Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School, Bristol

Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School, Bristol
Unique reference number (URN): 150720
Address: The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Clock Tower Yard, Temple Meads, BRISTOL, BS1
6QH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 18/01/2001
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Buffer Bear Limited
Inspection report: 22 July 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Needs attention
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.
Achievement Needs attention
Some children make appropriate progress from their starting points. However, not all
children, particularly those with barriers to learning, make the progress they are capable of.
Children do not consistently receive the support they need to achieve well. The learning
environment for babies and older children is not fully considered. At times, high noise levels,
inconsistent behaviour management and arrangements for sleeping mean some children
become unsettled and are unable to engage fully in learning. This limits their progress.
Children do not consistently experience an ambitious curriculum that helps them to build the
knowledge and skills they need for future learning. For example, older children do not
receive consistent support to share, take turns or develop an awareness of the feelings and
emotions of others. Nevertheless, younger children show developing independence as they
use cutlery with support at mealtimes and join in with familiar routines. Babies become
increasingly confident movers as they navigate the environment and handle a range of toys
with growing control.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
Staff do not consistently establish routines that help all children ro feel settled and ready to
learn. For example, older children leave the table during mealtimes and spend time waiting
for their snacks to be served. During these periods, children are not engaged in meaningful
learning and the environment lacks a calm atmosphere. Staff working with younger children
generally manage routines more effectively. They gain children's attention through singing,
give clear and simple instructions and provide appropriate support as children wash their
hands. This helps younger children to understand daily routines and encourages some to
follow them independently.

Leaders work with parents and carers to promote regular attendance so that children
develop positive habits for school. Children who attend regularly settle well and build
positive relationships with staff. However, staff do not organise babies' sleep routines
effectively. They encourage all babies to sleep at the same time, regardless of their
individual needs. Babies who are not ready to sleep become unsettled and move around
while staff prepare sleep mats. Staff working with older children do not consistently have
high expectations for their behaviour or respond promptly to unwanted behaviour. For
example, children become upset when others knock down the models they are making. Staff
do not consistently support children to share and take turns. This leads to children being
upset and unsettled, disrupts their learning and has a negative impact on their wellbeing.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Staff do not consistently promote children's wellbeing and welfare. At times, the pre-school
room becomes noisy because children are not engaged in purposeful learning. This does
not provide a calm environment where children feel secure and ready to learn. Staff do not
organise babies' sleep routines effectively. They do not always follow children's individual
sleep needs, which results in some babies becoming unsettled and crying. Hygiene
practices are also inconsistent. Staff do not always maintain appropriate standards during
snack times. For example, children eat from bowls and cups while sitting on the floor,
allowing them to roll across the carpet where children walk and touch them with outdoor
shoes. In addition, staff do not replace dirty or damaged blankets and sheets used at sleep
time promptly enough.
Staff are typically caring and treat children with kindness. They comfort children who
become upset, for example, by cuddling babies when they need reassurance. Staff know
children's dietary requirements and ensure children enjoy healthy meals. They encourage
children to wash their hands before eating, apply sun cream and make sure children wear
hats when playing outdoors. Some staff help children to understand the benefits of eating
healthy foods, supporting their awareness of healthy lifestyles, and talk to children about
washing germs from their hands.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Staff have a suitable understanding of the curriculum, although this is not yet securely
embedded. They generally know their key children's individual learning needs and are
aware of the support they require. However, staff do not consistently provide teaching and
interactions that help all children to make the progress they are capable of. Staff have
started to use strategies to support children with barriers to learning, including visual
communication cards, visual timetables and approaches to help children manage their
emotions and behaviour. However, these strategies are not implemented consistently,
reviewed effectively or adapted to have the intended impact.
Staff do not ensure that all children benefit from purposeful learning experiences. For
example, staff read stories to older children during busy and noisy times, making it difficult
for children to listen, concentrate and fully develop their communication and language skills.
Staff do not consistently use opportunities to extend babies' and younger children's learning
as interactions are often brief. Children move away from activities without further

