
These results are a testament to the dedication, professionalism and passion of our camp teams, Area Managers, support staff and head office colleagues.
We would also like to thank our parents and host schools for their continued trust and partnership.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we remain committed to delivering safe, inclusive, exciting and high-quality holiday camps where every child can thrive.
After an incredible summer, we're delighted that Ofsted has recognised the positive experiences being created across Barracudas camps and we look forward to building on these achievements in the future.
Ofsted FAQ's:
Q: What does Strong Standard mean in an Ofsted inspection?
A; Strong Standard means leaders are working above the standard expected of them and children receive high-quality care and experiences.
Q: Are Barracudas camps Ofsted registered?
A: Yes. Barracudas camps are Ofsted registered and inspected against childcare and safeguarding standards.
Q: How are holiday camps inspected by Ofsted?
A: Ofsted assesses behaviour and routines, children's welfare and wellbeing, inclusion, leadership and governance, alongside safeguarding standards.
Q: What did Ofsted praise about Barracudas camps?
A: Inspectors praised children's wellbeing, inclusive practice, strong leadership, staff training, safeguarding and the wide range of activities available.
We hope we can welcome your child to one of our Ofsted-registered holiday camps soon!
