Little Oaks Nursery

Little Oaks Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2823129 Address: Derby Grammar School, Rykneld Road, Littleover, Derby, DE23 4BX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/03/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Derby Grammar School 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 Expected standard

Children thrive in the thoughtfully organised environment and make steady progress from their starting points. Babies babble and smile. Older children are confident communicators, describing going outside in the morning and how the leaves were 'sludgy' from the rain. Children confidently recall their learning from core books as they use words such as 'cocoon' when talking about a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

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Achievement Expected standard

Younger children are starting to follow simple instructions successfully as they put their tissue in the bin after wiping their nose. Older children engage in small-group times that strengthen their listening and attention skills, patience and kindness. Children develop their independence as they transition across the rooms. Pre-school children can confidently use a knife and fork and successfully pour themselves a drink of water from a jug. Over time, children develop the skills and knowledge they need to prepare them for their eventual move to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff build positive and supportive relationships with children, creating a calm and welcoming environment. They set clear expectations for behaviour, which is reflected in children listening, cooperating and following simple instructions. For example, as older children walk past the baby room, they remind their friends to be quiet, showing an awareness of respect and sense of responsibility. Children learn the necessary skills for dressing themselves for outdoor play. This helps children build independence in their self- care routines. Children are confident to ask for help when they need it.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children enjoy playing together. For example, during role-play activities, children take it in turns to pretend to cook food. They further develop their imagination as they take on different roles as they play. Staff in the pre-school room set high expectations for children to work as a team. For example, all children take part in tidying up when they hear the tidy-up song. Children show determination to finish before the song. However, children's understanding of staff's expectations and enthusiasm for joining in, is not yet consistently embedded across the nursery. Consequently, on occasions, some children lose focus and are not consistently supported to develop highly positive attitudes towards their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote the importance of attendance and track absences to ensure children benefit from their early education and are safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Typically, children thrive in the warm, nurturing environment where supportive attachments and positive relationships underpin all practice. Staff in the baby room work closely with parents to follow children's home routines. Babies receive the individual support they need. For example, key persons help children feel safe and comfortable during nappy changes and when being settled to sleep. This helps babies to settle in quickly and happily explore the learning environment. However, on occasion, staff do not quickly identify when some children are less engaged and settled.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Older children make choices. Staff present children with opportunities to vote. Staff help children to cast their vote and then decide on which route to proceed. As a result, children learn to manage their emotions and respectfully accept the winning vote, even if it is not their choice.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff implement effective hygiene practices. Children learn to wash their hands before eating. Staff provide a range of healthy foods, and children begin to understand what foods are good for them. Staff communicate with the other staff members who work in the kitchen to ensure the food provided is safe for children's own stage of weaning. All children enjoy daily activities outside, exploring the natural environment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff have created a thoughtfully designed educational environment. The nursery's homely atmosphere nurtures children's personal, social and emotional development and complements the inclusive curriculum. Repetition within the curriculum enables children to consolidate their learning. For example, staff introduce core books, and children can experience the story in different ways over time. This leaves them with a deeper understanding and promotes a love of books. During an activity, children retell a story as they post fruits into a pretend caterpillar's mouth. Staff explicitly count objects and introduce mathematical language about size to support children's mathematical skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from supportive staff who have a clear understanding of the children's age and stage of development. Staff recognise the importance of children developing their physical skills. They plan activities for babies to spend time on their tummy and offer resources of interest to encourage babies to reach and roll over. Staff provide low equipment to encourage babies to pull themselves to standing. This helps to develop their muscles for walking. Young children have space to move around freely.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff plan activities that follow children's interests and generally ignite curiosity to encourage thinking skills. They support children's communication and language skills effectively, with the youngest babies engaging in eye contact, looking at facial expression and responding with babble. Older children are supported through meaningful, extended conversations that prompt them to think and respond to questions. However, there are times when some children become less engaged, and not all staff respond quickly to redirect them into play to support their learning further. This has an impact on children's positive attitudes to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The manager ensures that the nursery is inclusive and that all children make progress in their learning. Staff regularly monitor each child's development, enabling them to identify any emerging delays at an early stage. The manager works with staff to make effective use of assessments to plan timely interventions that help children to close gaps in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well trained and knowledgeable in the role and follow a graduated approach. They identify the needs of children well and engage with parents and professionals to shape the support the nursery offers to children. Leaders and staff regularly review the support in place and typically make adjustments to ensure progression is being made. Leaders have established a positive working relationship with local authority advisers. Leaders and staff use additional funding effectively to support the progress of children. Specific resources are purchased to help support any gaps in children's development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning, and transitions to school are a strength of the nursery. Staff work closely with the leaders and teachers at the school on site. They regularly join the school for events and have introduced a specific day for physical education at nursery to prepare children before they move to school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The dedicated manager is passionate and aims to deliver an ambitious curriculum for all children at the nursery. She has plans in place to further develop children's experiences in the outdoor learning environment. For example, staff are working towards their forest school qualification to support children's confidence, resilience and understanding of the world around them.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff state they feel valued and supported through regular discussions and supervision sessions to help improve their teaching practice. They take part in training that reflects the age group they are working with. However, the manager recognises there could be more coaching and monitoring of staff's practice to ensure their teaching skills support children's learning at every opportunity so they are able to make the best possible progress and develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The manager and staff develop positive relations with parents. They regularly share information about children's learning, keeping parents well informed on their child's progress. Parents comment on their positive experiences of how quickly their children have settled into nursery. They comment that staff are patient, caring and offer comfort to all the family, showing a genuine interest. This helps children and families feel relaxed and settled.

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

Children are happy and settled in this nurturing, home-from-home nursery. The strong attachments between children and their key people help them feel safe and secure. Newer children stay close to their key person and receive cuddles and reassurance when needed,

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Inspector:

Kate Francis helping them settle in the new environment. Staff build positive partnerships with parents. They find out children's starting points and plan activities to build on what they already know, following their interests. This helps children make steady progress in their learning and development.

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Inspector:

The nursery offers a broad and inclusive curriculum. Pre-school children enjoy looking through their 'big book of cultures' that staff and children have created with their unique experiences. Staff find out about children's home experiences and plan these into their day. For example, staff say good morning in other languages during the morning group time. This helps children feel a sense of belonging.

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Inspector:

Overall, children enjoy learning. Babies benefit from rich sensory experiences supported by nurturing staff. They show fascination as they explore lights and sounds with focused attention. Older children take part in group activities; they put numbers in order on a light up tabletop. When children cover their eyes, staff take away a number, and children take it in turns to find the missing number. Children giggle and show excitement as they confidently shout out the missing number when they open their eyes. When children wish to join the activity, they politely ask their friends if they can join in.

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Inspector:

Children build on their independence as they transition through the rooms. For example, children in the pre-school room can manage their own self-care, such as putting their outdoor clothing on and pouring themselves a drink from a jug. These skills prepare children well for their eventual move to school.

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Next steps

Leaders should sharpen the monitoring of staff practice to raise the quality of all staff's teaching to a constant high level that supports all children to develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners 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.

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Address:

Derby Grammar School Rykneld Road, Littleover Derby DE23 4BX

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Derby Grammar School Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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