Little VIPs Daycare

Little VIPs Daycare
Unique reference number (URN): 2791518
Address: Lowther Endowed School, Hackthorpe, Penrith, CA10 2HT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 01/07/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Lowther Endowed School Governing Body
Inspection report: 17 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.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Children make excellent progress at this setting. They explore the environment with
enthusiasm and show high levels of intentional engagement. They choose their own
resources, instigate their own play and make connections with their prior experiences.
Children proudly display the radishes they have been growing in the garden and excitedly
show their peers and staff. Older children talk about growing things from seed and the need
to water plants so that they grow. Younger children become animated as they talk about a
recent holiday and going on a 'big aeroplane'. Children build a secure breadth of knowledge
through practical application and real-life experiences.
Opportunities immerse children in learning from the start. For example, babies point with
excitement as they recognise different characters in a storybook and hold out their arms as
staff talk about the concept of 'big'. Toddlers enjoy making patterns in dry rice with their
finger, while pre-school children enjoy using a blackboard to write their names. The
curriculum is skilfully delivered so that children build their skills and become confident and
independent learners.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve exceptionally well from
their starting points. They steadily build new skills, interact with their peers and are able to
express themselves during play. Strategies to support children are highly effective and help
to prepare them for future success in the next stage of their education, including school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Staff are consistently positive role models and have built positive relationships with all
children. Children understand expectations and remind one another of boundaries. For
example, older children remind each other to sit with their legs crossed on the carpet so they
do not fidget. Staff are consistent in their approach to positive behaviour. Children listen
carefully, share resources independently and negotiate turn-taking between themselves.
Staff encourage children to cooperate and help each other during play. For example,
children work together, using lengths of wood balanced on milk crates, to make a bridge in
the garden.
Staff are deployed well throughout the setting, which means that children receive high-
quality support in all aspects of their play. The curriculum is extremely engaging, and
incidences of unwanted behaviour are very low as children are so interested in play and
learning. Children are very active learners and show extremely positive attitudes to learning.
Routines are managed well and help children to understand expectations throughout the
day.
Staff understand that children build skills and develop knowledge at different rates. They
offer inclusive approaches to behaviour, attitudes and routines in line with children's age and
stage of development. Staff are diligent in promoting children's punctuality and attendance.

They recognise the importance of children attending regularly, which helps children to settle,
build their confidence and develop their social skills.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Staff provide nurturing care and focus intently on supporting children's welfare and
wellbeing. They work closely with parents and do all that they can to mirror the care that is
given at home. For example, staff support the youngest babies to get to sleep just as
parents would do at home. Staff show a comprehensive knowledge of children's uniqueness
and are extremely responsive to children's changing needs.
Staff support children to understand their feelings and emotions in imaginative ways. They
ask how children are feeling in their tummy, and children delight in placing a pom pom in an
empty bottle that has a corresponding face to mirror their emotion. Children are able to
recognise their feelings and match with their emotions, such as 'I am happy when I see my
mummy and daddy'. This helps children to identify and regulate their emotions. Staff explore
important concepts with older children. For example, they discuss what children can do if
they are worried about something and what a trusted adult is if they would like to talk to
someone.
Children have formed close bonds with staff. They independently go to them if they need
reassurance, have a problem to solve, need help or have a question. Staff value the voice of
every child and encourage them to take part in expressing their opinions. Children vote for
activities they would like to do and suggest ideas for meals they would like to see on the
menu. This supports children to see that their voice matters, which helps them to be
independent, with high levels of confidence.
Children are supported to develop an understanding of their physical development, personal
safety, health and wellbeing. They enjoy growing vegetables in the garden, take personal
risks as they climb different structures, and learn about the importance of self-care, such as
good oral hygiene. Children are beginning to understand the importance of living a healthy
lifestyle.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders have designed a curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of all children. It
supports children's natural interest and curiosity, gives children new experiences and allows
them to recap on prior learning to establish key skills. The curriculum is carefully curated
and sequenced to promote children's enjoyment and build a thirst for learning.
Staff are very skilful and adept at incidental learning. They provide consistently high-quality
teaching opportunities and appreciate that every part of the day can be a learning
experience for children. They sing to babies as they have their nappies changed, promoting
early communication, and talk with toddlers about getting rid of germs as they wash their
hands. Staff promote independence with pre-school children as they make their own
decisions during play and designate roles between themselves. Staff have the highest
expectations for every child, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities.