encouragement to engage. Nevertheless, younger children enjoy singing familiar songs and
rhymes. They enthusiastically use sponges and soapy water to wash toy vehicles. Staff
support children's physical development as they encourage children to climb over and under
obstacles in the garden. They also promote independence for older children by encouraging
them to pour their own drinks and clear their plates after lunch.
Inclusion Needs attention
Staff do not use strategies consistently or review them regularly enough to ensure they
continue to meet children's changing needs. Some staff use strategies, such as visual 'now
and next' boards and quiet spaces where children can regulate their emotions. However,
weaknesses in teaching and the inconsistent implementation of support strategies mean
that some children with additional needs do not receive the help they require consistently. As
a result, some children do not develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage
of learning. For example, staff do not consistently teach children how to manage their
behavioural and emotional needs successfully. At times, children take toys from each other,
raise their voices and disrupt the learning of others.
Leaders and staff recognise children's individual needs, including those who speak English
as an additional language, children with medical or behavioural needs and those with gaps
in their development. Staff use observations and assessments to identify children who need
additional support. Leaders ensure staff understand their responsibility to identify concerns
about children's development and seek advice from senior staff with greater experience or
specialist training. They understand the processes for working with external professionals to
secure additional support for children.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders do not monitor the impact of training and professional development effectively
enough. Supervision arrangements are not robust and do not consistently identify individual
staff's development needs. As a result, leaders do not ensure that all staff have the
knowledge and skills required to provide consistently effective care and education for
children.
Leaders generally understand the provision's strengths and identify areas where
improvements are needed. They have an action plan in place to improve the quality of care
and education children receive. Leaders support staff wellbeing and manage workloads
effectively. Staff report that leaders listen to them and provide regular opportunities to
discuss their work-life balance. Leaders offer a range of training opportunities, including in-
house and online training. For example, some staff have completed training to support
children's behaviour and specific training to develop their understanding of babies' needs.
Leaders work with other agencies to support children and families. They seek advice from
health visitors and speech and language therapists when children need additional support
with their development. Leaders also work with local schools to support children's
transitions, particularly those who face barriers to learning. However, leaders do not ensure

that agreed strategies are embedded consistently enough to improve outcomes for all
children.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff gather relevant information about children, including their dietary and medical needs.
However, they do not consistently consider children's individual sleep routines. Some babies
become upset at sleep time because they are not ready to rest. Although staff provide care

and comfort, they do not always consider the environment. For instance, staff encourage
some babies to dance next to those who are sleeping. This does not provide children with a
calm and settled environment where they feel safe and secure. Children who attend
regularly generally settle well. Leaders promote regular attendance to help children gain the
most from the activities on offer. Leaders and staff work with parents and carers. They adapt
settling-in arrangements to support children who need a slower introduction to nursery life.
Most children show they feel safe and secure and form positive relationships with staff.
Staff recognise children's backgrounds, including the home languages they speak. They use
different approaches to help children feel valued as part of the group and support them to
learn English. Staff complete observations and assessments to identify gaps in children's
development. They seek advice from leaders and other professionals and use strategies,
including visual communication cards, to support children with special educational needs
and/or disabilities. However, these approaches are not yet embedded securely. In addition,
not all staff consistently interact and engage with children effectively to fully support
children's learning and development and wellbeing. At times, noise levels rise and staff do
not respond promptly to support children's behaviour. This prevents some children from
engaging in meaningful learning and limits their progress. Some staff talk to children about
the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, helping them to develop their understanding of
healthy lifestyles. However, children's hygiene is not consistently prioritised. For example,
children eat snacks from bowls and cups that have rolled around on the carpet and been
touched by children's outdoor shoes. Nevertheless, children enjoy some activities. Younger
children enthusiastically join in with familiar songs and actions. Older children enjoy
completing obstacle courses in the garden, supporting their physical development.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the
provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
ensure staff follow robust hygiene procedures that
consistently promote children's welfare
23/07/2026
improve staff's understanding of the curriculum so that
they provide consistently effective interactions and
learning experiences that support all children to make
the progress they are capable of
21/08/2026
ensure staff consistently implement effective strategies
to support children to manage their feelings and
emotions and promote positive behaviour
21/08/2026

Inspectors:
Mikaela Jauncey
Victoria Nicolson
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 150720
Address:
The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum
Clock Tower Yard, Temple Meads
BRISTOL
BS1 6QH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 18/01/2001
Registered person: Buffer Bear Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Local authority: Bristol City of
Action Completion Date
strengthen supervision sessions and monitoring
arrangements to identify staff's development needs and
ensure professional development improves the quality
of care and education children receive.
21/08/2026
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents
and carers and children 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.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 22 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
96
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.

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