Little Boggers Day Care

Little Boggers Day Care
Unique reference number (URN): 2798134
Address: Darfield Valley Methodist Church, Snape Hill Road, Darfield, Barnsley, S73 9LT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 10/09/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Be Our Guest Yorkshire Ltd
Inspection report: 23 July 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
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and show high levels of curiosity. Staff
help children learn routines early so they feel secure and valued. At circle time, staff use a
familiar greeting song to encourage shy children to join in. Children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not pressured to take part in the wider group. For
example, staff sit with children and provide gentle reassurance. Staff embed clear,
consistent behaviour expectations. Staff promote the saying 'we can all join in' to help
children share and play cooperatively. Staff recognise and respond to individual sensory
needs. They offer safe and purposeful ways for children to explore these. For example,
children who enjoy throwing are given beanbags, enabling this to be channelled safely
within play. Mealtimes are calm, social opportunities for independence. Children begin to
wash their hands, serve themselves using tongs and spontaneously say 'yes, please'. This
is reinforced through staff praise.
Staff consistently support children to manage their feelings with comforters or quiet sensory
spaces. Babies play peekaboo with one another and call their friends by name. Older
children hold hands and welcome one another to the setting.
Leaders consistently monitor attendance, working closely with families and agencies to
tackle barriers. They provide prompt tailored support that helps strengthen family
engagement and improve attendance. Children have consistently 'can-do' attitudes to
learning, resulting in a calm environment where positive habits are firmly embedded.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders create an inclusive environment where low-level furniture gives all children
independent access to resources. Staff feel individual representation matters deeply.
Leaders ensure children see diverse role models and positive reflections of themselves in
daily play. Children begin to recognise similarities between themselves and others. Staff use
regular observations and assessments, such as the progress check at age 2, to identify
gaps in learning. They set small, achievable targets, shared consistently with parents. Staff
plan safe sensory experiences, such as ice play for children to explore at their own pace.
This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other
barriers to learning. Leaders consistently secure multi-agency support from health
specialists. They thoughtfully deploy additional staff for targeted one-to-one support so
children with SEND join their friends. This makes a demonstrable difference to their
opportunities and progress.
Staff collaborate closely with families during settling-in visits to gather key information about
routines, milestones and home languages. Leaders offer flexible session times so children
with healthcare needs consistently access their learning. Leaders prioritise specialised
SEND training so staff are consistently confident. Leaders use early years pupil premium
funding to purchase resources for the sensory room, such as emotions sensory bottles with
faces on. This supports children's emotional development. They discount trips so

Expected standard
disadvantaged children gain wider experiences of the world beyond the setting. Children
make consistent progress from their starting points.
Achievement Expected standard
Babies generally show motivation to explore and develop physical skills. They build on early
physical milestones, progressing from crawling to standing and taking their first independent
steps. Children celebrate these accomplishments alongside others, gaining confidence to try
new skills. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) typically make
notable progress in their communication. Children who were previously non-verbal begin
repeating single words, such as 'pop' and 'bubble', to express their enjoyment and needs.
Children who are new to the setting typically settle quickly into daily routines. Initially shy
children build confidence and happily join in during group activities. For instance, children
choose 'rhyme spoons' at circle time and join in with familiar songs and actions.
Furthermore, children generally develop mathematical skills by counting objects. They
progress from listening to number words such as 'one, two, three' to repeating them and
asking for 'one more'. As a result, children generally build confidently on prior learning,
making steady progress from their starting points.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders prioritise children's physical health, safety and emotional wellbeing across all daily
routines. Staff follow safer sleep procedures, placing children in dedicated sleeping spaces.
Staff are prepared to liaise with parents and carers about weaning advice. Staff manage
children's allergies by displaying dietary needs clearly and using colour-coded purple plates
to prevent cross-contamination. Staff typically promote oral health by guiding children to
brush their teeth after lunch using individual toothbrushing packs.
Staff help children begin to learn to keep themselves safe. For example, on outings to the
park, staff talk with children about crossing the road safely. Staff support children to manage
their feelings and recognise their own behaviour. For example, when children are upset,
staff name their emotions, saying, 'You're hungry,' or, 'You're tired.' Staff complete physical
exercises with children who face barriers to their learning as part of their daily routines and
care.
Staff create a nurturing, warm environment where children typically feel secure. Staff
support children to manage their personal care with dignity. For example, staff carry out
nappy changing behind a screen for privacy. Staff support family welfare by offering discreet
clothing support and helpful guidance packages for potty training and health. Children
typically feel safe, valued and well cared for, and staff support children's overall health and
wellbeing.

