Safeguarding met Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care source PDF ↗ provider page on ofsted.gov.uk ↗

Grades by area

Children's welfare and wellbeing

Strong standard
Care practices across the nursery are highly responsive and respectful. Staff meet children's individual needs excellently. They have developed a strong key-person system, which enables staff to get to know the children well and respond sensitively and swiftly to their needs. This ensures every child feels safe and secure. There is a high emphasis placed on offering continuity of care, particularly for babies and new starters at the nursery. For example, staff settle babies to sleep in the same way that their parents and carers do. All children, including those with particular social and emotional needs associated with their special educational needs and/or disabilities, are given opportunities throughout the day and have access to dedicated spaces to take time out of the busyness if they feel overwhelmed or need some quiet or rest. Children are supported by staff in this area highly effectively. As a result, they develop excellent awareness of their own emotions and responses and learn ways to manage them effectively. Children are encouraged as much as possible to be independent, for example in serving themselves food, using the bathroom and dressing. Staff skilfully teach children valuable skills and knowledge for their future, which helps them develop a strong awareness of healthy lifestyles and healthy habits for the future.

Inclusion

Strong standard
Leaders and staff have created an inspiring culture of inclusion. Children feel valued and are able to access all aspects of the curriculum because of staff's skilful support. This enables all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to have the same opportunities as their peers. Leaders and staff are quick to identify gaps in children's learning and take swift and well-thought-out actions to tailor support to the needs of individual children. This approach ensures that leaders and staff have a highly effective impact on children's development. Staff work highly successfully with parents and other professionals in the children's lives. Staff are extremely effective in working closely with social care professionals and ensure barriers that children face are understood and reduced through careful monitoring of their ongoing welfare. Key people proactively act on advice from medical professionals, such as speech and language therapists and dieticians. This highly productive partnership working ensures staff meet children's sensory needs and enable children to be successful in communicating and expressing themselves. Leaders make excellent use of additional funding to reduce barriers for children. For example, they purchase specific equipment, such as toilet frames, spinning chairs and specialist bikes, for children to be able to be independent in their play and when moving around and accessing the nursery environments.

Leadership and governance

Strong standard
Leaders demonstrate an excellent commitment to providing high-quality care and education. They have a deeply accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development through highly reflective and robust self-evaluation and monitoring that are ongoing and well embedded in everyday practice. For example, leaders continually monitor staff's practice to understand the effectiveness of the increased professional development and coaching staff have received and the impact it is having on children. The successful leadership team, which has been developed since the last inspection, has been extremely proactive and has already made a significant number of well-considered changes and improvements in a short period. These ongoing improvements are evident. For example, they have given staff an abundance of training opportunities that have greatly improved teaching. The staff team works very well together. Leaders invest in the promotion of staff wellbeing, and staff feel highly valued and extremely well supported. Leaders have a deep understanding of the barriers that some children face. They continually work to reduce barriers to children's learning. Highly effective communication with parents and partnership working with other professionals ensures consistency in approaches and an excellent continuity of care for children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known or previously known to social care.

Achievement

Expected standard
Children are very sociable. They enjoy back-and-forth conversations with others, such as when sitting together at the lunch table. Children understand that conversations are about taking turns to speak. Babies engage fully in singing songs at nursery. They are motivated to join in and bob up and down to the rhythm of songs. They learn about beat and pace of music and clap along happily. Children learn how to use their fingers when attempting tricky tasks. For example, they peel fruit at snack time, which helps to develop their coordination skills. Children learn important information about staying healthy. They know that part of a healthy lifestyle is to look after their teeth and to eat healthy foods. Children learn to persevere at tasks and show keen motivation to learn. Toddlers celebrate as they manage to pull up their zip to their coat independently. Older children develop important skills, such as toileting, dressing and making friends, which prepares them well for their transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines

Expected standard
Children play calmly and show an awareness of the expectations that staff clearly and consistently set out for them. Staff use techniques such as visual cues to prepare children for a change in routine. At times, staff do not plan some daily routines as well as they could. For example, during transition times to prepare to play outdoors, staff do not ensure learning is fully maximised for children. This means that children are not engaged in meaningful learning and are left waiting for direction from staff. Leaders recognise this weakness and are reviewing routines to ensure transition times become more purposeful. Typically, children display positive behaviour. For instance, babies can wait calmly for their bottles of milk to cool, toddlers walk safely and carefully down stairs to the garden, and pre-school children have a sound awareness of their emotions and how to self-regulate. Relationships between staff and children are nurturing and children get on well with one another. For instance, they make friends easily and willingly share resources. Staff help children understand the needs of their peers with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, children understand that particular resources are for their peers to use and they treat them with respect if they borrow them. Leaders and staff monitor attendance and take action if children do not arrive at nursery. They communicate with parents and carers about the importance of being punctual and to check the wellbeing of the child.

