The Lime Trees at Laughton Junior and Infant SchoolOfsted report card, 23 Sept 2026

School

Unique reference number (URN): 2812738 Address: Laughton Junior & Infant School, School Road, Laughton, Sheffield, S25 1YP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/10/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Lime Trees Group CIC

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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

Leaders set high expectations for children's attitudes and behaviours. Staff set a shining example, such as by showing and encouraging respect, kindness and good manners. This has an extremely positive impact on how children behave. As well as wanting children to have ample fun and autonomy in what they would like to do, staff purposefully and creatively plan sessions to ignite children's curiosity and increase their motivation. They introduce ample play opportunities and new experiences based around their monthly focus, which includes choosing a particular book and artist of the month. Staff take full account of children's interests, which helps children to develop a sense of belonging and feel valued.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff work extremely closely with Reception class staff to ensure that their expectations align. As part of this, children have a wealth of opportunities to increase their social skills and play cooperatively. Staff provide opportunities for children to engage with interactive displays that help them to express how they are feeling, which limits their frustrations. Relationships between staff and children are extremely positive, and staff boost children's participation through their effective interactions that support learning in school. For example, as children create a collage, staff encourage them to count how many points there are on the star. They encourage children to compare size while exploring autumn items, such as mini pumpkins.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children respond very positively to staff when staff ask them to help tidy up before playing outside. Staff celebrate children's achievements with a 'high five' gesture and by telling children how proud they are of them. This boosts children's self-esteem and confidence. Leaders work closely with the host school to support children's good attendance and overcome any barriers to this. Staff provide opportunities for children to understand and celebrate diversity through resources and activities based around everyone's special celebrations.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders place a key focus on staff really getting to know the children in order for children to develop trusting and positive relationships with them. This leads to children feeling happy and secure and includes staff gathering important information from parents, in readiness for children starting. This helps staff to plan daily routines and play opportunities around children's interests. Although children only started attending in the new term, they are remarkably familiar with the well-organised daily routines. Routines flow calmly and seamlessly, and are highly sociable occasions that provide opportunities for ample positive interactions between staff and children. For example, as children choose from a wide array of healthy options at snack time, this ignites conversations, such as about how fruit contains many vitamins.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff provide many other ways to support children to develop their understanding of practices that contribute to their health and wellbeing. For example, children thoroughly enjoy expending energy during outdoor physical activity. They practise their motor skills and coordination while negotiating the winding road on a scooter and learning how to play tennis. Staff introduce less familiar foods to expand children's taste experiences, and plan activities around oral hygiene. Staff implement robust safety practices that help children to learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, children know that they must wear a helmet when riding around on the wheeled toys, to protect themselves from getting hurt in the event of an accident. Staff work closely with the host school to teach children about online safety. They follow safeguarding campaigns designed by children's charities to help adults have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children about body safety and

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a deep commitment to providing an inclusive service for all families, so that everyone feels welcomed and valued. As part of this, leaders offer free sessions at the club to children, including at short notice, in consultation with the host school and other agencies. This includes where a placement is required short-term or in an emergency. This helps to support families who would ordinarily not be able to access this provision, which helps to reduce barriers to children's engagement and wellbeing. This company initiative and commitment has proved invaluable at times. When considering inclusive practice, staff give great consideration to children's uniqueness, interests and individual needs on entry, and when planning daily routines and activities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Although there are currently no early years children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other specific needs, leaders embrace all families and have highly effective systems in place to support each child. Within the leadership team, highly qualified and experienced staff take the initiative on this, which ensures a collaborative and joined-up approach. Other staff with an interest in this particular area of practice are supported to gain a qualification, to accelerate good practice. Leaders have extensive strategies to support future children with SEND, to ensure their engagement and wellbeing. This includes rigorously assessing all information shared by parents during the registration process, in order to create comprehensive support plans before children officially start attending. These are completed in excellent consultation with parents and the host school and highlight what adaptations and staff training are required, for instance, to meet

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Inclusion Strong standard

children's needs and ensure they will receive the highest levels of care. Leaders subsequently review and update the targets set for children, through extremely close collaboration with parents and the host school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders, including those who form the different tiers of management, oversee provision to a high level, and they embrace the input of staff, parents and children. They use a wealth of self-reflection tools to identify limitless, continuously progressive and ambitious areas for development, and make decisions that are in children's best interests. As part of this, leaders use a traffic-light rating system to target key priorities, including those identified during site visits and audits. Leaders have additionally created their own exhaustive assessment tool, which has led to the compilation of comprehensive improvement plans to ensure that the sudden expansion of the company does not compromise the quality of the service.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders' rigorous induction of staff and leaders' and staff's qualifications and experience, including within the early years and teaching field, is evident in their highly effective leadership and practice. This is strengthened through limitless training, information-sharing and other types of continued professional development for staff at all levels. Leaders deliver this using a wealth of face-to-face and online platforms, including the company's own video- sharing and social media platform. Staff receive high levels of support. As part of this, there is a designated wellbeing officer and staff receive regular clearly structured supervision meetings. Staff have opportunities to progress within the company and they help to set their own personalised key objectives, which helps to sustain their motivation and helps them to feel valued.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders foster solid connections with organisations, parents and the host school. This is strengthened through previous staff now working in the Reception class. For example, there is continuous information-sharing about what children are learning and where children may require any additional support. This ensures that children benefit from a shared and consistent approach, as staff plan for their individual needs to support their engagement and wellbeing. Parents express very positive feedback and feel well informed about the club.

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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 thoroughly enjoy themselves in the club, where expansive activities are invitingly set up by staff to engage and motivate children to an elevated level. Children swiftly settle, demonstrating the high levels of confidence they have gained, and how safe, secure and welcomed they feel despite the short amount of time they have been attending. For example, children seamlessly move through calm, orderly and consistent routines that begin with 'registration' time. This instils positive behaviours, such as listening respectfully to one

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Inspector:

Rachel Ayo another, and provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships between staff and children in the new school term.

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Inspector:

Children are very comfortable sharing the best parts of their day at school with the friendly and nurturing staff, and talking about what they would like to do in the club. Children know to wash their hands in readiness for snack time. They enjoy the juicy melon and have the opportunity to hone in on their hand–eye coordination and small-muscle strength while using tongs to hygienically transfer fruit onto a plate. Strengthening these particular skills helps to support children's early writing in school.

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Inspector:

All families are welcomed, and leaders work tirelessly to remove barriers to children's attendance, engagement and wellbeing. This includes offering free places to families in need, to champion inclusive practice. Staff build positive relationships with families and demonstrate how they value their contributions. For example, children benefit positively from activities that staff focus around their interests. They delight in playing imaginatively with the small-world train that forms part of the 'autumn-themed' activity tray and expressing their creative skills during art and craft activities.

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Inspector:

Children are engrossed in their play and delight in sharing experiences with their peers. They have an extremely positive approach to developing new skills and knowledge, such as learning to use the tricky double-sided tape to create a paper bracelet in order to collect nature items from outside. While engaging in such activities, children welcome staff's enthusiastic engagement as they explore how the leaves and feathers feel.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to develop and embed their improvement plans that will help to realise a transformational impact on children's engagement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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.

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Address:

Laughton Junior & Infant School School Road, Laughton Sheffield S25 1YP

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Lime Trees Group CIC

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 09:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:15 - 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

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