Marys Little Lambs Wombwell

Marys Little Lambs Wombwell

Unique reference number (URN): 2852433 Address: Murdoch house, hemingfield road, barnsley, south yorkshire, S73 0LY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/08/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Marys Little Lambs Childcare Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Across all areas of learning, children develop independence, confidence and resilience. Children respond positively to the routines and benefit from a highly focused curriculum. As a result, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, entering school with secure knowledge, skills and a positive attitude to learning. All children become highly independent. Children take on roles such as becoming the 'special helper' during mealtimes. They complete these roles proudly and highly effectively.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children confidently demonstrate their communication and language skills, and these skills are developing rapidly. Children who cannot communicate verbally confidently use alternative methods to communicate their needs. As a result, they make extremely rapid progress in their development. Babies excitedly explore song bags and song spoons. They eagerly move their bodies when they hear familiar songs and rhymes. Toddlers join in with interactive activities in small groups. For example, they excitedly anticipate 'what's inside the box' and take turns holding song scarves.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children learn and play in a busy yet calm and enabling environment. Leaders and staff ensure that the learning environment is varied and stimulating. This supports children to remain highly engaged and focused on their learning. Staff support children to know what to expect. Consequently, they follow routines well. Staff deploy themselves effectively to support children's play. As a result, children learn how to work collaboratively with others. Staff identify children who need further support to regulate their behaviour. They have suitable plans and strategies in place. For example, staff support children to take part in intensive learning time with an age-appropriate focus on positive behaviours. This support ensures that all children learn to regulate their emotions and play cooperatively alongside their peers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders continue to promote children's ongoing attendance to parents and carers. They work with parents to remove any barriers to attending. For example, leaders offer flexibility for days and hours of attendance when appropriate. As a result, children continue to attend regularly and benefit from their time in the nursery. Leaders monitor attendance regularly and have clear plans in place to address any concerns swiftly. As a result, there are high levels of attendance at the setting and positive routines around this are well established.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff consistently promote the values of the setting. They recognise the importance of consistency and the need to prioritise children's safety and welfare. They particularly focus on those children who face barriers to their learning or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff teach children to keep themselves safe. They recognise barriers to this, implementing highly effective strategies to encourage children to learn about eating safely so that they do not choke. This supports all children to build healthy habits and make safe decisions. Staff meticulously follow sleep and rest routines, which parents share with them when they first start. Staff respond instantly to support changes to children's routines, prioritising their welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The key-person system and established settling-in process help provide consistent routines and familiarity for children. They are highly effective, and children form strong bonds with staff. Children become highly familiar with daily routines. Children with SEND feel safe and secure, separating from their parents and carers as they arrive and finding toys that help them to regulate their feelings independently. Staff provide lots of opportunities for physical play both inside and outside. They recognise when children need to let off steam and talk to children about making healthy choices throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious, creative and highly responsive to children's individual needs. They promote 5 golden threads into the broad, balanced and sequenced curriculum. Staff quickly identify any gaps in learning, using accurate assessment to adapt teaching to individual needs. Where needed, leaders seek support from external agencies to provide specialist input, reducing barriers to learning. Staff make reasonable adjustments so all children can participate fully, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Communication and language are prioritised through language-rich interactions. Staff model ambitious vocabulary and give children time to practise and embed new words. For example, older children use the word 'extinct' in context. Children who speak English as an additional language receive tailored support. Staff learn key words and phrases in children's home languages so that children feel valued and confident while strengthening their ability to communicate effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematics is expertly woven into activities throughout the day. Staff take every opportunity to incorporate mathematical language during routines and activities. As a result, children are confident to count, sequence numbers and recognise quantities. Children clearly enjoy their learning and all children, including disadvantaged children and those with SEND, make accelerated progress from their starting points in readiness for the next stage of their learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff swiftly identify when children need further support to meet their individual needs. They work very closely with parents and carers from the onset. They gather detailed information before children start with them. This helps them to make swift referrals to other external health and educational professionals. Staff work with these other professionals to receive targeted training and advice. This helps them to provide high levels of support for the children in their care. Leaders and staff use assessment tools to monitor the progress of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This supports them to plan appropriately for their ongoing learning and diverse needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that children who face barriers to their learning or who are known to, or previously known to, children's social care are well supported. They welcome other agencies into the nursery to work in partnership with children and families. These children develop close bonds with their key person. Staff know these children well and plan appropriately for their ongoing learning. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to provide experiences that expand children's learning opportunities. For example, they purchase sensory resources and physical play resources to enhance experiences that children may not have access to at home. They provide opportunities for children to extend their daily hours to ensure they access and enjoy a freshly cooked, nutritious meal prepared by the cooks every day.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders work collaboratively as a team and have high expectations for all children and families. They work tirelessly to ensure that they all receive the highest quality of care, learning, support and interventions they require. Leaders swiftly and consistently identify areas for further and future development. For example, in the short time they have been open, they have developed very clear and targeted plans to ensure the continuous enhancement of staff's expertise. For example, they have developed detailed individualised learning plans for all staff to ensure that they consistently develop their skills and expertise to ensure that all children receive tailored and targeted support. Detailed training plans for all staff have been developed to support this, alongside ongoing coaching and mentoring of all staff and leaders.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff report high levels of wellbeing. They are motivated to work towards achieving higher level childcare qualifications. This promotes the ongoing development of the nursery. Parents and carers speak very highly of the nursery. They appreciate the support given to them on a personal level, and for their children's learning. Leaders continue to ensure that there are no barriers to children's learning and development and that all families are included in the nursery.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children thrive in this highly inclusive and inviting atmosphere that staff and leaders work tirelessly to create. Children show a strong sense of belonging. They very quickly form warm, trusting relationships with staff and play kindly with their peers. They show care and respect for one another. Children arrive full of energy and settle quickly because the routines are familiar and reassuring. All children quickly become deeply engaged in the learning opportunities on offer. This contributes towards their high levels of achievement from their various starting points and prepares all children for the next stage in their education.

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About this setting

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face barriers to their learning are a true focus for leaders and staff. The learning environment and curriculum are expertly tailored to children's individual needs, providing them with highly enjoyable experiences. Leaders focus on children's safety and welfare, adapting the opportunities on offer to ensure that everything is fully inclusive and accessible to all children. This helps all children to feel highly valued and included at the setting.

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About this setting

Staff deploy themselves to provide sustained encouragement and support to children who face barriers in developing their independence. Children persevere and develop these skills to the very best of their abilities. Children are highly independent and helpful individuals. Staff enthusiastically praise and thank children for their assistance. Children express to staff that they enjoy their learning. They explore with curiosity and often become absorbed in play for long periods. Staff tune in carefully to what children are doing. They introduce new ideas, extend conversations and build rich language without interrupting the flow of play.

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About this setting

Parents trust staff implicitly with their children and feel fully included at the setting, with leaders valuing their contributions and feedback. Leaders empower parents to prioritise their children's attendance, and this has resulted in no attendance issues at the setting.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known, or previously known, to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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. Unique reference number (URN): 2852433

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Address:

Murdoch house hemingfield road barnsley south yorkshire S73 0LY

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Marys Little Lambs Childcare Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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