Little Legs Nursery

Little Legs Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2820592
Address: St. George's Church, Vancouver Road, LONDON, SE23 2AG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 18/12/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Little Legs Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 6 August 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 steady progress across all 7 areas of the early years foundation stage
curriculum. They learn new skills through purposeful play and meaningful interactions with
staff. Children who face barriers to learning develop increasing confidence in expressing
themselves and communicating their needs and ideas. For example, staff support children
with speech, language and communication needs by providing language-rich songs, stories
and opportunities to talk during play.
Staff consistently encourage children to develop their independence. Children confidently
tidy away resources, access drinking water and put on their own shoes. These everyday
experiences help children develop the confidence and self-help skills they need for the next
stage of their education, including their transition to school.
However, inconsistencies in the quality of staff interactions across the nursery mean that
adults do not always extend children's learning effectively. As a result, staff do not
consistently maximise children's progress and achievements.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders create a warm, welcoming and calm environment where all children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, succeed and thrive. Children
develop secure attachments with staff, who consistently model good manners and positive
interactions. Overall, children follow the nursery's rules and expectations well and
understand what is expected of them. This is evident during free-flow play, outdoor play and
lunchtime routines. Children play confidently, independently access food and drink and
understand the nursery rules, which means they collaborate well with their friends and
trusted adults.
However, leaders and staff do not consistently communicate the rules and expectations for
circle time activities. For example, some children stand up and block the story for others,
while others walk away from the group. This is because adults have not clearly established
behaviour expectations for circle time or adapted the session to meet the needs of the
youngest children.
Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and work closely
with parents and carers to reduce barriers to attendance. For example, leaders offer flexible
attendance arrangements to support children's individual needs. As a result, children settle
quickly and benefit fully from the learning opportunities and experiences the nursery
provides.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff ensure the nursery's procedures meet children's individual needs
effectively. They provide healthy and nutritious meals and establish routines that promote

children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children wash their hands after using the
bathroom and before meals and understand why good hygiene is important. Staff sit with
children during mealtimes to ensure they eat safely, while encouraging meaningful
conversations about food choices and wider topics. Children of all ages feed themselves
where appropriate, confidently pour their own water and are encouraged to try new foods.
Older children understand the importance of staying hydrated during hot weather and
explain why healthy food helps their bodies grow and stay well.
Children develop warm, trusting relationships with staff across the nursery. Predictable
routines help children feel secure and develop a strong sense of belonging. Younger
children confidently follow familiar routines, such as preparing for nap time after lunch. Older
children understand the need to be considerate of others during this time and enjoy focused
one-to-one interactions with staff that further support their development and wellbeing.
Leaders and staff communicate effectively with parents and carers to promote children's
wellbeing and development. They operate an open-door policy and maintain regular
communication through daily information-sharing, meetings and parent consultations. Staff
share children's assessments, developmental progress and next steps so parents can
support learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery and value its caring,
personalised approach, explaining that staff know their children well and provide support
that meets their individual needs.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have planned an inclusive curriculum that typically meets the needs of all children,
including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure learning
covers all 7 areas of the early years foundation stage and organise the curriculum so that
children build on what they already know.
Staff prioritise communication, independence and the development of warm, secure
relationships with children. Teaching is generally effective. Practitioners prioritise children's
communication and typically model high-quality spoken language to develop children's
understanding and speech across the various age ranges at the nursery. However, the
quality of interactions and questioning is not consistent. At times, staff do not give children
enough time to think before intervening or moving learning on. In addition, some questions
lack sufficient precision and challenge to extend children's learning to the next stage.
Staff promote children's independence well across the curriculum. For example, during a
creative activity, some children found it difficult to use age-appropriate scissors to cut
coloured card. A practitioner encouraged a child to persevere, modelled the correct
technique and held the paper taut to help the child succeed independently. However, at
times, the teaching of mathematics requires sharper focus. During the inspection, staff
introduced some mathematical discussions about capacity and counting in the outdoor area.
Nevertheless, this lacked sufficient planning and progression to ensure children were
consistently exposed to age-appropriate mathematical concepts and vocabulary.

Inclusion Expected standard
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are
typically well supported to access all areas of the early years foundation stage. Leaders
gather detailed information about children's starting points, working closely with parents to
identify any barriers to learning from the outset. Leaders have undertaken bespoke SEND
training, enabling them to make appropriate adaptations to teaching, learning and the
environment to meet children's individual needs.
Staff adapt their interactions sensitively so that children feel included, valued and able to
participate alongside their peers. For example, staff model correct language and sentence
structure to support children who are developing their speech and communication skills.
Practitioners regularly observe children, work closely with parents to discuss any emerging
concerns and use this information to put timely support in place. This helps children to
develop confidence, make progress and develop a sense of belonging.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders understand the community they serve and accurately identify the nursery's
strengths and areas for development. They conduct regular observations of staff practice
and hold regular meetings to discuss any training needs. Well-established systems for
safeguarding and safer recruitment ensure children remain safe. Safeguarding is effective.
Leaders prioritise staff workload and wellbeing, and staff report that they feel well supported
and valued.
Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous professional development across
all areas of the early years foundation stage. They attend local authority training and seek
additional external professional development opportunities, including safeguarding and
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have established effective
partnerships with local schools and school-based nurseries to support children as they
transition to their next stage of education.
Leaders regularly evaluate all aspects of the nursery and actively seek the views of parents.
They support working families by offering flexible start times and communicate effectively
through a range of methods to ensure key information is shared promptly.
Leaders are reflective and have identified appropriate priorities for improvement. For
example, they are enhancing the outdoor learning environment to broaden children's
learning experiences. However, procedures for staff supervision and performance
management are not yet fully focused on achieving the highest standards of children's
learning and personal development.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive excited to start their day in this warm and nurturing setting. Calm,
approachable staff welcome children into the nursery and know them well. Children
separate confidently from their carers and quickly settle into their day of learning.
Children develop their independence across all areas of the nursery, preparing them well for
the next stage of their learning. They confidently choose who and what they would like to
play with, understand how to tidy away resources and eagerly share their learning with
adults. Children understand the daily routines, which help create a calm, purposeful and
well-organised environment. Children of all ages take turns, share resources and play
cooperatively alongside and with one another. Skilled staff sensitively support children when
needed while encouraging them to solve problems and manage their own play.
Children are eager to explore the wide range of activities on offer and enthusiastically share
their learning. Staff know children well and plan effectively for all children, including those
who experience barriers to learning. For example, children designed an obstacle course in
the outdoor area. Staff thoughtfully adapted the activity so that every child could participate
successfully, including the youngest children. Older children demonstrated kindness and
empathy by recognising when younger children needed extra time and adapted the course
so they could join in successfully.
Staff create a nurturing environment where children feel safe to express their feelings and
emotions. They provide comfort and reassurance when children need support while also
encouraging them to persevere with activities they initially find challenging. As a result,
children develop resilience, confidence and a positive attitude towards learning.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure children of all ages are clear of the expectations and rules so they
understand what is being asked of them during the entire nursery day.
Leaders should ensure the teaching of mathematics has a sharper focus across the
curriculum.
Leaders should ensure that all staff understand when to move learning forward, when to
use precise questioning to deepen understanding and when to step back to assess what
children can achieve independently.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff and parents and carers and engaged with children
during the inspection.

Inspector:
Gareth Cotterell
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2820592
Address:
St. George's Church
Vancouver Road
LONDON
SE23 2AG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 18/12/2024
Registered person: Little Legs Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Lewisham
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 6 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 3
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered
person must ensure that the provision complies with the statutory framework for children's
learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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.
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