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Early years · Report card

Little Lodge Nursery

Inspected 7 May 2026 · URN 2502732

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Tina Smith

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Strong standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Strong standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Strong standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Strong standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Strong standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    Little Lodge Day Nurseries Ltd

  • Inspection datesingle source

    7 May 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Tina Smith

  • Postcode verified

    WR5 1RU

  • Name on report verified

    Little Lodge Nursery

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    2502732

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • AchievementStrong
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesStrong
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
  • Curriculum and teachingStrong
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+96Very positivemore positive than 97% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praiseconfidentlystrongexcellentfeel safeexceptionallyconfidentsecurepositive
Criticismconcerns

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings1480w+98
  • Leadership253w+88
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve30w+33

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
8
Words of findings
1,814
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 33, typical 43
Average sentence
16 words
Next steps
1
typical 3
Hedged sentences
0%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 66%Leadership 11%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 20%

Full report text

Little Lodge Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2502732 Address: Country Lodge, Spetchley, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR5 1RU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/08/2019 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little Lodge Day Nurseries Ltd

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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

Children make excellent progress from their starting points and achieve well across all areas of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate confidently alongside their peers. Children are confident communicators. They enjoy singing action songs and rhymes and join in meaningful conversations during play and routines. Older children confidently recall familiar stories and use mathematical language during play.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop secure physical skills as they climb, use tools, practise yoga and explore the exciting and well-resourced outdoor areas. They build strength, coordination and control as they ride wheeled toys, use tools at forest school and investigate natural materials outdoors. As a result, children move confidently and manage risks appropriately. Babies eagerly explore sensory materials, water and paint, showing curiosity as they investigate textures and movements.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children remain highly engaged in learning. They display curiosity, confidence and resilience as they explore, investigate and solve problems independently. Children develop the knowledge, skills and positive attitudes they need for future learning and the next stage in their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children benefit from a calm, organised and nurturing environment, where routines are embedded consistently across the nursery. This helps children feel safe, secure and understand what will happen next. Staff use thoughtful and consistent approaches to behaviour and routines. They support children through gentle reminders, visual prompts, songs and familiar routines. For example, children help to tidy away resources, wash their hands independently and manage daily routines confidently. As a result, children develop responsibility, independence and a strong understanding of expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children build warm and trusting relationships with staff. They are happy, settled and emotionally secure within the nursery. Children are eager to play, highly motivated to learn and confidently move between activities indoors and outdoors. Staff support children sensitively to recognise and manage emotions. For example, children use emotion cards and discussions to help talk about how they feel. Staff use tailored strategies and calming activities successfully to support children who need additional help to regulate their emotions. Consequently, children feel included, valued and well supported.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff encourage children to share, take turns and cooperate during play and routines. For example, children wait patiently for their turn during group activities and story times. Children listen attentively, follow instructions well and remain engaged in activities for sustained periods. Leaders place a strong focus on promoting regular attendance and work closely with families to ensure children attend consistently and benefit fully from the rich learning experiences and routines provided across the nursery. Overall, children behave extremely well and display positive attitudes towards learning. They develop confidence, resilience and the social skills they need for future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders place a strong focus on children's welfare and wellbeing across the nursery. Staff create a warm, caring and nurturing environment, where children feel safe, secure and emotionally valued. Key persons know children and their families exceptionally well and respond sensitively to their individual care and emotional needs throughout the day. Babies receive gentle personal care and comforting cuddles from familiar adults, helping them feel settled, secure and reassured. Children form close relationships with staff and confidently seek comfort, encouragement and reassurance when needed. This helps children develop a strong sense of belonging within the nursery.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children follow well-established daily routines, such as handwashing, mealtimes, sleep times and outdoor play. Staff manage these routines calmly and consistently, helping children understand what will happen next and feel confident within the environment. Children who sleep are cared for safely and benefit from close supervision and regular checks. Staff create calm environments for sleep and respond sensitively to children's care needs before rest times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff promote children's physical and emotional wellbeing successfully throughout the day. Children benefit from regular outdoor play, yoga sessions and forest school experiences that provide enriching opportunities to be physically active and develop confidence in their movements. Staff follow effective hygiene routines during personal care and mealtimes and encourage children to develop increasing independence in self-care. As a result, children feel safe, cared for and emotionally secure, which helps them engage confidently in play and learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff plan an ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, stages of development and individual needs. They understand clearly what they want children to learn. For example, staff support children to become confident communicators, curious learners, responsible citizens and to develop a good understanding of the world around them. Staff provide a rich and stimulating range of engaging experiences that help children build the skills they need for future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff use books well and revisit them regularly to help children build vocabulary and understanding over time. They introduce new language naturally during play and routines. Staff encourage children to talk about their ideas, recall previous learning and solve problems independently. For example, children fill and empty water containers, mix colours together to make purple and explore textures, such as foam and paint. Young children use tweezers and pipettes to strengthen fine-motor skills and they match animals and objects to familiar stories. Children confidently recall story characters and use mathematical words, such as 'full'. They confidently talk about the seasons, emotions and their own experiences.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children develop strength in their minds and bodies as they take part in outdoor yoga sessions. During forest school sessions, children learn how to keep themselves safe around the fire pit and when using tools. They learn to care for living things as they explore plants, insects and birds within the natural environment. As a result, children are curious and motivated learners, who remain engaged for sustained periods and confidently apply skills during their play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff skilfully adapt activities and teaching to support children's learning and development. They use practical experiences, small-group activities and clear modelling to help children build knowledge and skills over time. Staff interact warmly with children and use praise and encouragement to help children remain motivated and engaged in learning. Children develop confidence, communicate increasingly well and make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff place a strong focus on inclusion and ensure all children and families feel welcomed, valued and supported. Staff know children and their families exceptionally well and use this knowledge to identify children's individual needs and any barriers to learning they face from an early stage. Staff carry out regular assessments and work closely with parents and external professionals to provide tailored support that helps children to make the best possible progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive carefully planned and consistent support. Staff work closely with the nursery's special educational needs coordinator and external professionals to ensure strategies and support are embedded into daily practice. Leaders use additional funding purposefully to reduce barriers to learning, including adapting the environment to create calmer 'listening spaces'. Staff make thoughtful adaptations to teaching and routines. They use visual prompts, sign language, small-group activities and simplified language to help children understand, communicate and take part confidently alongside their peers. As a result, all children access the curriculum successfully and participate fully in nursery life.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff provide sensitive and consistent support for children facing challenges with their emotional wellbeing and behaviour. They use tailored strategies and calming activities to help children recognise and manage emotions successfully. Leaders work closely with families and external agencies to ensure children receive the right support at the right time. Consequently, children develop confidence, feel secure and thrive within this inclusive and supportive setting.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and strive to deliver high-quality care and education for all children. The leadership team is well established and work closely together to maintain consistent practice across the nursery. Leaders understand the strengths of the setting well and continue to drive positive improvements that benefit children, families and staff. They ensure the environment is well maintained, organised and well resourced with high-quality resources that support children's learning and development effectively.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders implement robust governance procedures. Leaders maintain oversight of mandatory training, including safeguarding and paediatric first-aid courses. They ensure robust health and safety procedures are fully embedded across the nursery, including effective risk assessments, hygiene routines and regular environmental checks.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders focus highly on staff wellbeing and professional development. Staff say they feel valued, listened to and well supported by leaders. Staff morale is high. They work well together as a team and leaders encourage them to share ideas and access training to further develop their knowledge and skills. Leaders lead by example and provide ongoing guidance and coaching to staff. Regular supervision meetings, staff meetings and appraisals help leaders monitor staff wellbeing, workload and practice effectively.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Partnerships with parents and the wider community are strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and value the regular communication, support and guidance they receive. Children benefit from a wealth of opportunities to visit the local community, including the library, a care home and other places of interest. These experiences help broaden children's understanding of the world around them.

