Little Wonders Nursery

Little Wonders Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2820676 Address: Throston Grange Lane, Hartlepool, TS26 0UF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 31/01/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Rascals Playtime Childcare 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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their individual starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

They engage in a range of learning experiences and develop the skills needed for future learning. Babies join in with familiar songs and nursery rhymes and show increasing attention during shared experiences. Older children listen to stories, answer questions and talk about their ideas and experiences.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop early mathematical understanding through play. For example, they explore concepts such as quantity, capacity, weight and balance as they fill, empty, compare and investigate resources. Children apply what they know as they predict outcomes and solve simple problems.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show positive attitudes to learning. They explore resources with curiosity, concentrate on activities and persevere with new challenges.

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Achievement Expected standard

They are developing independence through everyday routines and learn to cooperate, take turns and manage their emotions. These skills help prepare children for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish clear routines that help children feel safe and secure and understand what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff know children well and support transitions sensitively, including when children move between rooms. They explain routines clearly and provide reassurance to help children settle and participate confidently in nursery life.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff promote positive behaviour through calm, consistent interactions and act as positive role models. They encourage children to take turns, share resources and cooperate with their peers during play. Staff provide guidance and reminders that help children understand boundaries and develop consideration for others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's emotional wellbeing. Staff respond sensitively when children become upset and provide support that helps them recognise and begin to manage their feelings. Children benefit from strategies such as books, emotion resources and dedicated spaces that support self-regulation.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff encourage independence through everyday routines, such as supporting children to pour drinks, manage simple self care tasks and make choices in their play. Leaders work with families to promote regular attendance and establish routines that support children's readiness to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders create daily routines that support children's health and development. The key- person system and settling-in arrangements help children build secure relationships with familiar adults. Staff get to know children and their families well, enabling them to respond to children's individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff respond sensitively to children's verbal and non-verbal communication. They provide reassurance and support when children need comfort and help children begin to recognise and manage their feelings. Children benefit from resources and strategies that promote emotional wellbeing and self-regulation.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff take an inclusive approach to meeting children's needs. They work closely with parents and other professionals to identify and support children who may need additional help. Where necessary, staff adapt provision and learning experiences to help children access the curriculum and make progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders establish routines that promote healthy lifestyles. Staff encourage children to develop independence in self-care tasks and support children to make healthy choices through daily routines, including mealtimes and personal care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

However, opportunities to consistently promote children's learning and development through discussion and interaction during some care routines and mealtimes are not always maximised. Overall, children are comfortable, secure and able to participate in nursery life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that supports children to make progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use ongoing assessment, information from families and regular reviews of children's development to understand what children know and can do. They use this knowledge to plan learning experiences, build on children's interests and adapt teaching. For example, leaders have worked with external professionals to adjust the curriculum for children with more complex developmental needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff promote communication and language through their interactions with children. They model language, provide a running commentary on children's play and use questioning to encourage children to share ideas and experiences. Staff introduce and reinforce vocabulary during stories, water play and sensory experiences. They also support children's mathematical development through everyday play, encouraging children to count, compare, predict and explore concepts such as quantity, balance and weight.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development. They develop positive relationships with children through warm, responsive interactions and provide reassurance and guidance that help children feel secure and confident. However, opportunities for children to learn about their local community and the wider world are not yet consistently planned and sequenced across the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders promote an inclusive environment where children are welcomed, valued and supported to participate in all aspects of nursery life. Staff develop positive relationships with families and take time to understand children's individual needs and interests.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with staff to discuss children's development and use ongoing assessment to identify children who may require additional support. There is a clear focus on early identification and timely intervention.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with parents, health visitors and other professionals to share information, seek advice and put appropriate support in place when concerns arise.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those known or previously known to social care receive support that reflects their individual needs. Individual learning plans are reviewed regularly with parents, allowing staff to adapt their approaches and provide tailored support for children with more complex needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders monitor children's progress and use additional funding thoughtfully to provide targeted support and experiences. Parents are kept informed of their children's progress through regular reviews and ongoing communication. As a result, children and parents are included in the life of the nursery and are supported to help children make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know children, families and the local community well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

They have established systems to monitor the curriculum and wider provision and use evaluation to identify strengths and areas for further development. Leaders regularly review children's progress and use information from assessment to identify gaps in learning and determine whether additional support is required. They are reflective and take appropriate action to improve practice where needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work closely with parents and a range of professionals, including health services, speech and language therapists and local authority advisers. They use information from these partnerships to help ensure children receive support that reflects their individual needs. For example, leaders have adapted aspects of the curriculum, with support from external advisers, to better meet the needs of children with more complex developmental needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff receive induction, supervision and access to training that supports their roles and responsibilities. Leaders maintain regular communication with them through meetings, professional discussions and reviews of key children. These opportunities help staff discuss children's progress, identify concerns and access further support or training when required. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the provision. They recognise the positive impact of nurturing relationships and responsive interactions while identifying areas where staff practice can be further strengthened. For example, they recognise the need to maximise learning opportunities consistently throughout daily routines and mealtimes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, leaders demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and to meeting the needs of children and families.

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

Children arrive happily and settle quickly into nursery life, supported by familiar staff and established routines. They develop warm, trusting relationships with adults who know them and understand their needs and interests. The effective key-person system and settling-in arrangements help children feel secure, valued and confident within the setting.

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

Staff join children in their play and act as skilled play partners. They extend learning through conversation, encouragement and modelling. For example, during exploratory play, children hear and use vocabulary such as 'pour', 'drip' and 'water' as they investigate different materials. During an activity using balance scales, staff asked children, 'Why do you think it's going up?', helping them to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills.

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

Babies benefit from responsive interactions with attentive staff who recognise and respond to their emerging communication and interests. Children's communication and language

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About this setting

development is supported when they join in with songs, rhymes, music and sensory experiences.

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About this setting

Staff celebrate children's achievements and provide encouragement, for example saying, 'Well done, you did it!', helping to build children's confidence and self-esteem.

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About this setting

Children learn to cooperate, take turns and develop positive relationships with others. Staff encourage children with phrases such as, 'Let's do it together' and 'We can work as a team', providing sensitive support to help children recognise and manage their feelings.

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About this setting

Staff adapt activities both indoors and outdoors and provide additional support to help all children participate alongside their peers. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included fully in daily routines and learning opportunities. Staff work closely with families and other professionals where appropriate to help meet children's individual needs.

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About this setting

As a result, children are engaged and confident learners who explore, investigate and discover within an environment where they feel safe, supported and valued.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the curriculum by ensuring opportunities for children to learn about their local community and the wider world are consistently planned and sequenced, including through outdoor learning. Leaders should further develop staff interactions to maximise learning opportunities throughout the day, including during routines and mealtimes.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers 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): 2820676

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Address:

Throston Grange Lane Hartlepool TS26 0UF

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Rascals Playtime Childcare Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 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

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

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