The Little Bumblebee Limited — Ofsted Nursery Tracker

Grades by area

Achievement

Expected standard

Generally, children achieve well from their starting points. Gaps in all children's learning are closing consistently, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their move on to school. They develop their motor skills effectively, building their strength and coordination, hanging, swinging and sliding on the climbing equipment. They practise using tools to mix materials and make marks with crayons and paints, showing increasing control and dexterity. Babies excitedly toddle about, inspired by the stimulating environment and grin broadly, eager to play with staff. Typically, children learn to express themselves and develop their communication and language well, particularly children that speak English as an additional language. Children of all ages develop their listening and attention skills effectively. They are interested and engage in the focused group activities that staff provide. Pre-school age children develop their conversation skills chatting with staff. They learn to recognise letters of their names and enjoy selecting and looking at books independently, developing their literacy skills. This prepares them for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines

Expected standard

All staff get to know the children very well and show genuine care for them. The nursery's key-person system is well established and there are strong relationships between the staff and children. Staff liaise closely with parents to help support the children, including to facilitate their attendance at the nursery. Staff patiently offer clear explanations to help children understand boundaries in place for their safety and to interact appropriately with others. Staff lead the nursery routines typically well to support children's cooperation, to help them follow these with increasing independence and to develop their sense of responsibility. For example, children learn the habit of brushing their teeth regularly and use their toothbrushes to get rid of 'the toothbugs'. Staff encourage children to have positive attitudes to learning and achieving. They ask questions in a way that encourages older children to develop their thinking and their approach to challenges. Staff play alongside children, modelling techniques to inspire children's exploration and build their confidence to 'have a go'. Staff set up the environment well to inspire babies and children to investigate different materials and test out their ideas, such as balancing and building towers with number bricks, to see how high they can go before they fall.

Children's welfare and wellbeing

Expected standard

Staff sensitively support new children to settle. They build strong bonds with them and follow children's needs and interests to keep them happy at the nursery. Staff attentively support children to recognise and manage their emotions, and build their emotional wellbeing. Staff are considerate in their support for children's care. They thoughtfully sing to babies as they have their nappies changed and respectfully offer them a suitable level of privacy in the corner of the room. Children's key persons liaise with parents to follow all children's home routines and arrangements very closely, conscientiously making sure children's toileting and sleep routines are consistently followed and their dietary requirements met. Staff encourage healthy lifestyles, children enjoy the healthy meals provided and eat well. They enjoy playing outside in the garden and learn to take care on the equipment, beginning to understand risks. Staff are attentive to children's physical wellbeing, making sure they are comfortable and warm outside. They notice when children need reassurance or are tired and support them quickly. Staff implement the daily routines typically well to support children's involvement and learning. However, the setting has not yet created opportunities for both the children and their families to be fully conversant with Internet safety.

Curriculum and teaching

Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. Generally, staff understand the curriculum and how to teach this. Staff organise the environment so that children are motivated to engage in the learning opportunities available. They provide a range of exploratory activities that interest children and contribute to the development of their skills across all areas of learning. For example, as babies explore the feel and textures of mixing oats with paints, staff provide them with praise and encouragement. This inspires the babies to repeat the activity and develop a positive sense of themselves. Staff use effective ongoing assessment to understand the differing developmental needs of children and adapt their planning and teaching so that all children are included. There is an abundance of opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills, as staff constantly interact with children and help them to learn new language. Babies take part in a range of activities, where they learn about different sounds and movement. They copy actions and learn to be sociable with other babies in the group. Staff accurately identify what stage children are at in their development and set suitable learning targets for them to continue making progress. On occasion, there are, however, some inconsistencies in staff teaching across the nursery. Some staff, especially those who are relatively new to their roles, do not always demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to implement the curriculum effectively. For example, there are times when staff do not identify or seize opportunities to extend children's learning. Leaders understand these inconsistencies and are beginning to address them through professional development and further support for staff.

Inclusion

Expected standard

Leaders make informed decisions about how best to spend additional funding that children are in receipt of, to support their next steps and progress. For example, by providing extra resources and one-to-one support. Parents are involved in these decisions. Leaders carefully monitor and review the impact of additional funding. Parents comment on how well the setting identifies and helps their children to receive the additional support they need. Parents have a good understanding of how targeted support plans are helping their children to progress in their development. Staff receive help from leaders to support all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies are made, when needed, including the local authority. Leaders work in partnership with parents and other professionals to secure support and interventions for children, as required. There are a range of training and support to extend staff's knowledge and expertise so they can best support children with gaps in their learning and development.

Leadership and governance

Expected standard

Leaders show commitment and great enthusiasm for leading practice at the nursery. Staff share a wealth of information with parents to help them work collaboratively to support children's needs. Parents very much value the daily chats and regular meetings to keep them up to date on all that their children are doing. Partnerships with other settings that children attend and outside professionals are valued and fostered, focusing on offering joined-up working to consistently meet the needs of each child. Leaders are mindful to support staff's wellbeing. Staff show dedication to the work that they do at the nursery, and that they really care about the children. Leaders meet regularly as a team to evaluate their effectiveness and outline areas for improvement. They supervise and support the practice of the team, helping staff undertake qualifications and a range of suitable training. Typically, leaders work promptly to help staff develop their skills, especially to ensure their effective safeguarding knowledge and practice. Leaders have identified the need for further professional learning for some staff and have formulated a plan for improvement to help the children make even better progress.

