Little Saints Nursery

Inspection of Little Saints Nursery School House, Hillfoot Road, Totley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S17 4AP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children settle quickly and establish positive relationships with adults at this warm, welcoming and caring setting. Children are happy and confident and say they like coming to nursery to play with their friends. Routines throughout nursery help children to feel safe and secure and know what to expect next. Children proudly show how they safely use the balance bicycles when playing outdoors and take turns with their friends.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and display high levels of independence. For example, they collect their own coats from the cloakroom, put them on before going outside and hang them back up when they return inside. They are encouraged to use the toilet independently and follow good hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before snack. Children confidently pour their own milk from a jug and drink from open-top cups at snack time.

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The provision is good

Children show positive attitudes towards their learning through high levels of concentration and enjoyment in their play. There is an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in place that supports children with their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All children are progressing well.

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need to do better?

n Children's communication and language development is promoted well. Children enjoy listening to stories as a group. Many activities are adapted to reflect the setting's 'Book of the Month'. Children are also provided with lots of opportunities to choose and look at books independently, with friends or with an adult. This promotes a love of reading. Children enjoy singing familiar nursery rhymes as well as learning new songs. n Children benefit from activities that reflect their current interests. Staff have a good understanding of what children are capable of and what they need to learn next. For example, staff monitor the type of grip children use to a hold a pencil. Once children can securely make marks, they are encouraged to use the next stage of grip to prepare them for writing. n Children are provided with lots of opportunities to prepare them for life in modern Britain. They learn about lots of festivals from different religions and

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need to do better?

cultures. Staff, children and parents are invited to share their own experiences and traditions, such as dress and foods. n Older children are provided with additional support each day aimed at developing their literacy skills in readiness for school. Through this, children are helped to develop an accurate understanding of sounds that letters represent. Children also start to learn how to form letters. They do so with accuracy as they

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need to do better?

17 April 2025 write them on a board. However, sometimes, as children follow staff drawing out letters in the air with a finger, children do not learn to form letters correctly. This leads to confusion. n Staff extend children's vocabulary while following their interests, such as discussing 'suspension bridges' and 'reversing' while playing with trains. However, opportunities to introduce children to mathematical language, such as longer, shorter, bigger, smaller, heavier and lighter, are overlooked. This hampers children's understanding of mathematical language and concepts. n Children are taught the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are provided with healthy snacks, a healthy packed lunch policy is in place and children enjoy physical activity, both in the nursery garden and at forest school. n Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery. They support staff in their roles, undertake regular supervisions and take staff well-being into account.

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need to do better?

Appropriate polices and procedures are in place. However, not all staff have a good understanding of these. This undermines their effectiveness. n Partnerships with parents are good. The nursery ensures they are kept well informed about their children's development, such as through termly reports and regular discussions with their child's key person. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the staff team. They feel well supported and report that the settling-in process is very helpful and well tailored to their children's individual needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n ensure that children who learn how to form letters are provided with consistent, clear and accurate guidance on how to do this n provide children with more opportunities to develop their understanding of mathematical language and concepts n ensure all staff have a good understanding of policies and procedures that are in place.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 300901 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 10392865 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Little Saints Nursery Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 0114 2352148 Date of previous inspection 24 September 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Saints Nursery registered in 2001. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above and one holds a level 2 qualification. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 7.45am until 5.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector and manager carried out joint observations of group activities. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

17 April 2025 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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