Little Owls Nursery Hunslet St Mary's

Little Owls Nursery Hunslet St Mary's

Unique reference number (URN): EY337544 Address: Hunslet St Mary's C of E Primary School, Church Street, Hunslet, Leeds, LS10 2QY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 06/09/2006 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Leeds City Council

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's behaviour and attitudes are a significant strength of the setting. Joint development of the setting's rules leads to a highly effective and consistent implementation. This results in a calm and nurturing environment, where all children are actively engaged in learning. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and use their skills to support children to make thoughtful choices and to be kind to their friends. During circle time, children support their new friends to join in as they remember everyone's names. Practitioners consistently support children's positive choices with lots of praise, which validates their behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Practitioners are excellent role models as they demonstrate kindness and good manners throughout their interactions with children. As a result, children have well-developed social skills as they play alongside their peers. Children who have less confidence are supported by practitioners and their peers. For example, children support their friends as they sing their favourite song. Practitioners work with parents and carers to support regular attendance and have a flexible approach towards meeting the needs of families.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that all children are welcomed, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All practitioners are very knowledgeable about supporting children, who have challenges to learning. Targeted training supports this very well. Staff attend sessions with specialist professionals to extend their knowledge. As a result, the environment and interactions meet and exceed the needs of all children attending the setting. For example, children who are non-verbal access visual communication cards that are available in all areas of the setting and support children's communication particularly well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Practitioners know and understand the differing needs of families and are consistent in inclusive practice. The induction process includes home visits, which enable practitioners to establish children's starting points and plan effectively for them to rapidly reach their next steps from the outset. Practitioners regularly communicate with parents and carers. They provide ideas and strategies to use at home. For example, parents are provided with resources and information to support children in learning about colours. Children benefit from this partnership working, which ensures that they are constantly building on their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders include all practitioners and external agencies to complete detailed analysis of the setting's strengths and areas of improvement to inform the setting's planning. This enhances the learning experiences of children and families. The leaders' dedication to continuous development results in a culture of high-expectation and professionalism that is embedded across the setting. Partnerships with families, health professionals and support agencies are

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Expected standard

purposeful and result in coordinated support for children with complex needs. Leaders thoughtfully develop engagement with parents, and carers and adapt strategies to encourage parental involvement. For example, drop-in sessions provide parents with practical support.

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Expected standard

Leaders are reflective, supporting practitioners through professional discussions, regular supervision and mentorship. Leaders understand how to utilise staff skills to enhance the learning experiences of children. This is well supported by the local authority team. Leaders are active listeners and practitioners feel that their opinions are valued. As a result, practitioners demonstrate high professional aspirations, feel well supported to fulfil their roles, and benefit from a culture of shared practice. This is clearly reflected in practitioner's interactions.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure progress in this warm and stimulating setting. They build on their confidence in the well-resourced outdoor area and are supported through quality interactions provided by practitioners. For example, children show independence as they retrieve a ball that has become stuck in the fence. Children are proud of their actions as they state, 'I got the ball' and practitioners provide a meaningful narrative and celebrate children's achievements with them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their personal, social and emotional skills as they form friendships and play alongside others, supported by the warm relationships with practitioners. Children with barriers to their learning are supported well through practitioner's detailed understanding of their needs and circumstances. All children make effective progress from their starting points.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children thrive in this warm, nurturing and safe environment, where secure attachments and positive relationships underpin practice. This allows those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to receive the individual support they need. Practitioners have an excellent understanding of how to teach children to attend to their own needs. For example, children pour their own drinks and know when they need to wash their hands.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Parents and carers are provided with support to promote children's good health and state that they feel empowered to make positive choices. They receive clear instruction on how to prepare a healthy lunch box, for instance. Families develop close and meaningful relationships with the setting. Practitioners understand their role in teaching children how to be healthy. They regularly go on visits to people who help us, such as the opticians and dentist. Practitioners extend children's learning as they share a book about dental health. However, they do not extend this to practical learning and support to help children practise how to keep themselves healthy, such as learning to brush their own teeth.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners have created a thoughtfully designed educational environment. The warm and friendly atmosphere nurtures children's personal, social and emotional development and complements their ambitious and inclusive curriculum. As a result, all children engage confidently and show enthusiasm for learning. During physical activities, children demonstrate their hula-hooping skills as practitioners provide lots of support and celebrate achievement. All practitioners have appropriate knowledge of the importance of physical activity and recognise the barriers experienced by some children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The focus of the curriculum is communication, language and developing resilience. This is a language-rich environment, where children demonstrate their love of books. Practitioners support children's communication and language skills effectively. They recognise the challenges for children who speak English as an additional language, and adapt their practice to meet their needs. All children use and practise appropriate and varied language, and are confident to share their ideas with others.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The staff team know the curriculum well and use meaningful interactions to enhance the provision. However, the curriculum is not specifically focused on how how the skills to strengthen children's transition to school will be taught. Although children typically develop these skills, this occurs by chance not by the design of the curriculum.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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

Children receive a warm welcome at this highly inclusive setting. They benefit from the very friendly and helpful attitude of practitioners. There is a warm and stimulating energy in this setting, which results in children being engaged with the resources and activities on offer. The setting has a well-considered curriculum, which meets the wide variety of children's needs. Children move confidently through their day, knowing that practitioners are attentive to their needs and are quick to respond, when they need guidance and reassurance. Children thrive emotionally and socially.

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

Children are encouraged to share, take turns and resolve small disagreements with support, which builds resilience and empathy. Staff model respectful communication and children mirror this in their play. There is a great emphasis on inclusion throughout the setting. Children with special needs and/or disabilities are considered in every aspect of the curriculum, with tailored support that helps them participate alongside their peers. Leaders have oversight of the setting and have clear priorities for improvement. They develop positive and effective relationships with children, parents and external agencies to ensure all children receive the support they need to make progress.

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Next steps

Leaders should enhance the setting's curriculum to ensure that there are clear intentions for what they want children to learn to prepare them for future challenges and transition to school. Leaders should provide opportunities for children to learn and practise self-care skills that will have a positive impact on their future health.

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Address:

Hunslet St Mary's C of E Primary School Church Street Hunslet Leeds LS10 2QY

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:20 - 15:15

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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, parents and carers 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. This data is from 4 February 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

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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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