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

All children are valued, included and benefit from this nursery's small, close-knit family feel, showing a sense of belonging. They form positive bonds with staff and show that they feel happy and safe. Children run in, eager to see staff upon their arrival. New children settle in quickly. They show increasing confidence, thriving on the attentive support they receive. They cuddle with staff if they need a little reassurance or when they get tired and build strong bonds with them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who face barriers to their learning, receive particularly careful and beneficial support and thrive. Babies enjoy snuggling in to share a book and some join in with actions to songs, clapping and smiling, showing their delight in the music. Pre-school children chat happily with staff at mealtimes, appreciate their company and are developing their communication and language skills, including children who speak other languages at home. Children learn to share and take turns with toys, building their interactions with their friends and their social skills. Typically, they show their understanding of nursery routines and begin to follow the staff's lead at these times. They know the routines and develop good independence and learn to do things for themselves, such as hanging up their coats on their pegs, and washing their hands. Older children help themselves from the water jug, clear their leftover food into the compost bin at lunchtime and get their outdoor things on when going in the garden. Babies use their cutlery effectively to feed themselves. Adults provide experiences for children that help to build on what they know and to enrich their learning further. Children join staff on trips into the local community. They learn about nature, planting seeds in the garden or on their regular walks to the local park. Children experience the changes in the weather and are keen to learn about winter through favourite stories, such as ' 'Froggy Gets Dressed'. They explore mixing sand and water in the garden, marvelling at the effects they create. Adults and children learn from each other about various festivals and the wide variety of cultures that they come from. For example, playing with costume dolls to celebrate the Iranian New Year. They share vocabulary in different languages. This develops their confidence with new experiences and their knowledge of the world effectively.

About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the 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.

About this setting

URN: 2743897
Address: 2a Curzon Road London London W5 1NF
Type: Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Registration date: 07/08/2023
Registered person: The Little Bumblebee Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Ealing

Facts and figures

Age range at inspection: 1 to 4
Total places: 37

Data from 20 January 2026

Raw extracted PDF text

The Little Bumblebee Limited
Unique reference number (URN): 2743897
Address: 2a Curzon Road, London, London, W5 1NF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 07/08/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: The Little Bumblebee Limited
Inspection report: 20 January 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Generally, children achieve well from their starting points. Gaps in all children's learning are
closing consistently, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their move on to school. They
develop their motor skills effectively, building their strength and coordination, hanging,
swinging and sliding on the climbing equipment. They practise using tools to mix materials
and make marks with crayons and paints, showing increasing control and dexterity. Babies
excitedly toddle about, inspired by the stimulating environment and grin broadly, eager to
play with staff.
Typically, children learn to express themselves and develop their communication and
language well, particularly children that speak English as an additional language. Children of
all ages develop their listening and attention skills effectively. They are interested and
engage in the focused group activities that staff provide. Pre-school age children develop
their conversation skills chatting with staff. They learn to recognise letters of their names and
enjoy selecting and looking at books independently, developing their literacy skills. This
prepares them for the next stage in their learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
All staff get to know the children very well and show genuine care for them. The nursery's
key-person system is well established and there are strong relationships between the staff
and children. Staff liaise closely with parents to help support the children, including to
facilitate their attendance at the nursery. Staff patiently offer clear explanations to help
children understand boundaries in place for their safety and to interact appropriately with
others. Staff lead the nursery routines typically well to support children's cooperation, to help
them follow these with increasing independence and to develop their sense of responsibility.
For example, children learn the habit of brushing their teeth regularly and use their
toothbrushes to get rid of 'the toothbugs'.
Staff encourage children to have positive attitudes to learning and achieving. They ask
questions in a way that encourages older children to develop their thinking and their
approach to challenges. Staff play alongside children, modelling techniques to inspire
children's exploration and build their confidence to 'have a go'. Staff set up the environment
well to inspire babies and children to investigate different materials and test out their ideas,
such as balancing and building towers with number bricks, to see how high they can go
before they fall.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff sensitively support new children to settle. They build strong bonds with them and follow
children's needs and interests to keep them happy at the nursery. Staff attentively support
children to recognise and manage their emotions, and build their emotional wellbeing. Staff
are considerate in their support for children's care. They thoughtfully sing to babies as they

