Little Sheep Pre-School

Little Sheep Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): EY474471 Address: Staple Hill Methodist Church, High Street, Staple Hill, BRISTOL, BS16 5HQ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 09/05/2014 Registers: EYR Registered person: Bristol and South Gloucestershire Circuit of the Methodist Church

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding. This puts children at significant risk of harm. Although staff have completed appropriate safeguarding training, leaders and staff do not demonstrate a secure understanding of their child protection responsibilities. They can identify when a child may be at risk. However, they do not consistently record concerns accurately or follow the required reporting procedures set out by local safeguarding partnerships. The failure to follow safeguarding procedures compromises children's safety and welfare. Leaders follow appropriate procedures to safely recruit staff.

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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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Inclusion Needs attention

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is inconsistent. Staff receive training and are able to identify when children are not meeting expected developmental milestones, and they can recognise delays in their learning. However, they do not act swiftly enough to work with parents and other professionals to put effective support in place. This means that gaps in children's learning are not addressed quickly, and some children do not make steady progress. Leaders and staff work with some external professionals to access additional support for some children. This has a positive impact for these children, but the approach is not applied consistently. Consequently, not all children benefit from timely, well-coordinated support to meet their individual needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use additional funding appropriately to help reduce some barriers to learning. This includes providing smaller adult-to-child ratios. Leaders and staff take time to get to know children and their families. This helps them to understand children's backgrounds and experiences.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

The ineffective curriculum and weaknesses in teaching mean that children do not develop the skills they need for future learning. The leaders' curriculum does not provide learning opportunities to support purposeful play. For instance, leaders and staff read children books that are designed for much younger children and do not reflect children's developmental stages or individual learning needs. During play, children are not learning how to extend their play further. Staff should help children to explore further and be curious to learn. This demonstrates why children are not using rich language and thinking skills and more engagement in their play. Children with additional barriers to learning, or those who require additional support, do not consistently learn the skills that they need. Children are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning or for starting school. Children show some independence skills as they get ready to go outside. They can put their coats and shoes on

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not consistently maintain expectations for behaviour. When children struggle to manage their feelings and emotions, they do not always receive the support they need to help them learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour in appropriate ways. For example, when children argue over toys, staff often remove resources rather than helping children to learn to share, take turns and resolve conflicts independently. Consequently, children do not develop the skills needed to manage conflict on their own. They are not learning how to self-regulate. In addition to this, the learning environment is not supporting children's learning. For instance, when toys are left on the floor, some staff step over them and do not pick them up. This shows that children are not learning how to be safe and how to care for resources. Leaders do not help children to develop good attention and focus. Staff do not always adapt support to children's age, stage of development or

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff build relationships with the children, and they have established routines and activities that children are familiar with. Leaders proactively monitor and encourage children's attendance at the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not keep children safe and promote their welfare. They do not follow their own procedures and take swift action when they have concerns about the safety of children in their care. Furthermore, leaders and staff do not help children learn to express and manage their emotions in ways that promote their wellbeing. For instance, staff do not teach to children the skills they need to communicate their feelings. Children are not learning how to manage their feelings.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff are responsive to children's care needs, recognising when children are hungry or require a nappy change. However, they are not consistent at promoting good physical health. For instance, they recognise that some children, including some who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not enjoy the physical activities planned. However, they do not provide additional support or adapt these activities to engage all children. Overall, children have positive relationships with their key person. Staff know the children, and children appear happy in their care. However, staff do not support children's individual needs or work effectively with parents to support children to make the steady progress they are capable of.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is adequately implemented to ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, has appropriate support and opportunities to make steady progress in their learning. Staff interactions are friendly and welcoming. However, they do not have high expectations for children's learning. For instance, staff do not prioritise the physical development needs of some children. They do not use what they know about children to target their teaching to meet all children's individual learning needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff recognise the importance of promoting communication and language. They focus on modelling language during play. This approach works well if children are confident communicators. Quieter children and those with delays in their language skills do not consistently receive the support and encouragement they need. Some children are not participating. They are missing out on developing their learning further.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The curriculum for mathematics is also ineffective. Leaders do not equip staff with the skills they need to provide sufficient learning opportunities for all children. They do not promote basic early counting skills to support all children. Children enjoy the activities and resources provided. However, leaders and staff do not consistently plan or adapt these to help children gain the specific skills they need. These weaknesses limit the progress children make in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not maintain thorough oversight of all aspects of the provision, which means they are unclear about the areas that need improvement. Leaders acknowledge that they need to improve the curriculum and staff interactions with children. However, they have not taken action to address these weaknesses, and, furthermore, policies and procedures are not consistently followed. Leaders do not understand that information regarding children's safety should be acted on swiftly. This compromises children's welfare and safety.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff have a friendly relationship with parents. Staff share information with parents about their children's time at the setting. However, the information they share with parents is vague and not concise. It does not include relevant information for parents to support their children's learning at home. Partnerships with other professionals are inconsistent. Staff are aware when other professionals are involved with children and their families. However, they do not consistently share information that could further support children's safety or promote their learning further.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that staff are sufficiently supported to understand their roles and responsibilities. Leaders do not ensure that children receive the quality interactions and targeted support that they need. Staff take part in training. However, leaders do not monitor the impact of this or consider how they can provide children with the support that they need.

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

Children's safety and welfare are not fully assured at this pre-school. Furthermore, leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of the curriculum. They are unable to tackle weaknesses that are identified. The curriculum does not consistently give children positive learning experiences to develop their learning further. As a result, all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, do not make the progress they are capable of.

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

The key-person system is not effective and does not ensure that children's individual needs are identified and met. Some children are not developing the positive attitudes to learning that will prepare them well for the next stage of education, including school. Overall, children cooperate with staff and follow the pre-school routines. Children enjoy socialising together at snack time. Most children like to take part in physical activities, such as dancing to music. Younger children enjoy the space they have to move and develop control over their bodies. Older children join in with the songs that include actions and music.

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

When children arrive, they quickly settle. They enter the pre-school happily and with ease in the mornings and are keen to see familiar staff and their friends. Children confidently separate from their parents and carers. They make their own choices and move independently around the setting, selecting the toys and resources that interest them. Children choose what they want to explore. They are developing self-help skills, and some children use the toilet and wash their hands with limited support from staff.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that leaders and staff know and understand their safeguarding responsibilities, including how to manage and act on child protection concerns 23/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that effective arrangements are in place to support all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and that all staff understand and 30/01/2026

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Address:

Staple Hill Methodist Church, High Street Staple Hill

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Action Completion Date

consistently implement strategies to promote children's development

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Action Completion Date

ensure that staff use consistent strategies to manage children's behaviour so that children learn to regulate their feelings and behaviour in an appropriate way 30/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that the key-person system is effective and that staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to meet all children's individual needs 30/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that leaders provide effective training, support and guidance for all staff to ensure that children have their individual needs met 06/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that staff understand how to implement a curriculum that offers children challenge and target their learning effectively 06/02/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, designated safeguarding lead, parents and children 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. BRISTOL BS16 5HQ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Bristol and South Gloucestershire Circuit of the Methodist Church

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:30 - 14:30

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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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