Little Red Hen Day Nursery

Little Red Hen Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2806409
Address: Wessex Primary School, St Adrians Close, Maidenhead, SL6 3AT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 08/08/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Little Red Hen Day Nursery Ltd
Inspection report: 16 June 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
Children make good progress from their starting points. They take part in activities that
challenge them and support them to move onto the next stage in their development and
learning. This includes the move to school. Children explore activities with confidence and
remain engaged for extended periods of time. Children are happy and play well alongside
and with their friends. They build secure relationships and show an understanding of sharing
and turn taking.
Children learn well. They take part in activities to embed learning and extend their
knowledge and skills. They respond positively to questions from staff. However, at times,
less confident children are not given the time they need to think and respond. Children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities make effective progress from their starting
points. Adaptions to activities ensure that children remain engaged in learning. Children
develop independence skills and manage their self-care needs well.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff have created a positive environment where children are confident to explore and show
they feel safe and secure. Overall, children behave well. Staff use a range of techniques to
support children to understand the expectations of the setting. Older children confidently talk
about expected behaviours. For example, children explain that they must walk indoors and
run outside. At times, staff do not explain to children why some behaviours are not
acceptable. For example, lunch time with the older children can become disorganised and
children struggle to maintain behaviour expectations. During these times, children lose focus
and become restless. However, when children struggle to control their emotions, staff speak
to them calmly and help them to manage these in an appropriate way.
Staff carefully consider children's age and developmental stages when planning daily
routines and make adaptions to teaching. They understand the importance of play for
children and provide long periods of uninterrupted playtime. For example, older children
choose when they would like snack, meaning they do not need to stop their play or
activities. Children show delight as they access outdoor activities. For example, children are
highly engaged as they build and complete an obstacle course. They wait nicely for their
turn and show pride as they balance along the beams. Children show they understand daily
routines well.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff form secure bonds with all children, including their key children who they know well.
Children seek out staff for comfort and reassurance throughout the day. Staff build positive
relationships with children which helps children feel safe and emotionally secure. Babies are
calm and settled and benefit from the setting's carefully considered, gradual settling-in
process. Staff offer comfort to babies when required and follow baby's routines from home,

such as sleep routines, which supports their emotional wellbeing. As a result, babies
express their needs clearly and are confident in their environment.
Staff are respectful during nappy changing and support toilet training routines appropriately.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well cared for, and staff adapt
planning to meet their needs. Leaders' weekly newsletters provide information for parents
and carers about how to keep their children safe online. Physical development opportunities
are effective for children as they access climbing frames, bikes and a large sandpit to build
their existing skills. Babies show delight as they use a slide and, with thoughtful support
from staff, take turns with their friends.
Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their independence skills, including
managing their self-care needs. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and stay
healthy. For example, children learn about the role of the dentist and the importance of
looking after their teeth. Children benefit from effective supervision from staff who deploy
themselves well to ensure children remain within sight or hearing. This promotes children's
personal safety.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. Staff plan activities both indoors and
outside to support a theme of the week and children's next steps. Staff interactions
encourage children to spend extended amounts of time at activities. Staff recognise when
children need further challenge and adapt activities to extend children's learning. They adapt
their approach to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities, are included and make progress with their learning and development.
During some activities, staff are not fully clear about the intent for children's learning. At
these times, children do not fully benefit from high-quality teaching opportunities to extend
their learning further.
Staff incorporate mathematical concepts well into activities, such as counting, size, shape
and measurement. For example, older children use weighing scales to decide which blocks
are the heaviest. Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills
effectively. They use age-appropriate language with children. Staff repeat words for younger
children and support them to extend sentences by adding one more word. However, at
times, staff do not always give children time to think and respond when asking questions.
Children show a love of books and choose books for staff to read to them. They listen well
and enjoy joining in with the story.
Staff support children's understanding of the world around them and the wider world. They
use information based on children's backgrounds and cultures to plan activities that support
children to understand how they are similar and what makes them unique. For example,
staff help children recognise different family structures. Previous themes helped children
understand people who help us, such as, police officers, dentists and firefighters.
Inclusion Expected standard
Children's needs are swiftly identified, and support is put in place without delay. Staff provide
tailored support that reflects each child's individual needs. They work effectively with

