URN 2843894 · Inspected 2026-01-26 · Published 2026-03-19 · Inspector: Vanessa Foster
The Little Magpies Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2843894 Address: The Little Magpies Nursery, Stargate Industrial Estate, Ryton, NE40 3EX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/06/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Little Magpies Nursery Ltd Inspection report: 26 January 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 are ready for the next stage in their learning because they have gained the confidence and skills they need for the future. For example, they learn a range of language and communication skills as they play. Younger children are encouraged to listen to and begin to join in with songs. Older children are encouraged to ask and answer questions. They build relationships with each other through conversations. Children confidently join in with activities alongside their peers and communicate effectively with their friends. Children show increasing independence in managing self-care needs, such as wiping their nose, putting on their coats and washing their hands. They are confident to try new things and show resilience when facing a challenge. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning achieve well from their starting points. They reach expected milestones because they receive support from considerate staff who consider their individual needs. For example, children can move freely between rooms in the setting so that they are comfortable, happy and confident. Children are motivated learners because they enjoy the play opportunities on offer to them. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff focus sharply on settling children because there are a high number of children who are new to the setting. This is because it has only been operating for a short time. Staff quickly build positive relationships, and this helps children to settle and feel secure. As a result, children typically play happily, and there is a calm atmosphere in every room in the setting. Routines are well established and children talk about key parts of the daily routine, such as snack time, story time and playing outdoors. They show confidence in taking part in familiar elements of the routine and are excited by new activities. Children of all ages behave well. Staff support children to develop skills in making friendships by modelling positive interactions and teaching children about their feelings. Staff praise positive behaviour, such as sharing and turn-taking. They model and encourage kindness towards others. Children use these skills to develop friendships with their peers. Leaders work closely and flexibly with families to highlight the importance of attendance. Individual and tailored support is provided for those families who need it. Leaders develop links with outside professionals, such as the local authority and health visitors, to track and improve attendance. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children's wellbeing is nurtured because of the strong bonds they have with their key person. Staff quickly form positive relationships with children through warm and caring interactions. They know the children well and this helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff use information from parents to help them quickly know and understand children's emotions. They respond sensitively to them, especially when children are still new to the setting. Staff help children to manage their emotions and to be kind to each other. Children's health is supported and encouraged well. For example, staff offer children a range of nutritious food such as fruit and vegetables. As children choose and serve themselves their snack, staff talk with them about the food they are enjoying. Children begin to understand about healthy lifestyles as they chat about portion sizes. Furthermore, staff and children discuss why it is important to move around to stay healthy. Leaders ensure that there are effective policies and procedures in place for sleeping, weaning and feeding. Children's personal care needs are sensitively met because staff have a clear understanding of these processes and implement them confidently. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders create a carefully thought-out and progressive curriculum and ensure it is generally taught well. However, this is still in the early stages of implementation and not yet fully embedded. Typically, staff are clear on the skills they want children to learn and develop at their different ages and stages. They provide a wide range of activities that support all areas of learning. Leaders ensure there is a clear focus on the development of children's communication and language skills. Staff model appropriate vocabulary for all children. Children have opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. For example, staff encourage older children to talk with their friends and ask questions. They encourage younger children to listen and join in with songs and stories. Staff create opportunities for children to develop physical skills. For example, staff add equipment, such as soft play and large construction, to help children develop their large muscles. Younger children explore play dough as a sensory activity. Older children use a range of tools to manipulate and mould the dough. This helps children develop their small muscles. Staff model the use of mathematical language alongside practical activities. Children use this language in their play to help strengthen their understanding. Generally, staff tailor their interactions to meet all children's individual learning needs and support progress. However, on occasion, they do not adapt their teaching quickly enough to fully support and extend children's next steps. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders are committed to making sure that all children are included. They consider how they can best support children and their families right from the start. For example, they ensure that children have time to settle by tailoring the settling-in process to their individual needs. Staff gain an accurate view of each child's development because they work together to observe children. They use their knowledge of child development to identify gaps in learning and plan achievable next steps. Furthermore, where appropriate, staff work closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure they have a whole view of the child. Staff track children's progress and regularly communicate with parents and others who are involved in supporting children, such as health visitors. Leaders seek advice from outside professionals to remove barriers within the setting. This helps to ensure the provision is inclusive for all children. For example, leaders followed advice to change the lighting in the setting to make it more comfortable for all children. Leaders quickly identify when any extra resources are needed, and they utilise additional funding well to support children's progress. Furthermore, they help families to access appropriate funding. Leadership and governance Expected standard Although the setting has only been open a short time, leaders have a vision about how they plan to move forward. There is a secure and positive working relationship between the manager and nominated individual. Leaders know their setting well and have a clear understanding of the key priorities and areas for improvement. There are plans to develop leadership capacity as the setting grows and the number of children increases. Parents speak positively about the relationships they have with leaders and staff. They welcome the help offered to their children. Parents say that leaders and staff are approachable and that staff communicate well with them. This means that they are consistently informed about their child's ongoing development and progress. Leaders support staff's professional learning and wellbeing and are committed to staff development. They plan relevant training for staff and support them to pursue further qualifications. Staff say they are supported well in their roles and are valued by leaders. They know how to ask for help and guidance. Leaders have started to reflect on how they can support staff to adapt their teaching quickly to fully support and extend children's individual next steps. However, this is still in the early stages of implementation and is not yet having an impact on children's progress. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are happy and excited to learn when they arrive at nursery. Positive relationships are evident between staff and children. Leaders and staff check in with children's individual families, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, to ensure that this transition is smooth. This helps children settle quickly, and they feel safe and secure in the setting. Children's independence is encouraged throughout the day. For example, older children hang up their coats on arrival. They put on their coats and shoes ready to play outside. Inspector: Vanessa Foster About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2843894 Children help with setting the table for lunch and clear up when they have finished eating. Staff encourage younger children to crawl towards the door ready to play outside. Staff support children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills through positive interactions and modelling kindness. This helps children build positive relationships with adults and make friends with other children. Children are interested and engaged in a wide range of learning opportunities that support their development across all areas of learning. Children's communication and language develop well because staff introduce a range of new words in their interactions with them. They support children to use this vocabulary in their play. Children talk about what they are doing, and this helps them to strengthen their communication skills. Children enjoy singing familiar songs and rhymes. They develop a love of reading as staff share a range of stories with them. Staff thread mathematical ideas into children's play. For example, staff help children decide who has built the tallest sandcastle when playing in the sand. These experiences help to prepare children well for school and the next stage of their learning. Next steps Leaders should strengthen staff's understanding of how to adapt their teaching quickly enough to fully support and extend children's next steps. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, 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. A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Address: The Little Magpies Nursery Stargate Industrial Estate Ryton NE40 3EX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 30/06/2025 Registered person: The Little Magpies Nursery Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30 Local authority: Gateshead Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 26 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 3 Total number of places 86 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. 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