Little Seedlings Nursery

Little Seedlings Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2778951 Address: 35 Sunderland Road, Lower Ground Floor, London, SE23 2PS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/01/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Seedlings Day Nursery Limited

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Children show positive attitudes to learning and enjoy helping staff with everyday routines, such as clearing up after breakfast and taking items to the kitchen. They are motivated by praise and take pride in their contributions.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Most children engage well in storytelling activities. For example, they use familiar texts, such as 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea', to recreate experiences. Children prepare pretend food and act out scenarios, demonstrating their imagination and recall.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Older children develop their social skills. They form nurturing friendships, show care for one another and share resources. For example, when children see that other children are upset, they ask, 'What happened?' Older children listen to and respond to others, supporting their readiness for school. Overall, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Key-person arrangements are embedded well. Children form secure relationships with familiar adults, which helps them to feel safe, settled and confident. Leaders and staff monitor children's attendance closely and follow up any concerns promptly.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders' ongoing improvement plans include supporting staff to establish clear routines and set appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Staff typically promote children's positive behaviour through planned activities and games that encourage cooperation and turn-taking. Children generally learn about safety through meaningful discussions and visual prompts. For example, younger children learn what is safe to put in their mouths. This helps them to develop an early understanding of keeping themselves safe.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from a calm and nurturing environment. The recently developed calm area is used well by older children to support them to regulate their emotions. Children access books, calming resources and sensory features, such as the fish tank, to help them recognise and manage their own feelings. Leaders have plans to extend this provision for younger children. However, staff do not yet consistently use strategies to help children understand how their behaviour and actions affect others. Consequently, some children repeat behaviours that upset their peers.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders understand the curriculum and recognise where further improvements are needed. Staff use assessment effectively to identify children's starting points. They prioritise children's communication and language effectively. Children enjoy stories and rhymes, and staff focus on developing new vocabulary. For example, during group times, children confidently join in with familiar action rhymes. Leaders recognise that some staff require further support to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of children who lose concentration easily. At times, staff do not implement some planned activities effectively, which can impact the learning experiences of some children.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff support children's mathematical development well through everyday play and interactions. Staff use questioning effectively to extend children's thinking. For example, when younger children collect balls and say how many they have, staff reinforce this learning. Staff also introduce mathematical language by asking whether objects are 'too big' or 'too small'. This encourages young children to explore early mathematical concepts.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Babies benefit from effective support for their physical development. Staff model and teach movement skills, helping babies to develop their fine and gross motor skills. They provide sensory activities, such as exploring materials in boxes, to engage babies well. Babies show enjoyment as they pull out and replace materials. They extend their play by throwing fabrics, further developing their coordination. Staff provide warm and high-quality interactions that typically support children's engagement and learning.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to gather information about children's starting points. Staff assess children accurately and identify the need for additional support at an early stage. This enables them to act promptly to address potential barriers to learning. Leaders further support parents to understand how to access additional help for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Collaborative work with speech and language therapists and educational psychologists is effective. Leaders implement specialist advice appropriately to support children's development.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of supporting disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to learning. Leaders liaise effectively with social workers for children known to social care. Carers comment positively on the high-quality support provided by the setting. This includes support to help children settle and to access learning opportunities at home.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The special educational needs coordinators are new to the role. Experienced leaders provide effective support and guidance to help them develop in the role. This includes implementing individual support packages and using the 'assess, plan, do and review' cycle. Leaders typically share information with staff about how inclusion funding is used to support children who struggle to maintain attention and those requiring support with their emotional wellbeing. For example, staff provide children with their own sensory bags. They evaluate the impact of resources used to help children to manage their feelings and emotions.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work effectively with parents and carers, who praise staff communication. Parents speak positively about the support they receive. They value the guidance provided around their children's learning, including support with the curriculum, home learning and preparing children for the next stage of their education. Parents highlight the support given to help their children manage transitions.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and workload. They take effective steps to ensure that workload is manageable. Staff report high levels of wellbeing and feel valued and supported.