have their nappies changed and respectfully offer them a suitable level of privacy in the
corner of the room. Children's key persons liaise with parents to follow all children's home
routines and arrangements very closely, conscientiously making sure children's toileting and
sleep routines are consistently followed and their dietary requirements met.
Staff encourage healthy lifestyles, children enjoy the healthy meals provided and eat well.
They enjoy playing outside in the garden and learn to take care on the equipment, beginning
to understand risks. Staff are attentive to children's physical wellbeing, making sure they are
comfortable and warm outside. They notice when children need reassurance or are tired
and support them quickly. Staff implement the daily routines typically well to support
children's involvement and learning. However, the setting has not yet created opportunities
for both the children and their families to be fully conversant with Internet safety.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. Generally, staff
understand the curriculum and how to teach this. Staff organise the environment so that
children are motivated to engage in the learning opportunities available. They provide a
range of exploratory activities that interest children and contribute to the development of
their skills across all areas of learning. For example, as babies explore the feel and textures
of mixing oats with paints, staff provide them with praise and encouragement. This inspires
the babies to repeat the activity and develop a positive sense of themselves.
Staff use effective ongoing assessment to understand the differing developmental needs of
children and adapt their planning and teaching so that all children are included. There is an
abundance of opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills,
as staff constantly interact with children and help them to learn new language. Babies take
part in a range of activities, where they learn about different sounds and movement. They
copy actions and learn to be sociable with other babies in the group. Staff accurately identify
what stage children are at in their development and set suitable learning targets for them to
continue making progress.
On occasion, there are, however, some inconsistencies in staff teaching across the nursery.
Some staff, especially those who are relatively new to their roles, do not always
demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to implement the curriculum effectively. For
example, there are times when staff do not identify or seize opportunities to extend
children's learning. Leaders understand these inconsistencies and are beginning to address
them through professional development and further support for staff.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders make informed decisions about how best to spend additional funding that children
are in receipt of, to support their next steps and progress. For example, by providing extra
resources and one-to-one support. Parents are involved in these decisions. Leaders
carefully monitor and review the impact of additional funding. Parents comment on how well
the setting identifies and helps their children to receive the additional support they need.
Parents have a good understanding of how targeted support plans are helping their children
to progress in their development.

Staff receive help from leaders to support all children, particularly those who are
disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face
barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies
are made, when needed, including the local authority. Leaders work in partnership with
parents and other professionals to secure support and interventions for children, as
required. There are a range of training and support to extend staff's knowledge and
expertise so they can best support children with gaps in their learning and development.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders show commitment and great enthusiasm for leading practice at the nursery. Staff
share a wealth of information with parents to help them work collaboratively to support
children's needs. Parents very much value the daily chats and regular meetings to keep
them up to date on all that their children are doing. Partnerships with other settings that
children attend and outside professionals are valued and fostered, focusing on offering
joined-up working to consistently meet the needs of each child.
Leaders are mindful to support staff's wellbeing. Staff show dedication to the work that they
do at the nursery, and that they really care about the children. Leaders meet regularly as a
team to evaluate their effectiveness and outline areas for improvement. They supervise and
support the practice of the team, helping staff undertake qualifications and a range of
suitable training. Typically, leaders work promptly to help staff develop their skills, especially
to ensure their effective safeguarding knowledge and practice. Leaders have identified the
need for further professional learning for some staff and have formulated a plan for
improvement to help the children make even better progress.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children are valued, included and benefit from this nursery's small, close-knit family feel,
showing a sense of belonging. They form positive bonds with staff and show that they feel
happy and safe. Children run in, eager to see staff upon their arrival. New children settle in
quickly. They show increasing confidence, thriving on the attentive support they receive.
They cuddle with staff if they need a little reassurance or when they get tired and build
strong bonds with them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who
face barriers to their learning, receive particularly careful and beneficial support and thrive.
Babies enjoy snuggling in to share a book and some join in with actions to songs, clapping
and smiling, showing their delight in the music. Pre-school children chat happily with staff at

Inspector:
Sandra Teacher
mealtimes, appreciate their company and are developing their communication and language
skills, including children who speak other languages at home.
Children learn to share and take turns with toys, building their interactions with their friends
and their social skills. Typically, they show their understanding of nursery routines and begin
to follow the staff's lead at these times. They know the routines and develop good
independence and learn to do things for themselves, such as hanging up their coats on their
pegs, and washing their hands. Older children help themselves from the water jug, clear
their leftover food into the compost bin at lunchtime and get their outdoor things on when
going in the garden. Babies use their cutlery effectively to feed themselves.
Adults provide experiences for children that help to build on what they know and to enrich
their learning further. Children join staff on trips into the local community. They learn about
nature, planting seeds in the garden or on their regular walks to the local park. Children
experience the changes in the weather and are keen to learn about winter through favourite
stories, such as ' 'Froggy Gets Dressed'. They explore mixing sand and water in the garden,
marvelling at the effects they create. Adults and children learn from each other about various
festivals and the wide variety of cultures that they come from. For example, playing with
costume dolls to celebrate the Iranian New Year. They share vocabulary in different
languages. This develops their confidence with new experiences and their knowledge of the
world effectively.
Next steps
Leaders should explore opportunities for children and their families to have a better
understanding of internet safety.
Leaders should continue to support staff further to improve their understanding of the
curriculum approach so that this is consistently embedded across the nursery.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the 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.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2743897
Address:
2a Curzon Road
London
London
W5 1NF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 07/08/2023
Registered person: The Little Bumblebee Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Ealing
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 20 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
37
Our grades explained

Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
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Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
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