CJ's Little Pickles

CJ's Little Pickles
Unique reference number (URN): 2832457
Address: The School House, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Corringham, Essex, SS17 7TG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 02/04/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: CJ's Little Pickles Ltd
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.

Strong standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff are excellent role models for all the children, consistently demonstrating
calm, respectful and positive interactions. Staff support children effectively during transitions
by using familiar songs, counting and consistent routines to signal changes in activities.
Children respond positively, moving calmly and purposefully to the next part of the routine.
Children behave very well and show consistently positive attitudes to learning. They
demonstrate the highest respect for adults and peers and follow expectations with
confidence. Children share, take turns and cooperate with ease. Staff provide consistent
support to help children manage their behaviour, including those with additional needs.
Children demonstrate growing independence. They pour their own drinks and carefully carry
them back to their seating area. Older children help the younger children to turn on taps and
manage handwashing routines.
Staff use praise effectively to reinforce kindness, perseverance and effort. Children respond
positively and show pride in their achievements. They show curiosity and motivation to
learn. Staff support children to listen, follow instructions and stay focused. Children
understand and manage their emotions well and resolve minor disagreements calmly.
Leaders and staff monitor attendance closely and work with families to promote regular
attendance. As a result, children attend consistently and benefit fully from their learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Children thrive in their emotional wellbeing because they benefit from trusting relationships
with kind, nurturing and empathetic adults. Staff are attentive to each child's individual
needs, including children with special educational needs and/or barriers to learning.
Children develop positive hygiene practices and follow daily routines confidently. They
independently wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet, showing a secure
understanding of good hygiene. Leaders and staff place significant emphasis on promoting
children's health and wellbeing. They implement effective risk assessments and robust
procedures for eating and supervision, ensuring children's safety and wellbeing remain a
priority throughout the day. For example, children are taught the importance of keeping well
hydrated on a hot day. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations about healthy food
choices at mealtimes and work closely with families to encourage healthy packed lunches.
Children are encouraged to take part in appropriately managed risk-taking experiences.
They are supported when exploring their environment and taking part in risky play. This
ensures children develop confidence, resilience and an awareness of their own safety in a
familiar and controlled environment. Resources in all rooms are suitable, well organised and
age appropriate, supporting children's development across all areas of learning.

Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff are committed to ensuring that children are supported to make progress
from their starting points. They have high aspirations for every child and work tirelessly to
create an environment and curriculum that supports children's learning and wellbeing. This
means children's needs are identified promptly and appropriate action is taken to meet the
needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders regularly review and assess children's progress to identify where additional support
may be required. They work collaboratively with external professionals and are receptive to
advice and support, using this to improve outcomes for children.
There is a real sense of community within the nursery. Leaders build trusting and respectful
relationships with children's families and maintain regular communication with parents,
including those who speak English as an additional language. Staff make every effort to
ensure that families feel listened to and valued. Parents are encouraged to share
information about their children's interests and development, enabling staff to build a
comprehensive understanding of each child. This strong partnership supports continuity
between home and nursery and ensures that children receive consistent messages, care
and support. Families are confident to approach staff and know that their views are valued
and acted upon.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for
development. They demonstrate a clear understanding of priorities for ongoing improvement
and seek guidance from external agencies where appropriate. Leaders use reflection,
feedback and professional discussion to identify where improvements are needed and are
committed to ensuring that actions taken have a positive impact on children's experiences
and development.
Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and set high expectations for their team. They provide
ongoing support, ensuring that staff receive clear guidance about their responsibilities and
have regular opportunities to extend their knowledge and develop their skills. Leaders
actively encourage staff to gain further qualifications and act as positive role models. Staff
report feeling well supported in their roles and valued as part of the wider team. There is a
positive culture of professional development, with staff encouraged to learn from one
another and share their knowledge and experience. This contributes to a motivated and
committed staff team.
Partnerships with parents are strong. Open communication and shared goals help to create
a positive culture and ensure continuity of care and education for children. Parents speak
positively about the support they receive and feel well informed about their children's
progress and experiences in the nursery. Leaders and staff are approachable and make
themselves available to discuss children's individual needs, interests and achievements.
The setting responds positively to parental feedback and uses this to inform and enhance
provision, helping families to feel listened to, respected and valued.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children are confident communicators and interact positively with staff, visitors and their
peers. They build secure friendships and enjoy playing cooperatively with one another.
Children who speak English as an additional language enjoy listening to stories with staff
and benefit from practitioners using signs alongside spoken words. As a result, children
develop their communication and language skills, which has a positive impact on their
confidence to express themselves and communicate their needs.
Children of all ages develop increasing independence as they manage their personal care
and take responsibility for everyday routines. For example, the youngest children confidently
gather their own bedtime bags and place their drinking bottles safely in the designated
space. Older children collect their own lunch boxes and pour their own drinks. These
routines support children's self-confidence, coordination and sense of responsibility while
helping them develop practical skills that prepare them for the next stage of their
development.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
The curriculum is based on children's interests and provides a wide range of meaningful
learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do. Staff use
children's interests to plan engaging activities that help them develop the skills, knowledge
and understanding they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education.
Leaders need to ensure that all staff have the correct knowledge and understanding of what
leaders expect children to know and learn.
Staff provide a wide variety of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For
example, children use large climbing apparatus, bikes, trikes and scooters to strengthen
their gross motor skills. Indoors, children develop their fine motor and small-muscle skills
through activities such as play dough, cutting with scissors and junk modelling. These
experiences support children's coordination, strength and control.
There is a strong focus on supporting children's communication and language development.
Structured circle times take place within each age group, incorporating singing, signing and
storytelling. This encourages children to learn new words. Staff create frequent opportunities
for children to listen, respond and communicate, helping them to develop confidence in
expressing themselves and share their ideas. Children are also introduced to mathematical
vocabulary through everyday experiences. For example, a range of mathematical language,
including 'bigger', 'smallest' and 'tiny', was used naturally in the outdoor environment.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children love attending this nursery. They are excited to join in the enticing activities that
have been thoughtfully organised by leaders. For example, children excitedly look through
information books about insects, then try to find the insects in the outdoor environment.
Children benefit from visitors to the nursery, such as a PE teacher, who supported the
children with gross motor skills such as running, jumping, throwing and catching. Children
confidently engage in exploratory play. For example, the youngest children play in the water
tray, filling, emptying and pouring. Older children explore ice using recently introduced
vocabulary such as 'frozen', 'hard' and 'melt'.
Children communicate confidently and cooperate well during play and learning experiences,
demonstrating kindness, respect and consideration for one another. Children clearly enjoy
each other's company and engage enthusiastically in collaborative play, sharing ideas,
resources and experiences. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging within the
nursery and feel confident to express themselves. Staff model and reinforce positive
relationships, supporting children to develop the social and emotional skills they need to
form meaningful friendships. Staff create a warm, welcoming and stimulating environment
where children feel safe, secure and valued.
Staff's knowledge of children means they know what children can do and what they need to
learn next. This supports children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, as well as those who face other barriers to their learning, to make their own
individual, steady and sustained progress from their starting points. Children's attendance is
recognised as key to developing consistency in attachments. Partnerships with parents are
highly valued, with staff and parents working closely together to share information,
understand children's needs and ensure the very best outcomes for each child. Staff use
their knowledge of children's individual interests, strengths and needs to provide
experiences that are meaningful, appropriately challenging and tailored to support their
development.
Next steps
Leaders should build on their recent work to strengthen the curriculum and teaching so
that this is consistently of a high quality across the setting.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff members, a special educational needs coordinator,
children and parents during the inspection.

Inspector:
Alison Hawkridge
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2832457
Address:
The School House
Queen Elizabeth Drive
Corringham
Essex
SS17 7TG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 02/04/2025
Registered person: CJ's Little Pickles Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 07:30 - 17:00,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 -
16:30
Local authority: Thurrock
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
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.

1 to 4
Total number of places
20
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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