Little Pippins Montessori Nursery — Ofsted Nursery Tracker

Grades by area

Achievement

Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, make strong and sustained progress across all areas of learning and development from their individual starting points. Children develop the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for future learning exceptionally well. They are confident communicators, curious learners and resilient problem-solvers who demonstrate high levels of engagement and perseverance in their play. Children develop excellent independence skills from an early age because practitioners consistently encourage them to take responsibility within daily routines. For example, toddlers confidently return their cups to the shelf after snack time without prompting, while older children independently select resources, manage risks safely and take pride in completing tasks for themselves. As a result, children demonstrate high levels of self-confidence, self-care and motivation to learn. Children benefit from access to a wide range of carefully chosen resources that support exploration, investigation and decision-making. Even the youngest children confidently explore their environment, make choices in their play and sustain concentration for long periods of time. Children demonstrate excellent listening skills, particularly within the large outdoor environment where they respond attentively to instructions and engage purposefully in collaborative play. For example, during water play, children excitedly anticipate the fountain rising and falling, carefully positioning their hands to catch the water as they predict what will happen next. Through experiences such as these, children develop early scientific thinking, communication skills and cooperative play. Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including the move to school. They show strong communication and language skills, positive attitudes to learning and the ability to manage their own needs successfully. Children's behaviour is excellent, and they demonstrate kindness, confidence and enthusiasm in all that they do.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines

Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children behave extremely well due to the well-embedded routines within the setting. For example, when coming back into the room from outdoor play at lunchtime, all children know to go to the sink to wash their hands, where they wait patiently for their turn. A consistently positive attitude to learning is embedded, even when activities are not initiated by an adult. During outdoor play, children collect a nature hunt sheet, move purposefully around the outdoor space and remain highly focused on their task, talking confidently about what they can see and what they have found. Leaders and practitioners are excellent role models for the children, consistently demonstrating calm, respectful and positive interactions. Leaders and practitioners have developed strong bonds with the children, enabling them to feel safe and secure within their learning environment. Practitioners offer praise at every opportunity, which develops children's confidence and self-esteem and ensures that they maintain positive attitudes to learning. Leaders explicitly teach children the importance of manners and respectful communication. Babies join in with a 'please and thank you' song, while those children who face barriers to learning use Makaton to sign 'please' and 'thank you', ensuring that all children can communicate respectfully and effectively. Leaders understand the importance of children's attendance and work closely with parents to promote regular attendance, ensuring that children benefit fully from the learning experiences on offer.

Children's welfare and wellbeing

Strong standard

Leaders make children's welfare and wellbeing the highest priority. Children have a strong sense of belonging and settle quickly into the setting. Leaders and practitioners build highly positive relationships with families, who speak very highly of the care and support provided. Prior to starting, settling-in sessions are carefully adapted to meet the individual needs of each child and family, ensuring a smooth and secure transition. Well-structured daily routines are consistently embedded, enabling children to feel safe, secure and confident in their environment. Leaders and practitioners ensure that safe sleep procedures are rigorously followed across the setting. Children receive nutritious food, and there is a robust system in place to meet the needs of those with dietary requirements and allergies. Practitioners use mealtimes as valuable learning opportunities, talking to children about the food they are eating to extend vocabulary and communication skills. For example, they discuss the 'red, crunchy apple' at snack time, encouraging children to describe taste, texture and colour. Practitioners carefully prepare children for transitions throughout the day, helping them to feel secure and informed about what will happen next. For example, they explain that after snack time, the children will go outside to play. This is also used as an opportunity to promote discussion and decision-making, as practitioners invite children to choose where they would like to play. Children demonstrate strong resilience, and their wellbeing is supported at every opportunity. In the toddler room, a dedicated emotions display supports children to recognise and talk confidently about their feelings. Practitioners use this as a focus for frequent conversations about emotions, helping children to develop emotional awareness and self-regulation skills. Practitioners are highly attentive to individual needs and can speak knowledgeably and confidently about each child's development, interests and wellbeing.

