Little Toes Nursery

Little Toes Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2830213 Address: Jubilee Centre, Jubilee Way, Wilstead, MK45 3HN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 24/03/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Wilson, Emily-Jane

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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 Expected standard

Staff embed and implement consistent daily routines and children demonstrate they are familiar with these. They follow daily routines confidently, washing their hands before mealtimes and joining in with circle time activities. These well-established routines help children understand expectations and feel secure within the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff use positive behaviour management strategies to support children's understanding. They provide gentle reminders about using equipment safely and praise children's efforts. This helps children to build their confidence and sense of achievement. Staff encourage children to take responsibility for the environment by involving them in tidying away activities. For example, children help to put away sorting games once they have finished using them. The environment is calm and staff act as positive role models, promoting kindness, care and respect for others. They consistently remind children to share, take turns and consider the needs of others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders monitor children's attendance and understand the benefits of regular attendance. Non-attendance is followed up promptly, with welfare checks being carried out when needed.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children do not always achieve as well as they could because staff do not have a secure understanding of the curriculum or how to implement it effectively. As a result, their progress is variable. Children who speak English as an additional language do not receive consistently effective support or purposeful interactions. This does not support their language and communication development and limits the progress they make.

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Achievement Needs attention

Weaknesses in teaching mean that staff do not consistently help children to secure and build new learning. Although some children engage well with planned activities, others become disengaged and wander between activities. Staff do not consistently respond effectively to these children or adapt their teaching to re-engage them and meet their individual needs.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children develop their physical skills through the variety of activities on offer. They build their balance and coordination as they climb on crates and negotiate space safely while using ride-on toys. Children strengthen the small muscles in their hands as they fill and empty containers with water and make marks with paint brushes. Children develop their independence as they serve their own snacks and put on their shoes before going outside to play. These activities help prepare children for their next stage in learning and school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not consistently ensure food is prepared in line with current safer eating guidelines. For example, they do not always minimise the risk of children choking. However, staff sit with children during mealtimes, providing appropriate supervision. They offer healthy, nutritious snacks and leaders work with parents to encourage the provision of healthy lunch options from home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Overall, staff build warm, caring relationships with children. Babies seek comfort from staff when needed. This helps them to feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Children benefit from daily opportunities to enjoy fresh air and physical exercise, which contribute to their health, wellbeing and physical development. Staff teach children the importance of good hygiene by encouraging them to wash their hands before meals. Staff encourage children to serve their own snacks. Children follow these routines confidently, helping them develop healthy habits and an understanding of how to keep themselves well.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have developed a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. However, staff do not consistently understand the curriculum intent or what children are expected to learn during planned activities. As a result, staff interactions are not always purposeful or focused on extending children's learning. Although staff identify children's next steps in learning, they do not consistently tailor their teaching to help children achieve these. Consequently children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not consistently supported to make the progress they are capable of in their learning and development.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Children benefit from plenty of opportunities to be physically active. Older children develop their balance and coordination as they walk along balance beams. Younger children pull themselves up on climbing equipment, helping to strengthen their core muscles. Staff help children to understand the importance of taking turns. For example, when several children want to use a ride on toy, children confidently explain to visitors 'It's my turn in 2 minutes.' This helps children to develop patience and resilience. Children also strengthen the small muscles in their hands as they roll, squeeze and manipulate play dough. Staff introduce words such as 'roll and squish' to help develop their children's language and understanding.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight to ensure staff are aware of children's individual needs. They do not monitor the effectiveness of the support in place, to help close gaps in children's learning. For example, leaders typically implement individualised learning plans but these are not consistently shared with staff. This means staff do not always provide children with the targeted support they need and children do not consistently make the progress of which they are capable.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not promptly identify when children who speak English as an additional language require additional support with their language and communication development. Consequently, targeted interventions are not implemented in a timely manner. This delays children's progress and limits their ability to develop their understanding and use of English, to communicate effectively with others.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders identify some children who may require additional support to close gaps in learning. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals to monitor children's development. They provide guidance to help parents support their children's needs at home. Leaders adapt their interactions, for example introducing early signs, 'now and next' boards and objects of reference. Leaders use additional funding appropriately, including providing a higher adult to child ratio.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of education. They do not ensure that staff have a secure understanding of the curriculum and how to implement it. This means children do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Although leaders have a clear vision for the setting, their expectations are not implemented consistently in practice. Monitoring arrangements are not sufficiently robust to identify and address weaknesses in teaching. Consequently, leaders do not ensure that staff consistently build on what children already know and can do to extend their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not precisely identify staff training needs and areas for professional development. Although leaders carry out regular supervision meetings, these do not focus precisely on specific areas to improve staff practice. Leaders do not carry out regular observations of staff interactions and teaching. This limits their ability to identify weaknesses and provide targeted support to improve the quality of education.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders build positive relationships with parents and keep them regularly informed about their children's experiences through discussions and an online application. They identify gaps in children's learning and develop support plans to meet children's individual needs. However, these processes are not fully embedded due to inconsistencies in staff practice and implementation of planned support.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 are not always supported to make the progress they are capable of as teaching lacks clear purpose and is not consistently focused on building on what children already know and can do. Leaders have not planned and implemented an effective curriculum that supports children's learning and development consistently well. However, children enjoy the activities on offer and do make some progress from their starting points.

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

Children who speak English as an additional language do not receive support in a timely or effective way. As a result, these children are not consistently supported to communicate their needs. Staff interactions do not consistently help children whose language and communication skills are emerging, to make progress from their starting points. Although leaders have introduced strategies such as first and then boards, objects of reference and visual schedules, staff do not have a secure understanding of how to use these effectively. Children's progress and development are limited as a result.

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

Children are happy and settled in the setting. They form warm and positive relationships with caring, attentive staff, who support their emotional wellbeing effectively. Children quickly become familiar with daily routines. They benefit from daily opportunities to be physically active in the outdoor area, where they develop their coordination and core strength. Children are encouraged to take appropriate risks and build their confidence, as they climb on balance beams and negotiate obstacles.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure children who speak English as an additional language have sufficient opportunities to learn and understand English 04/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure staff can plan and implement a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do, to enable them to make expected progress from their starting points 04/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve staff's understanding of children's individual next steps and ensure their teaching is matched to meet their needs. 04/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure foods are prepared in line with safer eating guidelines to minimise the risk of choking 04/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement effective supervision for staff that clearly identifies areas of improvement, coaching and training needs to enhance staff skills and knowledge to support high-quality teaching 04/09/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders,staff 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2830213

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Address:

Jubilee Centre Jubilee Way Wilstead MK45 3HN

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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

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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