URN 2827542 · Inspected 2026-08-04 · Published 2026-09-16 · Inspector: Kelly Wakefield
LITTLE JO'S DAY NURSERY LTD Unique reference number (URN): 2827542 Address: Little Jo's Nursery, 35 Doncaster Road, BARNSLEY, S70 1TH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/02/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: LITTLE JO'S DAY NURSERY LTD Inspection report: 4 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 Achievement Strong standard All children make clear and significant progress from their starting points in all areas of learning. Children develop a wide range of skills, which help them to become confident and independent learners as they take on roles of which they are proud. For example, children confidentially pour their own drinks and peel their own fruit during snack. They show a great sense of pride in their independent skills. Children consistently benefit from a clear focus on developing their social skills. For example, children confidentially play alongside others, turn take and share ideas. Children fully engage in action songs and nursery rhymes. All children, including babies, are developing their communication and language skills. Children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning, including readiness for school. Children of all ages develop a love of books and explore early mathematics through purposeful activities. For example, children have opportunities to compare sizes and shapes as they develop their knowledge of mathematical concepts. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard A respectful culture is displayed throughout the nursery by leaders, staff and children. Leaders have established a very calm and well-structured environment, where extremely high expectations for behaviour are clearly understood and consistently applied. For example, staff praise children for their manners and talk about the importance of turn-taking, sharing and having respect for each other. Children engage in a wide range of activities throughout the nursery, which supports their next steps in learning. Staff regularly encourage children to take a lead in their play and ask appropriate questions to help further develop their knowledge and understanding. Staff swiftly build warm and trustworthy relationships with children, as they adapt their expectations and support individual needs. Children look to their key person for support, especially children who face barriers to their learning or those with English as an additional language. Parents praise the key-person system in the nursery and how quickly bonds are established between children and staff. Leaders work very closely with families to establish a consistent routine and address any barriers, ensuring children attend regularly and engage in learning. Leaders have implemented a traffic light system, which they use to monitor attendance, and parents are aware of the steps that leaders will take as a result of this. The nursery has no attendance issues. Staff encourage a sense of responsibility, where routines are embedded effectively and the children know what happens next. For example, children independently wash their hands before lunchtime showing an understanding of the importance of self-care. Younger children confidently use cutlery at mealtimes. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff develop excellent partnerships with families through regular communication. Leaders consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing, by ensuring that practice is rigorously reviewed. For example, routines are adapted by staff to meet the individual needs of children. Children form close attachments with staff, as staff consistently show a calm and caring nature which allows for new children to settle quickly. Staff adapt and change their approach to suit the needs of all children. Staff are highly responsive to the varying needs and the changing circumstances of individual children and families. Staff are aware of the needs of all the children across the setting. For example, staff provide reassurance and distraction through a range of sensory activities. Staff also teach children to express their emotions and to talk about how they are feeling during activities and through open discussions. Children confidently explore the outdoor environment, where there are challenging learning opportunities for all children to develop their gross motor skills. Children independently ride bikes, dig in the sand and explore water play through the use of purposeful tools. Children and staff plant vegetables in the allotment and, as a result, children develop an understanding of healthy foods. They talk confidently about what they have grown and why these foods are healthy for their bodies. Routines are well established and children understand the high expectations staff share with them at mealtimes. Children are well supervised when they are eating, and they discuss with staff the activities they have enjoyed at nursery. Children develop an understanding of the importance of oral health. Staff model toothbrushing and children participate in daily toothbrushing activities, showing the importance of healthy oral habitats. Furthermore, staff encourage families to promote oral health at home. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders create an inclusive curriculum which is consistently implemented to a high standard. They ensure that the curriculum is continually adapted to meet the needs of individual children, especially children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning. This helps children to become confident and independent learners from the outset. Children are fully engaged in their learning. This is as a result of high-quality teaching. Staff initiate purposeful interactions and promote language-rich conversations. Children show that they make rapid development, as staff build on what children know and can already do. This helps to ensure that children thrive and are ready for the next stage in their learning. Leaders and staff know all children well. This is reflected in the setting's curriculum. For instance, staff implement sensory activities, introduce mathematical concepts through play, and share core books that introduce 'wow' words. This helps to precisely target children's individual learning needs. Staff model language and ask questions that spark children's curiosity and thinking skills. Staff provide purposeful communication methods for children who are nonverbal. For instance, staff use props and resources as part of their circle times, allowing children to communicate without using spoken language. Children develop excellent physical skills. Staff offer praise to babies as they crawl, pull themselves up and begin to feel confident when taking their first steps. Older children run, balance and pedal around the garden as they show a 'can-do' attitude. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff identify children's needs quickly through observing what they are learning and providing effective support via their inclusive curriculum and teaching. Staff expertly use their knowledge of each child in order to plan and implement personalised targets designed to meet children's needs, and they promptly liaise with other professionals to ensure children receive the right support at the right time. Parents comment on the effective early identification of their child's development, the impact this has had and how they have been signposted to the right professionals. Leaders and staff implement strategies to monitor children's progress using milestone cards. They select resources carefully in order to extend and enhance children's learning experiences and adapt the environment when required. For example, visual timetables, sign language and nonverbal communication tools are used consistently and referred to with all children. This particularly benefits children with communication difficulties, and children with English as an additional language, as they use these visual prompts to support their speech, language and confidence. Leaders take innovative steps to use additional funding effectively in order to help support children's targeted needs. For example, additional funding has been used to provide activities and resources to develop children's personal, social and emotional skills. Leaders and staff worked closely with parents to put plans in place to support and enhance social skills in new situations and to reduce barriers to children's learning. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders have children at the heart of what they do, as they provide a curriculum that is clear and meets the needs of all the children. They involve all staff in shaping the curriculum so that it reflects the children's needs and aspirations. Leaders have a strong understanding of the nursery's strengths and any areas of development are swiftly implemented and worked upon. Leaders have a secure understanding of how to reduce the barriers that children may face, and they provide an inclusive learning environment where all children achieve through high- quality teaching and interactions from staff. Leaders know their children well and use their knowledge of children to support and shape their development. Leaders work closely with the local authority and other professionals to provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their learning. They have strong partnerships with professionals, which have a positive impact on how quickly interventions are put into place once any gaps in learning have being identified. Leaders know the range of support that is available and use this support when it is required. Leaders make adjustments to help with staff wellbeing, workload and home life. Staff then feel valued and supported in their role and benefit from 'keeping in touch' days, supervisions and regular check-ins with leaders. Staff feel proud to work in this nursery and this is shown through their enthusiasm to consistently improve their practice and professional development. This further contributes to the positive atmosphere within the nursery. Leaders and staff communicate effectively with parents and carers, which makes parents feel involved with their child's learning. This has a positive impact on their child's overall development and wellbeing. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children make great strides in their development in the calm and inviting atmosphere that staff and leaders have created for the children who attend this setting. Children experience a highly inclusive, nurturing and purposeful environment, which helps them feel safe and secure as they confidently separate from their main carer. Families trust the staff implicitly with their children's care and development. They feel fully involved within their child's learning and their contributions are valued and respected. Leaders engage effectively with families to promote regular attendance and to help maintain consistent routines that support children's wellbeing. Children become engaged in many different learning opportunities that are tailored to meet the needs of all individual children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those that face barriers to their learning. Babies develop independence and show perseverance when pulling themselves up and taking steps for the first time. Older children show pride in their achievements and are motivated to keep challenging themselves. Children develop strong bonds with their friends as they support each other and share their ideas. They demonstrate effective social skills, such as when children encourage their friends to come and play as they compare amounts and share purposeful tools. Older children show they identify risks for their friends when discussing allergies, making them feel a valued part of the nursery. Inspector: Kelly Wakefield About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2827542 Address: Little Jo's Nursery 35 Doncaster Road BARNSLEY S70 1TH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 14/02/2025 Registered person: LITTLE JO'S DAY NURSERY LTD Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Barnsley Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work and to remove barriers for children who need extra help, to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under section 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. A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 4 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 72 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. 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