Curriculum and teaching

Strong standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Carefully planned provision enables high-quality teaching, resulting in children being highly engaged in their play and learning. Practitioners use every interaction as a teaching opportunity. For example, during outdoor play, practitioners skilfully question children about how objects can be used, further developing their knowledge and understanding. Knowledgeable practitioners enable children to lead their own learning while recognising when support or challenge is needed. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills within the extensive outdoor environment. Older children enthusiastically transport tyres from the obstacle course across the field to create a car elsewhere in the garden, demonstrating teamwork and coordination. Younger children skilfully use tongs to pick up bricks and carefully transport them into containers, showing high levels of concentration and pride when they succeed. Leaders and practitioners use what they know about children to engage them in learning. For example, practitioners use children's interest in tractors to extend their communication and language skills through meaningful conversations. As a result, even very young children confidently respond to complex questions. Leaders ensure that children develop an understanding of the wider world through visits to local museums and opportunities to attend social groups within the village community. They are committed to further strengthening children's understanding of the diverse world in which they live to deepen their knowledge and awareness of different people and cultures. Practitioners use every opportunity to teach mathematics throughout the setting. In the baby room, children hear mathematical language such as 'big' and 'small' as they explore objects and resources. Older children build on this knowledge by matching the number of spots on a ladybird to the corresponding written numeral on a log slice, developing early counting and number recognition skills through practical experiences.

Inclusion

Strong standard

Leaders are able to identify those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning swiftly. Leaders and practitioners recognise that children have different starting points and consider children's prior experiences. Practitioners have an extensive knowledge of the children and their families due to robust settling-in procedures. Practitioners are mindful that children who are known or previously known to social care may have unknown experiences and are skilled in having sensitive conversations with parents. Leaders monitor children's progress closely by implementing individual learning plans. This enables practitioners to breakdown learning into smaller steps and carefully adapt the environment to ensure that children are making rapid progress. For example, practitioners choose to use the smaller outdoor area to support children in maintaining focus on learning for longer periods. Children who may face emotional barriers to their learning are provided with a cosy calm space to allow them some quiet time to regulate their emotions. This supports them to become confident in expressing their feelings. Leaders ensure that practitioners undertake further training to maintain a high level of support for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. This ensures that a highly consistent approach is taken when supporting children and enables staff to adapt activities and environments effectively.

Leadership and governance

Expected standard

Leaders regularly reflect on practice and can accurately identify strengths and areas for development within the setting. There is a strong focus on practitioners' development to continually improve practice. Practitioners benefit from regular supervisions, which provide opportunities to discuss children's development as well as their own wellbeing. Leaders promote peer-on-peer observations to support reflective practice and the sharing of effective approaches across the team. They also ensure that practitioners' workload is manageable and provide appropriate support when required. Safer recruitment processes are robust and consistently implemented across the setting. Leaders have developed strong and effective relationships with parents and a range of external professionals. They have also established positive links with local primary schools, enabling teachers to visit children within the setting prior to transition, supporting continuity and smooth progression into school. Before children start, leaders gather detailed information about routines, dietary requirements, likes and dislikes, ensuring that individual needs are known and met from the outset. Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of their responsibilities and evaluate the setting effectively. However, leaders did not notify Ofsted of a significant event in a timely manner. Despite this, they took prompt and appropriate action to ensure that the premises were made secure and risks were addressed swiftly, demonstrating a strong commitment to children's safety and welfare.

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

Children arrive at the setting eager to greet the practitioners and their peers. They are greeted into a warm, welcoming, nurturing environment by a highly experienced team. Children quickly settle into the setting and become engrossed in the well thought out activities. Children benefit from an extensive outdoor environment that is used exceptionally well to enhance learning. They plant, grow and care for their own vegetables, developing a strong understanding of the natural world and learning about responsibility, change and growth over time. Practitioners skilfully weave conversations and experiences into play, extending children's language and deepening their understanding. Younger children make excellent use of the outdoor space, which offers abundant opportunities to develop their physical skills. They confidently explore different levels and surfaces within the garden, practising climbing, balancing and coordination as they navigate the environment safely. Practitioners carefully support and encourage children to take manageable risks, helping them to build resilience, confidence and independence. Children are keen to tell other adults about their experiences of learning in the setting. They are offered a range of both adult-led and child-led activities along with teaching that prepares them for their next steps. Children in the setting work together. When there is a water spillage, children discuss what they could use to clean it up, think of different ideas and support each other. Children who face barriers to their learning are quickly identified, and support is put in place to ensure that all children make rapid progress. Leaders and practitioners speak of children highly and with warmth. Practitioners have the highest expectations of all children within the setting. Children are made to feel safe and secure, developing their confidence and social skills. Practitioners celebrate children's achievement of pouring their own drinks, making them feel proud of their successes. This enables children to be confident learners and to feel valued.