p.3

Needs attention

They describe leaders as approachable and responsive when support is needed. Leaders promote equality, diversity and inclusion well among staff and families. They provide opportunities for staff, children and families to share their experiences through events that celebrate different cultures, including food, music, dance and dress. This helps children to develop an understanding of what makes them unique and supports a sense of belonging.

p.4

Needs attention

Leaders understand the setting's strengths and areas for development and take appropriate action to support continuous improvement. Ongoing training has helped staff improve the environment in the setting so that areas are clearly defined and better support children's different ages and stages of development. The leadership team is currently undergoing a period of transition. Experienced leaders provide appropriate support to those new in post. This includes guidance for staff on behaviour management and the use of the new calm space to support children's emotional development. However, leaders have not yet ensured that all aspects of mealtime practice are consistently embedded across the setting.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Supervision at mealtimes is not consistently effective. Some staff do not consistently prevent all children from using used utensils when self-serving food. While staff intervene to stop food sharing, they do not consistently use these moments to teach children about hygiene practices and safe routines. As a result, children do not yet develop their understanding of hygiene expectations. During mealtimes, staff sit with children and talk to them about healthy and balanced meals and the importance of chewing food safely. They support children's growing independence through daily routines, such as self-feeding, handwashing and pouring their own drinks. Staff build warm and caring relationships with children.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff support babies well. They follow individual weaning plans in partnership with parents and carers to encourage babies to develop their early feeding skills, including using cutlery. Staff sit with babies at mealtimes and support them to feed themselves. They make eye contact, share warm smiles and offer gentle encouragement. This individualised support helps babies to develop their independence and promotes their emotional wellbeing. Hygiene routines for babies are effective and meet their personal care needs. Staff provide sensitive support for children's personal care. For example, during toilet training, staff reassure children using calm tones and kind language. This helps children to feel secure and confident. Parents and carers speak positively about the care and support their children receive.

p.4

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

Children enjoy a rich range of experiences that support their curiosity and learning. They benefit from regular access to a forest school, where they explore the natural environment and learn about the world around them. Leaders work in partnership with the local authority to offer these opportunities and invite parents and carers to join forest school sessions. This helps to show how this supports children's learning and development.

p.5

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

Children are generally supervised well at mealtimes. However, staff do not consistently prevent children from placing used utensils into shared serving bowls. Although some staff intervene, they do not always reinforce clear messages about hygiene and safe mealtime practices. As a result, children's understanding of expectations for hygiene during these routines is not yet secure.

p.5

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

Children show a keen interest in their surroundings. For example, while exploring outdoors, they notice mushrooms growing near trees and ask questions about what they can see. Staff build on this curiosity effectively. They introduce familiar stories, such as 'Oliver's Vegetables', and use real vegetables to bring children's learning to life. Children handle vegetables and talk about where they grow, helping to deepen their understanding. Staff plan the next steps in children's learning carefully, including opportunities for children to plant seeds and learn how things grow. They share this learning with parents, helping to extend children's experiences beyond the setting.

p.5

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

Children benefit from purposeful outings that support their physical development and readiness for school. They visit other settings with larger outdoor spaces. Staff use these experiences to develop children's coordination and strength through activities such as climbing and balancing. Children also develop their personal, social and emotional skills during these visits. They meet other children and adults, including those they may see again at school. This helps them to build confidence and feel secure in new situations. Overall, children are engaged and motivated learners. They develop confidence, curiosity and important social skills. This helps them to feel a sense of belonging and to be prepared for their next stage of learning.

p.5

Next steps

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

p.5

Action Completion Date

leaders should ensure that staff consistently supervise mealtimes and use these opportunities to teach children clear hygiene routines, including the safe use of clean utensils when self-serving 31/05/2026

p.5

Address:

35 Sunderland Road Lower Ground Floor London SE23 2PS

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Seedlings Day Nursery Limited

p.6

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and parents and carers during the inspection.

p.6

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.

p.6

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

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

p.7

Urgent improvement

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

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 .

p.7

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8