Little Petals Day Nursery

Little Petals Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2821775 Address: Occasions, 23c Wood Lane, Sonning Common, Reading, RG4 9SJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/02/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Hustings, Tracey

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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 Needs attention

Children are not always effectively supported to gain secure skills and knowledge for their future learning. Children's individual starting points are well understood, including for those who are disadvantaged. This enables many children to access activities that build on their strengths and support their next steps. Where additional help is provided, outcomes, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are positive. However, some children do not make the progress they are capable of.

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Achievement Needs attention

Many children make steady progress in communication and language, developing vocabulary, listening skills and confidence in expressing their ideas. Children with SEND benefit from targeted interventions that help them practise key skills and achieve success.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Staff do not always consider children's age, stage of development or individual needs when supporting behaviour. For example, some staff say 'no' too often without explanation, which limits children's understanding to help them develop self-regulation. In the younger children's room, boundaries are not reinforced reliably enough to help children learn to collaborate and manage their emotions. Nevertheless, all children receive praise. In the older children's room, staff give children clearer guidance and involve them positively in activities and use consistent strategies that help children understand routines and what is expected of them. This helps them to learn and understand about turn-taking.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders encourage regular attendance and help parents understand its importance. Children settle well when separating from their parents at the door, and parents report positively on the reassurance staff provide. Across the setting, relationships are warm, and children show that they feel safe as they play and explore within the environment. However, the layout of the environment in the younger children's room is not always suitable in encouraging children to develop positive attitudes to learning, as they do not have enough space to be as active as the activities require.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Most welfare practices are embedded, and overall the environment is safe. For example, cleaning materials are stored safely, and bins do not present concerns. However, not all policies linked to welfare and wellbeing are followed consistently. For example, younger babies have their nappies changed beside used nappies that are not disposed of promptly, and some areas, including main rooms, hallways used for nappy changing, and the stairs, are not clean enough. While some staff support children's self-help skills well, such as older children pouring their drinks and younger children washing their hands with flannels, staff working with the younger children do not always ask for permission during care routines, such as when wiping their noses. Children's dietary needs are understood and met well. Staff supervise children appropriately, including at mealtimes and sleep times. Children of all ages enjoy spending time outdoors,

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

which supports their physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff support children to manage their emotions, such as adapting routines to meet children's needs. In the older children's rooms, staff extend learning by talking to children about keeping healthy, including how different foods support their bodies and teeth. All children move around the environment with confidence and settle peacefully to sleep according to their routines. Staff are deployed appropriately, and ratios are consistently met to ensure children's needs are maintained.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in staff practice, meaning younger children do not always experience purposeful or high-quality learning. Staff understand the intentions behind planned activities and use assessments and parental information to build an awareness of what children know and can do. However, younger children do not experience an ambitious curriculum. For example, some staff watch children rather than actively supporting play, while others continue activities without providing the appropriate resources, such as using balls for bubble play instead of replenishing bubble mixture.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff communicate with the children, ask questions, model language and use sign language, supporting children's communication and emotional confidence. In the older children's rooms, staff naturally weave mathematical ideas into play, such as counting, comparing quantities and discussing size and shape. Older children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from staff who are attentive and responsive to their interests. Staff in the older children's rooms adapt activities effectively. For example, they talk to children about where planes might be travelling and help them recall places they have visited. Staff in the older children's rooms make use of spontaneous learning opportunities, such as when insects are found outdoors. This helps children learn about habitats and the natural world.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Inclusion is not yet consistently embedded across the setting. Differences in how staff teach mean children do not always receive consistent, high-quality inclusive learning. Although leadership and systems are clear, there are still inconsistencies in staff practice, particularly for younger children. Staff understand the graduated approach, and this helps ensure that adaptations and reasonable adjustments are planned for across the curriculum.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate a commitment to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The manager takes a proactive and timely approach to identifying emerging and complex needs so that children receive early intervention. Leaders work closely with parents, external professionals and specialist services, creating a collaborative culture that supports positive outcomes for children with SEND. Staff understand their role in recognising and responding to the needs of disadvantaged children and those with SEND. Systems are in place to identify concerns, monitor children's progress and review the impact of support. Leaders use available funding, including early years pupil premium, to target support where it is most needed. However, some staff are not fully aware of how this funding is used for their key children, which means its impact is not always maximised.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders recognise strengths in the environment and the commitment of the team, particularly given the number of new staff. They are aware of inconsistencies in practice and have begun to take steps to address these. However, this is still in its infancy. Some of these staff are new to childcare and still on induction and training programmes. They have supervision plans in place to improve the quality of care and education, and this addresses some, but not all, areas raised at inspection.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of safe recruitment procedures and follow these appropriately to ensure that only suitable staff work with children. Leaders ensure that only nursery issued mobile phones are used on site. Staff follow the mobile phone policy, and personal devices are stored away. Staff report that they feel supported with their wellbeing and workloads. They take part in supervision meetings and access both online and in-house training. Some of this training is beginning to help staff reflect more closely on children's individual needs, including recognising gaps in development. However, not all staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Leaders do not always identify where targeted support is needed. As a result, children's care and learning needs are not consistently met.

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

Practice in the nursery is not consistent, especially within the younger children's rooms. However, most children arrive happily and settle quickly into the nursery routine. They form warm, trusting relationships with staff, and the key-person approach is embedded well to help them feel safe and secure. Children generally show they belong by seeking reassurance from familiar adults and playing alongside their peers.

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

Children develop some positive social skills. Younger children enjoy playing alongside their peers, and older children laugh together as they explore activities such as sand play. Some staff help children recognise and express their emotions, which supports friendships and early self-regulation. However, staff responses to behaviour are inconsistent. Younger children do not always receive clear explanations about what is not acceptable. As a result, expectations are not reinforced securely, limiting the development of consistently respectful behaviour. Children, overall, show curiosity and enjoyment as they explore the environment. However, learning experiences are not consistently adapted to children's differing starting points. Babies in particular do not always benefit from well-organised spaces for safe physical activity, and this limits their ability to explore confidently. While the outdoor environment is

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

used effectively, inconsistencies in curriculum for the younger children specifically reduce how well children achieve across all areas.

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

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their starting points, but this often occurs despite uneven teaching rather than because of consistently high-quality practice. Although children develop early independence, such as helping themselves to drinks, teaching does not always prepare them securely for their next steps.

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

Cleanliness and hygiene weaknesses show that procedures to keep children safe and well are not reliably embedded. Although children benefit from routines such as having their hands and noses cleaned, and resources and equipment are appropriately stored and maintained, some areas of floor space within the nursery are noticeably unclean. This compromises the overall standard of hygiene expected in the setting.

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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

improve staff teaching and curriculum delivery so that all children are consistently engaged in meaningful learning and staff adapt practice in the moment to support children's learning and development 30/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop consistent behaviour management and ensure rooms are set up to support safe, positive play and clear routines 30/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure all staff follow the setting's health and wellbeing procedures consistently, and maintain hygienic, clean environments in all areas used by children 30/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement more targeted supervision to support staff to raise the quality of their practice 30/03/2026

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Address:

Occasions 23c Wood Lane, Sonning Common Reading RG4 9SJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the designated safeguarding leads, the special educational needs coordinator, children, and parents on the phone 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.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. This data is from 2 March 2026

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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. 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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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