Curriculum and teaching

Expected standard
Leaders and staff plan and implement an appropriate curriculum that helps all children to make progress. Staff skilfully promote children's communication and language development. For example, staff make effective use of sign language alongside spoken language. They ably use visual aids and props to support children to extend their vocabulary. Consideration is given to the curriculum outdoors. Leaders and staff are actively working to enhance the gardens to broaden children's opportunities for learning when playing outdoors. Staff plan a range of physical activities and experiences for children, such as music and movement sessions. This helps children to be creative as they move their bodies in different ways to music. Staff carefully arrange fun ways to expand children's mathematical knowledge as they break blocks of ice to find and count hidden penguins. Typically, staff teaching is effective and they are enthusiastic teachers. Staff personalise learning to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Generally, staff's energy successfully promotes children's enjoyment in learning. On occasion, staff distract children before group learning has finished. This interrupts children's focus and concentration. Parents receive information about how they can extend their children's learning at home. For example, they regularly borrow books and story sacks to read with their children.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this inclusive nursery. Settling-in approaches are flexible and adapted to meet the needs of each child as an individual. This helps children feel safe and secure from the outset. Staff make the most of this time to get to know children and their families to build secure relationships with them. Children benefit from a broad and fun curriculum. Babies delight in interactive singing sessions. Toddlers become increasingly independent and show pride in their achievements as they complete tasks for themselves without needing any help from staff. Pre-school children play collaboratively and respectfully as they willingly share resources. Children develop a range of skills that are built up over time and enable them to be well prepared for their eventual move on to school. Staff and leaders focus primarily on children's learning and development in the prime areas. This enables children to develop effective social skills, promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles and prioritises their personal and emotional wellbeing. Staff are knowledgeable about the children they care for, including any barriers to learning that children may face. Staff use their knowledge to ensure the curriculum is planned and delivered in a way that supports each child to make sound progress across all aspects of their development. Children attend regularly. Leaders help parents and carers understand the positive impact that regular attendance has on their child's progress.

Next steps

Leaders should strengthen staff's interactions during group activities to minimise distractions to support children's ability to develop deep focus and concentration. Leaders should review daily routines, such as during transition times, to ensure teaching is of consistently high quality throughout the day.

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and carers and children 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

URN
2660796
Address
Space Adventures 32-34 Frobisher Way Taunton TA2 6BB
Type
Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Registration date
23/11/2021
Registered person
Ocean Adventurers Ltd
Register(s)
EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority
Somerset

Facts and figures

Age range at inspection
0 to 4
Total places
57

Data from 21 January 2026

Raw extracted PDF text
Little Adventures Nursery (Taunton)
Unique reference number (URN): 2660796
Address: Space Adventures, 32-34 Frobisher Way, Taunton, TA2 6BB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 23/11/2021
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Ocean Adventurers Ltd
Inspection report: 21 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.