professionals to share strategies and set precise targets. Leaders and staff monitor
children's progress closely through observations and assessment, using this information to
inform group planning across the provision. Activities are adapted so that all children can
access the curriculum and participate fully.
Leaders engage proactively with external agencies to ensure support for children is
coordinated and effective. Staff regularly review what is planned to make sure every area of
learning is included in teaching. Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to enhance the
setting's provision and purchase resources that motivate and engage children. This includes
the development of a sensory room to support children's emotional regulation. They work
closely with the local authority to ensure that children known to social care make secure
progress and receive the support they need.
Staff are attuned to their key children and understand how to support them effectively. As a
result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make positive progress in
their development. Staff build trusting relationships with families and use the information
they gather to shape personalised opportunities that help children feel secure, valued and
ready to learn.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders take steps to improve the environment, including developing a sensory room and
enhancing the baby room garden. They recognise that these changes will further support
children's development, and this work is ongoing. Leaders address barriers to learning, for
instance through flexible routines that meet the needs of families. They offer parents'
evenings, stay-and-play sessions, regular newsletters and use a parent app to share daily
updates. Parents and carers speak highly of the setting and feel well supported, particularly
during the recent building move. They are kept informed about their children's progress and
feel confident to approach staff with any questions.
Staff speak positively about leaders and the support they receive. They access a wide range
of professional learning, including specific short courses, such as on autism and emotional
regulation training, alongside longer, focused early years training courses. Apprentices value
their training programme and the mentoring and flexibility provided by leaders that help them
to succeed. Staff benefit from wellbeing incentives, team building activities and recognition
schemes, such as employee of the month. Safe recruitment procedures are thorough, with
leaders completing all required checks. New staff receive a full induction training as part of a
probation process. Leaders provide all staff with regular supervision meetings that focus on
wellbeing and professional development.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff are warm and kind to the children and welcome them into the setting in a way that
helps them feel a strong sense of belonging. Children form positive relationships with staff
and their peers. Children gravitate towards areas of interest and activities that staff plan
around a theme of the week. Staff skilfully interact with children during play. This extends
children's thinking and sufficiently challenges them. Children engage well with planned
activities and the free play opportunities available. They are happy and proud to show their
achievements.
Children are greeted warmly on arrival and supported with routines such as hanging coats
and removing shoes. Staff work closely with parents to help new children settle and gather
key information to support smooth transitions. This information is used to support staff's
understanding of children's starting points and the support they may need. As a result, staff
know their key children well and provide well-considered next steps. This offers personalised
opportunities that help children feel part of the nursery and extends their learning and
development effectively. Leaders and staff reduce barriers to learning through collaborative
planning with external professionals. This ensures that children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning make progress.
Children take part in activities, such as making play dough colour monsters, linked to a book
of the week and talk about what makes them happy. They have opportunities to dig in the
setting's large sandpit, where they play well alongside others. Staff support children in
learning to use the pedals on bikes outdoors. Children benefit from a range of opportunities
to develop their physical skills on the climbing equipment.
Next steps
Leaders should further deepen staff's knowledge and skills so that all staff offer
consistently high-quality teaching.
Leaders should strengthen routines, in particular during mealtimes, to better meet the
needs of all children.
Leaders should support staff to better understand how to support and manage children's
behaviour.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator and
parents and carers 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.

Inspectors:
Nicky Butler
Sara Bays
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2806409
Address:
Wessex Primary School
St Adrians Close
Maidenhead
SL6 3AT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 08/08/2024
Registered person: Little Red Hen Day Nursery Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Windsor and Maidenhead
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 16 June 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
The inspection started on 9 March 2026. Inspectors returned on 16 June 2026 to gather
additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and
gathering additional evidence policy.

1 to 4
Total number of places
59
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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