Little Lambs Pre School

Inspection of Little Lambs Pre School Belgrave Rugby Club, Thurcaston Road, Leicester LE4 2QG

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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

When children arrive, the caring staff give them a unique and warm welcome. Staff develop strong bonds with children. Children show that they feel safe and secure as they quickly settle and engage in the exciting activities on offer. Staff know children well and create a friendly environment, where children happily learn and play. Children play independently and with their friends with staff joining in to help embed their learning. Staff promote interesting discussions among children. For example, they initiate conversations about healthy food choices at snack time. Children develop confidence in speaking and use language to describe what they are doing and ask questions as they play.

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The provision is good

Staff place emphasis on children doing as much for themselves as possible. Children are supported to spread butter on their crackers and pour themselves a drink from a small jug. Older children are taught to hold the banister as they safely walk down the stairs. This supports children's growing independence. Overall, children behave well and respond to staff's instructions. Staff are kind and warm in their approach. They provide children with plenty of praise for their achievements, which builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan around children's emerging interests and have a clear understanding of what they can do and what they need to do next. Staff create an indoor environment that gives children access to a broad range of play and learning opportunities that motivates them to learn. However, planning for outdoor learning is not as embedded. As a result, some children are not as motivated to explore or engage in outdoor learning opportunities aimed at supporting their development. n Children generally behave well and build positive relationships with their peers. Older children share jigsaw puzzles together and talk to each other about what they can see. However, on occasion, when children display unwanted behaviour, staff do not consistently support them to understand the possible consequences. For example, when children get frustrated and hit out or throw toys, staff say, 'kind hands' but they do not always talk to children about the impact their

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need to do better?

actions may have on others. n Staff plan a variety of activities for children to develop their hand muscle strength. These activities help children practise the skills needed for early writing. Children work with staff, engrossed in stretching and squeezing dough. Children concentrate as staff teach them to thread pasta onto string to further develop their fine motor skills. n Communication and language is a focus at the pre-school. Staff spend a lot of time talking with children about their play and adding vocabulary to extend

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need to do better?

11 September 2025 children's language. Staff also lead targeted small-group sessions to help close gaps in children's development. n Staff swiftly identify when children need further support for their learning or development. They work in close partnership with parents and other professionals. This helps staff to develop strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff and leaders regularly review the plans in place for supporting children to achieve their targets. This ensures that children with SEND continue to make good progress. n Leaders are reflective of practice, and the provision is receptive to advice and ideas. Staff training is targeted to enhance the quality of practice and education and to make sure that staff have the appropriate skills to support children with SEND. Staff feel valued in their roles, and children benefit from the continuous

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need to do better?

drive to raise standards. n Overall, partnerships with parents are strong. Staff share information with parents daily, through an online app and verbally during drop off and pick up times. Staff carefully monitor children's progress and share observations with parents through the app. Some parents find this method of communication useful to keep up to date with their child's learning and development. However, staff do not take steps to check that the information they share has been understood, for example, by parents who speak English as an additional language. This does not fully support continuity between home and pre-school for all children.

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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 support staff to plan more effectively for activities outdoors to better support children's engagement and development n strengthen staff's understanding of how to support behaviour more effectively so children are able to learn how their behaviour impacts others n enhance communication with parents so that information about children's progress is shared effectively with each family.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY550930 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 10407425 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Marraffa, Lisa Ann

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reference number

Telephone number 07932901919 Date of previous inspection 8 January 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Little Lambs Pre School, located in Leicester, registered in 2017. The pre-school employs four members of staff. One member of staff has early years professional status and three members of staff have level 3 childcare qualifications. The pre- school opens during term time. Sessions are from 12 midday until 3pm on Monday, 9am until 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 9am until 12 midday on Friday. The pre-school provides the government funded places for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The management team and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the management team about the leadership and management of the setting. 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. 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

11 September 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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