Staff are excellent at promoting children's communication and language skills. This begins
with the youngest children where staff encourage eye gaze, promote babbling and say a
child's name as they begin to explore two-way communication. Staff use new words in
context with children in the toddler room, who then use these terms during their play. For
example, as they play in the water, children say, 'The boat is rocking' and 'I am splashing'.
Children in the pre-school room are asked meaningful questions by staff, which helps to
develop their thinking skills and gives them the opportunity to recap on prior learning.
Children are skilful communicators. Opportunities for exploring mathematics are woven
through play. For example, children act out having a tea party and understand concepts
relating to capacity, while others make their own perfume using rose petals. They discuss
the numbers of petals they will need, the order in which they should add the ingredients and
how many stirs of the spoon it will need until it is ready.
Inclusion Strong standard
Staff constantly observe children, carry out rigorous assessments, and quickly identify any
gaps in children's learning and development. They consider the needs of every individual
child and adapt the curriculum to reduce any barriers that children may be facing. The
curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of all children.
Staff work exceptionally closely with children's parents to understand children's individual
needs. They welcome external professionals into the setting to support children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and make all reasonable adjustments to
create a nurturing and inclusive environment. Staff are skilful in using strategies and
interventions that support children's learning and development. They use strategies such as
Makaton signs and visual timetables to support children's understanding and
communication. Staff meet regularly with leaders to monitor if these strategies are beneficial
to children's development. Staff work hard to support children who speak English as an
additional language. Children's cultural heritage is celebrated, and all languages are equally
valued.
Staff who support children with SEND are experienced and knowledgeable in supporting
children with their individual needs. They ensure that all the staff team are aware of how to
support children as they play. This creates a whole-team approach to supporting children's
needs. If children are in receipt of funding, staff carefully consider how this can be spent to
make the most impact for every child and reduce barriers to learning.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Senior leaders, governors and the management team work closely together to form a
dynamic leadership team. They have a perceptive analysis of the strengths and areas they
would like to further improve, are very reflective and identify constant improvements. High
expectations for staff and children are woven right through the setting and beyond, into the
on-site school.
Leaders empower staff so that they have a direct and positive impact on children's learning
and development. Staff's workload and wellbeing are carefully considered. Staff say that
they feel very supported and greatly value the leadership team. The staff team is very well
qualified and works exceptionally well as a close-knit team.

Leaders identify targeted training that is individual to each member of staff and in the
interests of the children. All staff have recently attended training to support children with
special educational needs/and or disabilities so that they can offer effective targeted
support. Training has a real purpose and develops new skills for staff so that they build even
greater knowledge of how best to support the children in their care.
Staff engage well with parents and welcome their views. They regularly invite parents into
the setting for different events, such as meeting new staff members or stay-and-play
sessions. Staff involve parents in assessment processes and advocate home learning
through home-learning bags, designed to help children extend their learning at home. Staff
work closely with a wide range of professionals to support children's needs and share
meaningful information with teachers as children transition to school. Staff engage superbly
with professionals and the local community.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children achieve well at this setting. They are extremely active learners and enjoy a
curriculum that allows them to consistently revisit prior learning as they develop the
knowledge and skills they need for future learning. The curriculum is extremely engaging
and all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and
children who speak English as an additional language, are engaged learners. They listen
carefully to adults, follow their own interests, explore with enthusiasm and are self-sufficient
and independent. The curriculum takes into consideration the different ages and stages of
development of all children and reduces the barriers to learning some children may face.
Children develop the skills they need to secure the best start in life.
Children are extremely settled and secure. They make their needs known and are confident
learners. Staff listen to children's ideas, and in turn, children learn that their opinions matter
and are valued. Children demonstrate they have built warm attachments with staff, which
helps them to feel safe and secure. Staff skilfully support children's developing
independence. They observe children and allow them to explore new concepts before
immediately stepping in. Children develop their ideas and thinking skills in an inclusive and
nurturing environment.
Parent partnerships are a key aspect of the provision. Staff invite parents to be part of every
child's assessment and learning. They welcome the views of parents, work diligently in
partnership to share meaningful information about children's learning and development and
promote regular attendance. Constant observation and assessment allow any gaps in
children's learning to be quickly identified. Referrals to other professionals are swift, and

Inspector:
Elisia Lee
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2791518
Address:
Lowther Endowed School
Hackthorpe
interventions and strategies are put into place to help fill any gaps in learning as quickly as
possible. Interventions and strategies are carefully considered and offered to children to
help all children make the best possible progress.
Children thrive at this setting due to the dynamic leadership, ambitious curriculum and
knowledgeable staff. Children have opportunities for learning that they may not have
experienced before. For example, children grow their own vegetables in the garden, meet
rescue animals such as the local red squirrel and take part in special days such as 'Mother's
Day' events. Children build excellent social skills, have positive relationships with their peers
and adults and are building the skills they need for future learning.
Next steps
Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure
continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a
transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their
learning and/or wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, the early years governor, the manager,
staff, the special educational needs coordinator, the cook and children during the inspection.
The views of parents were gathered through written comments.
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.

Penrith
CA10 2HT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 01/07/2024
Registered person: Lowther Endowed School Governing Body
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Westmorland and Furness
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 17 June 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
45
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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