Little Teapots Pre School

Inspection of Little Teapots Pre School Erskine Centre, Chevington Road, Chedburgh, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 4UL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this inclusive, welcoming and community-focused pre-school. Highly dedicated leaders, together with the enthusiastic staff, implement an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum that meets the needs of every child. Staff know the children extremely well and adapt their interactions and routines to ensure that children feel safe and secure. They deliver engaging experiences with care, warmth and respect. Children delight as they sit with staff to share books. They eagerly match the toys to the animals in the story, naming each one and thinking about the noises they make. Staff praise children's achievements, which raises their confidence and further fuels their love of learning. Children show high levels of motivation to learn as a direct result of the staff, curriculum and environment. Subsequently, they make the best possible progress in their development.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff act as excellent role models. They provide exceptional support for children's personal, social and emotional development. With guidance, children are able to identify a range of emotions and discuss strategies to regulate their responses effectively. They explain how they can use the dinosaur's feet to stomp on when they are feeling cross. Staff remind them of this strategy, when needed, during the day. Children mirror staff's respectful, caring behaviour in daily interactions. They laugh and giggle as they take it in turns to throw a ball back and forth to each other before inviting more friends to join their game. Experiences such as these develop children's emotional resilience, social skills and confidence. In turn, this supports their well-being and readiness to learn.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are inspirational, ambitious and highly reflective. Children sit at the heart of every decision, and their individual needs are carefully considered and meticulously planned for. Leaders foster a positive culture and prioritise staff's well-being and professional development. Staff feel supported and motivated, and they deliver excellent care and education. Leaders' passion for giving every child the best start is shared by all staff, who show dedication and commitment. n Support for children's communication and language is exemplary. Staff immerse children in a language-rich environment. They consistently narrate younger children's play and engage older children with thoughtful, open-ended questions. They make skilful use of books to enrich vocabulary and promote discussion, encouraging children to predict and explore story outcomes. Children recall repeated phrases from well-known texts. Staff discuss the meaning of new

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need to do better?

words, such as 'trembling', to further develop their growing understanding of vocabulary. n Staff know children and their families very well. They gather detailed information

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need to do better?

18 September 2025 from parents when children start, such as developmental overviews and their likes and dislikes. Through careful observations and assessments, staff quickly identify any gaps in learning and provide targeted support to maximise children's progress. For example, children take part in one-to-one and small-group sessions where staff focus their teaching on children's individual next steps. n Staff provide experiences that promote children's sense of identity and celebrate their diverse backgrounds and cultures. During morning group times, children learn to count and say 'hello' in different languages. Staff use sign language to support children's communication, ensuring that every child has an opportunity to express their needs effectively. Children learn from a range of visitors, including the police, dentists and residents from the local care home. Experiences such as these develop children's understanding of diversity,

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need to do better?

strengthen their sense of belonging and build on their understanding of the world around them. n Staff plan an environment that promotes children's early literacy skills. Books are integrated in every area of the provision, and children sit and look at books independently. Children use a range of resources, such as paint brushes, chalk and old typewriters, to make marks in different ways. These experiences help children to develop their fine motor skills in preparation for writing and help them to understand that marks carry meaning. During 'physical phonics' sessions, children link actions to newly learned letters and begin to practise how to move their mouth to make different sounds. After the session, older children set their own challenge of writing the letters on paper. Activities such as these help prepare children well for the next steps in their learning journey. n Leaders demonstrate an exemplary approach to working in partnership with

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need to do better?

parents. Coffee mornings as well as arts and craft sessions enable parents to be part of their children's learning journey in the pre-school. Families report that they feel welcomed, supported and well informed about their child's progress. Staff regularly share children's assessments and keep parents up to date with their children's development, enabling them to continue learning at home. Parents state that the pre-school has given their children the 'perfect start to school life'.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number 251562 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10399856 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Little Teapots Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01284 852 005 Date of previous inspection 17 December 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Teapots Pre School registered in 1998. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school operates from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, during term time only. The pre-school provides government-funded places for children between the ages of two and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery 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 observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this is having on the children's learning. n The inspector and the manager conducted a joint observation of an activity. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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Inspection activities

18 September 2025 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

18 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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