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

Children are very happy, settled and emotionally secure within this warm, welcoming and nurturing nursery. They build warm, trusting relationships with their key persons and confidently seek reassurance and encouragement from familiar adults. Children respond positively to well-established routines and move confidently between activities and daily experiences. This helps children feel safe, develop a strong sense of belonging and become confident learners.

p.5

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

Children display highly positive attitudes towards learning. They eagerly engage in a broad range of stimulating experiences, indoors and outdoors, and confidently follow their own interests during play. For example, babies explore paint, water and sensory materials, while older children use tools, mix colours, investigate natural materials and engage in imaginative play linked to familiar stories. Children remain focused and motivated during activities and display curiosity as they explore, investigate and solve problems independently. Forest school sessions, yoga activities and regular outings within the community help children develop confidence, physical skills and an understanding of the world around them.

p.5

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

Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They develop communication skills through meaningful conversations, stories and play experiences. Staff introduce new vocabulary naturally throughout the day and encourage children to recall experiences and talk about their ideas. Children confidently use words such as 'empty, big' and 'small' during play and routines. They develop increasing independence as they wash hands, serve food,

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Address:

Country Lodge Spetchley Worcester Worcestershire WR5 1RU

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Little Lodge Day Nurseries Ltd tidy away resources and manage routines confidently. Children behave well and respond positively to gentle guidance from staff. They learn to share, take turns and are kind towards others. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance so children benefit fully from the experiences and learning available. Children thrive within this inclusive nursery and develop the skills, confidence and attitudes they need for future learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with company directors, leaders, practitioners, children and parents 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. Register(s): EYR

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About this inspection

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

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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

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 .

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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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