Next steps

About this inspection

About this setting

URN: 2790971
Address: Skelton Newby Hall Primary School Skelton-on-Ure Ripon North Yorkshire HG4 5AJ
Type: Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Registration date: 08/07/2024
Registered person: Little Pippins Montessori Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30
Local authority: North Yorkshire

Facts and figures

Age range at inspection: 1 to 4
Total places: 46

Data from 14 May 2026

Little Pippins Montessori Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2790971 Address: Skelton Newby Hall Primary School, Skelton-on-Ure, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/07/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little Pippins Montessori Nursery Limited Inspection report: 14 May 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, make strong and sustained progress across all areas of learning and development from their individual starting points. Children develop the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for future learning exceptionally well. They are confident communicators, curious learners and resilient problem-solvers who demonstrate high levels of engagement and perseverance in their play. Children develop excellent independence skills from an early age because practitioners consistently encourage them to take responsibility within daily routines. For example, toddlers confidently return their cups to the shelf after snack time without prompting, while older children independently select resources, manage risks safely and take pride in completing tasks for themselves. As a result, children demonstrate high levels of self- confidence, self-care and motivation to learn. Children benefit from access to a wide range of carefully chosen resources that support exploration, investigation and decision-making. Even the youngest children confidently explore their environment, make choices in their play and sustain concentration for long periods of time. Children demonstrate excellent listening skills, particularly within the large outdoor environment where they respond attentively to instructions and engage purposefully in collaborative play. For example, during water play, children excitedly anticipate the fountain rising and falling, carefully positioning their hands to catch the water as they predict what will happen next. Through experiences such as these, children develop early scientific thinking, communication skills and cooperative play. Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including the move to school. They show strong communication and language skills, positive attitudes to learning and the ability to manage their own needs successfully. Children's behaviour is excellent, and they demonstrate kindness, confidence and enthusiasm in all that they do. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and practitioners have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children behave extremely well due to the well-embedded routines within the setting. For example, when coming back into the room from outdoor play at lunchtime, all children know to go to the sink to wash their hands, where they wait patiently for their turn. A consistently positive attitude to learning is embedded, even when activities are not initiated by an adult. During outdoor play, children collect a nature hunt sheet, move purposefully around the outdoor space and remain highly focused on their task, talking confidently about what they can see and what they have found. Leaders and practitioners are excellent role models for the children, consistently demonstrating calm, respectful and positive interactions. Leaders and practitioners have developed strong bonds with the children, enabling them to feel safe and secure within their learning environment. Practitioners offer praise at every opportunity, which develops children's confidence and self-esteem and ensures that they maintain positive attitudes to learning. Leaders explicitly teach children the importance of manners and respectful communication. Babies join in with a 'please and thank you' song, while those children who face barriers to learning use Makaton to sign 'please' and 'thank you', ensuring that all children can communicate respectfully and effectively. Leaders understand the importance of children's attendance and work closely with parents to promote regular attendance, ensuring that children benefit fully from the learning experiences on offer. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders make children's welfare and wellbeing the highest priority. Children have a strong sense of belonging and settle quickly into the setting. Leaders and practitioners build highly positive relationships with families, who speak very highly of the care and support provided. Prior to starting, settling-in sessions are carefully adapted to meet the individual needs of each child and family, ensuring a smooth and secure transition. Well-structured daily routines are consistently embedded, enabling children to feel safe, secure and confident in their environment. Leaders and practitioners ensure that safe sleep procedures are rigorously followed across the setting. Children receive nutritious food, and there is a robust system in place to meet the needs of those with dietary requirements and allergies. Practitioners use mealtimes as valuable learning opportunities, talking to children about the food they are eating to extend vocabulary and communication skills. For example, they discuss the 'red, crunchy apple' at snack time, encouraging children to describe taste, texture and colour. Practitioners carefully prepare children for transitions throughout the day, helping them to feel secure and informed about what will happen next. For example, they explain that after snack time, the children will go outside to play. This is also used as an opportunity to promote discussion and decision-making, as practitioners invite children to choose where they would like to play. Children demonstrate strong resilience, and their wellbeing is supported at every opportunity. In the toddler room, a dedicated emotions display supports children to recognise and talk confidently about their feelings. Practitioners use this as a focus for frequent conversations about emotions, helping children to develop emotional awareness and self-regulation skills. Practitioners are highly attentive to individual needs and can speak knowledgeably and confidently about each child's development, interests and wellbeing. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Carefully planned provision enables high-quality teaching, resulting in children being highly engaged in their play and learning. Practitioners use every interaction as a teaching opportunity. For example, during outdoor play, practitioners skilfully question children about how objects can be used, further developing their knowledge and understanding. Knowledgeable practitioners enable children to lead their own learning while recognising when support or challenge is needed. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills within the extensive outdoor environment. Older children enthusiastically transport tyres from the obstacle course across the field to create a car elsewhere in the garden, demonstrating teamwork and coordination. Younger children skilfully use tongs to pick up bricks and carefully transport them into containers, showing high levels of concentration and pride when they succeed. Leaders and practitioners use what they know about children to engage them in learning. For example, practitioners use children's interest in tractors to extend their communication and language skills through meaningful conversations. As a result, even very young children confidently respond to complex questions. Leaders ensure that children develop an understanding of the wider world through visits to local museums and opportunities to attend social groups within the village community. They are committed to further strengthening children's understanding of the diverse world in which they live to deepen their knowledge and awareness of different people and cultures. Practitioners use every opportunity to teach mathematics throughout the setting. In the baby room, children hear mathematical language such as 'big' and 'small' as they explore objects and resources. Older children build on this knowledge by matching the number of spots on a ladybird to the corresponding written numeral on a log slice, developing early counting and number recognition skills through practical experiences. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders are able to identify those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning swiftly. Leaders and practitioners recognise that children have different starting points and consider children's prior experiences. Practitioners have an extensive knowledge of the children and their families due to robust settling-in procedures. Practitioners are mindful that children who are known or previously known to social care may have unknown experiences and are skilled in having sensitive conversations with parents. Leaders monitor children's progress closely by implementing individual learning plans. This enables practitioners to breakdown learning into smaller steps and carefully adapt the environment to ensure that children are making rapid progress. For example, practitioners choose to use the smaller outdoor area to support children in maintaining focus on learning for longer periods. Children who may face emotional barriers to their learning are provided with a cosy calm space to allow them some quiet time to regulate their emotions. This supports them to become confident in expressing their feelings. Leaders ensure that practitioners undertake further training to maintain a high level of support for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who Expected standard face barriers to their learning. This ensures that a highly consistent approach is taken when supporting children and enables staff to adapt activities and environments effectively. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders regularly reflect on practice and can accurately identify strengths and areas for development within the setting. There is a strong focus on practitioners' development to continually improve practice. Practitioners benefit from regular supervisions, which provide opportunities to discuss children's development as well as their own wellbeing. Leaders promote peer-on-peer observations to support reflective practice and the sharing of effective approaches across the team. They also ensure that practitioners' workload is manageable and provide appropriate support when required. Safer recruitment processes are robust and consistently implemented across the setting. Leaders have developed strong and effective relationships with parents and a range of external professionals. They have also established positive links with local primary schools, enabling teachers to visit children within the setting prior to transition, supporting continuity and smooth progression into school. Before children start, leaders gather detailed information about routines, dietary requirements, likes and dislikes, ensuring that individual needs are known and met from the outset. Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of their responsibilities and evaluate the setting effectively. However, leaders did not notify Ofsted of a significant event in a timely manner. Despite this, they took prompt and appropriate action to ensure that the premises were made secure and risks were addressed swiftly, demonstrating a strong commitment to children's safety and welfare. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children arrive at the setting eager to greet the practitioners and their peers. They are greeted into a warm, welcoming, nurturing environment by a highly experienced team. Children quickly settle into the setting and become engrossed in the well thought out activities. Children benefit from an extensive outdoor environment that is used exceptionally well to enhance learning. They plant, grow and care for their own vegetables, developing a strong understanding of the natural world and learning about responsibility, change and Inspector: Lisa Watson About this setting growth over time. Practitioners skilfully weave conversations and experiences into play, extending children's language and deepening their understanding. Younger children make excellent use of the outdoor space, which offers abundant opportunities to develop their physical skills. They confidently explore different levels and surfaces within the garden, practising climbing, balancing and coordination as they navigate the environment safely. Practitioners carefully support and encourage children to take manageable risks, helping them to build resilience, confidence and independence. Children are keen to tell other adults about their experiences of learning in the setting. They are offered a range of both adult-led and child-led activities along with teaching that prepares them for their next steps. Children in the setting work together. When there is a water spillage, children discuss what they could use to clean it up, think of different ideas and support each other. Children who face barriers to their learning are quickly identified, and support is put in place to ensure that all children make rapid progress. Leaders and practitioners speak of children highly and with warmth. Practitioners have the highest expectations of all children within the setting. Children are made to feel safe and secure, developing their confidence and social skills. Practitioners celebrate children's achievement of pouring their own drinks, making them feel proud of their successes. This enables children to be confident learners and to feel valued. Next steps Leaders should continue to further deepen children's understanding about the diverse world in which they live to enrich their experiences and further develop their knowledge. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2790971 Address: Skelton Newby Hall Primary School Skelton-on-Ure Ripon North Yorkshire HG4 5AJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 08/07/2024 Registered person: Little Pippins Montessori Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30 Local authority: North Yorkshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 14 May 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 46 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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