Little Learners Ltd.

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured due to weaknesses in safeguarding procedures. Leaders and staff do not remind parents and carers of the important policies which affect children's safety and well-being.

Furthermore, staff show a lack of understanding of some safeguarding issues. This leaves children vulnerable to harm. The lack of support from leaders impacts on the quality of teaching.

Staff complete mandatory training, such as food hygiene and paediatric first aid. However, they do not receive enough ongoing training or professional development opportunities to consistently enhance their practice and better ...support children's learning and development. For example, when children choose not to join in with activities, some staff do not consider how to encourage them to join in or provide them with an alternative activity to meet their educational needs.

In addition, some staff are not aware of children's next steps to enable them to provide appropriate activities that build on children's learning. Staff frequently check in with children to make sure that they are feeling happy. When young children become upset, staff respond with care, offering them reassurance through comforting gestures like rubbing their backs.

Staff encourage children to make choices about their day. For example, during group time, older children say which song they would like to sing. This builds on their confidence as they express their preferences.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff do not receive the necessary training and support to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date. As a result, they demonstrate insufficient understanding of safeguarding issues that may be present in the local community. This lack of awareness can lead to gaps in protecting children from harm.

Leaders and staff do not ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures regarding the safe use of mobile phones are consistently followed. For example, they fail to remind parents of the rules about using mobile phones in the setting. As a result, parents use their mobile phones during stay-and-play sessions, which compromises children's safety.

Arrangements for staff's continuous professional development are poor. Staff express a strong desire for additional training to enhance their skills and better support the children in their care. However, although leaders recognise weaknesses in staff's practice, they do not provide enough training or professional development opportunities to help them to improve.

Learning intentions for activities are not effectively aligned with children's individual next steps in learning. Although key persons observe and assess children's progress to identify what they need to learn next, this information is not effectively shared or used by all staff who work with the children. Consequently, staff do not consistently provide children with experiences that will enhance their ongoing learning.

This negatively impacts on all children achieving their next steps.Staff do not provide sufficient support for children who speak English as an additional language. For instance, they do not always gather key information from parents about their child's home languages to use alongside English words.

This means that staff are yet to identify whether there are any potential delays in children's speech. Consequently, these children's emerging speech and language in English is not supported fully.Partnerships with parents vary.

For instance, staff do not ensure that all parents receive developmental reports, which highlight children's learning and progress. As a result, some parents are unaware of their children's specific next steps and the progress they have made, and how they can continue to support children's learning at home. Additionally, some parents are unsure of who their child's key person is.

Despite this, parents are happy. They say that their children are settled and build bonds with all staff.Leaders use additional funding to provide eligible children with one-to-one support.

This is particularly beneficial to those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as key persons have time to focus on their individual needs. Key persons liaise with external professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to implement strategies that further support children with SEND. This contributes towards their overall development.

Children enjoy participating in physical activities, such as painting and colouring. They practise 'jumping like a kangaroo' and 'stomping like an elephant' and learn to throw and catch a ball. These activities help to improve children's fine and gross motor skills and coordination, which are essential for everyday tasks, like feeding themselves and writing.

Staff support children in washing their hands regularly throughout the day to promote their health and hygiene. Children learn to roll up their sleeves before washing and dispose of their wipes in the bin once they are finished. This encourages their independence.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues in the wider community 31/12/2024 ensure all staff implement the safeguarding policy in relation to how mobile phones are used at the setting 31/12/2024 put in place effective arrangements to ensure staff undertake appropriate training and professional development, to enable them to offer quality learning experiences for children 28/01/2025 ensure key persons share information with other staff about children's next steps, so that they can effectively engage children in experiences which help them to achieve the best outcomes 28/01/2025 provide children who speak English as an additional language with the support they need to enable them to make good progress in their communication and language skills 28/01/2025 improve partnerships with parents, ensuring all parents receive up-to-date information regarding the setting's policies and procedures, key persons, children's next steps and how to support their children's learning at home.

28/01/2025