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders design an ambitious curriculum supporting personal, social and emotional
development. Staff help children share toys and resources during play. Key persons expand
language by introducing new vocabulary from books. Children confidently repeat words such
as 'herbivore' and 'pterodactyl'. Staff typically use precise assessments to identify what
children know and need next. Children build large muscle skills, balancing confidently on
outdoor stepping stones. Leaders address gaps in small-muscle skills through potato
printing. Children learn to hold and print using forks. This promotes children's physical skills
for their next stage.
Leaders build children's mathematical understanding. Staff typically weave mathematics into
daily routines, counting food portions at mealtimes and comparing sizes during sensory play.
This means children generally use number language meaningfully. Leaders ensure the
curriculum is accessible to all children. Staff generally differentiate activities, so all children
take part at a level suited to their development. For children with special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND), staff adapt their approach without pressuring them to join group
activities. They support them through single key words, visual props and access to quiet
spaces. As a result, children with SEND join in alongside their friends.
Overall, children typically make steady progress across all areas from their starting points.
Staff typically use positive interactions and follow children's interests during play. However,
teaching does not consistently build on children's emerging ideas to prompt critical thinking.
For example, when children play with large weighing scales and say, 'I want it to come
down,' staff ask closed questions such as whether it is heavy. Staff do not always help
children to deepen their understanding of why things happen.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders maintain an ambitious vision for the setting to drive improvement and make
decisions in the best interests of children. New staff complete a probationary period with
structured milestones, helping them become confident practitioners. Leaders typically track
professional development through supervision, appraisals and targeted training, for example
in safeguarding and paediatric first aid. Staff morale is supported through regular wellbeing
check-ins, a 'praise board' and seasonal treats. Leaders have created open, transparent
communication, so staff feel supported and happy.
Leaders generally have a broad understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for
development. However, leaders' self-evaluation does not yet focus sharply enough on the
quality of staff's teaching. Leaders work with local authority advisers and other settings to
improve practice and gather ideas. Leaders have also visited another nursery.
Leaders build close partnerships with parents, sharing progress through meetings and a
digital app. Parents value the support staff give children and the progress they are making.
Children are excited to tell parents what they have been doing at the setting. Leaders reflect
on and evaluate the provision to ensure children receive high-quality care, preparing them
well for their future.

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
Children arrive at this welcoming nursery where emotional security and individual learning
needs come first. They shape their own environment directly through the 'Little Boggers, Big
Ideas' initiative. Children see their ideas, such as construction diggers, brought quickly into
daily play activities. They build a real sense of independence and purpose through this
meaningful participation. Children extend their social awareness beyond the setting by
visiting a local care home. They explore natural scents and textures when harvesting fresh
lavender in the outdoor garden. Children typically learn where food comes from by growing

Inspector:
Josie Cumiskey
strawberries, carrots and tomatoes. They develop positive attitudes towards healthy eating
while preparing these home-grown snacks to share.
Children benefit from an environment thoughtfully designed to help them process big
feelings. They access a dedicated sensory room featuring floor tiles, soft lighting and
interactive mirrors. Children use 'Colour Monster' resources to begin to identify, name and
express emotions. They begin to learn how to settle themselves when feeling upset or
overwhelmed during the day. Children explore natural materials, collected on local walks, by
mixing pine cones and glitter in the mud kitchen. They build small-muscle coordination and
solve problems together as they make imaginative potions. Children generally build early
communication skills through stories, such as 'Dear Zoo', and interactive song bag activities.
They gain new vocabulary while growing in confidence to join in with actions and rhymes.
Children and their families access tailored support that meets their individual needs. They
use a community clothing wardrobe, a donation-based library and practical home potty
training packages. Children attend regularly because leaders highlight the value of daily
attendance for learning and settled routines. They establish secure attachments, arrive
eagerly and show enthusiasm for learning. As a result, children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their
learning, are well prepared for their next stage in learning.
Next steps
Leaders should help staff to consistently build on children's ideas to support their critical
thinking skills even further.
Leaders should sharpen the established self-evaluation processes to precisely target
variability in staff's teaching.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, 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): 2798134
Address:
Darfield Valley Methodist Church
Snape Hill Road, Darfield
Barnsley
S73 9LT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 10/09/2024
Registered person: Be Our Guest Yorkshire Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Barnsley
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 23 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
56
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.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD

T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2026
© Crown copyright