Strong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Care practices across the nursery are highly responsive and respectful. Staff meet children's
individual needs excellently. They have developed a strong key-person system, which
enables staff to get to know the children well and respond sensitively and swiftly to their
needs. This ensures every child feels safe and secure. There is a high emphasis placed on
offering continuity of care, particularly for babies and new starters at the nursery. For
example, staff settle babies to sleep in the same way that their parents and carers do.
All children, including those with particular social and emotional needs associated with their
special educational needs and/or disabilities, are given opportunities throughout the day and
have access to dedicated spaces to take time out of the busyness if they feel overwhelmed
or need some quiet or rest. Children are supported by staff in this area highly effectively. As
a result, they develop excellent awareness of their own emotions and responses and learn
ways to manage them effectively.
Children are encouraged as much as possible to be independent, for example in serving
themselves food, using the bathroom and dressing. Staff skilfully teach children valuable
skills and knowledge for their future, which helps them develop a strong awareness of
healthy lifestyles and healthy habits for the future.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff have created an inspiring culture of inclusion. Children feel valued and are
able to access all aspects of the curriculum because of staff's skilful support. This enables
all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to have the
same opportunities as their peers. Leaders and staff are quick to identify gaps in children's
learning and take swift and well-thought-out actions to tailor support to the needs of
individual children. This approach ensures that leaders and staff have a highly effective
impact on children's development.
Staff work highly successfully with parents and other professionals in the children's lives.
Staff are extremely effective in working closely with social care professionals and ensure
barriers that children face are understood and reduced through careful monitoring of their
ongoing welfare. Key people proactively act on advice from medical professionals, such as
speech and language therapists and dieticians. This highly productive partnership working
ensures staff meet children's sensory needs and enable children to be successful in
communicating and expressing themselves.
Leaders make excellent use of additional funding to reduce barriers for children. For
example, they purchase specific equipment, such as toilet frames, spinning chairs and
specialist bikes, for children to be able to be independent in their play and when moving
around and accessing the nursery environments.

Expected standard
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders demonstrate an excellent commitment to providing high-quality care and education.
They have a deeply accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for
development through highly reflective and robust self-evaluation and monitoring that are
ongoing and well embedded in everyday practice. For example, leaders continually monitor
staff's practice to understand the effectiveness of the increased professional development
and coaching staff have received and the impact it is having on children.
The successful leadership team, which has been developed since the last inspection, has
been extremely proactive and has already made a significant number of well-considered
changes and improvements in a short period. These ongoing improvements are evident. For
example, they have given staff an abundance of training opportunities that have greatly
improved teaching. The staff team works very well together. Leaders invest in the promotion
of staff wellbeing, and staff feel highly valued and extremely well supported.
Leaders have a deep understanding of the barriers that some children face. They continually
work to reduce barriers to children's learning. Highly effective communication with parents
and partnership working with other professionals ensures consistency in approaches and an
excellent continuity of care for children, especially those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and those known or previously known to social care.
Achievement Expected standard
Children are very sociable. They enjoy back-and-forth conversations with others, such as
when sitting together at the lunch table. Children understand that conversations are about
taking turns to speak. Babies engage fully in singing songs at nursery. They are motivated to
join in and bob up and down to the rhythm of songs. They learn about beat and pace of
music and clap along happily.
Children learn how to use their fingers when attempting tricky tasks. For example, they peel
fruit at snack time, which helps to develop their coordination skills. Children learn important
information about staying healthy. They know that part of a healthy lifestyle is to look after
their teeth and to eat healthy foods.
Children learn to persevere at tasks and show keen motivation to learn. Toddlers celebrate
as they manage to pull up their zip to their coat independently. Older children develop
important skills, such as toileting, dressing and making friends, which prepares them well for
their transition to school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children play calmly and show an awareness of the expectations that staff clearly and
consistently set out for them. Staff use techniques such as visual cues to prepare children
for a change in routine. At times, staff do not plan some daily routines as well as they could.

For example, during transition times to prepare to play outdoors, staff do not ensure learning
is fully maximised for children. This means that children are not engaged in meaningful
learning and are left waiting for direction from staff. Leaders recognise this weakness and
are reviewing routines to ensure transition times become more purposeful.
Typically, children display positive behaviour. For instance, babies can wait calmly for their
bottles of milk to cool, toddlers walk safely and carefully down stairs to the garden, and pre-
school children have a sound awareness of their emotions and how to self-regulate.
Relationships between staff and children are nurturing and children get on well with one
another. For instance, they make friends easily and willingly share resources.
Staff help children understand the needs of their peers with special educational needs
and/or disabilities. For instance, children understand that particular resources are for their
peers to use and they treat them with respect if they borrow them. Leaders and staff monitor
attendance and take action if children do not arrive at nursery. They communicate with
parents and carers about the importance of being punctual and to check the wellbeing of the
child.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff plan and implement an appropriate curriculum that helps all children to
make progress. Staff skilfully promote children's communication and language development.
For example, staff make effective use of sign language alongside spoken language. They
ably use visual aids and props to support children to extend their vocabulary. Consideration
is given to the curriculum outdoors. Leaders and staff are actively working to enhance the
gardens to broaden children's opportunities for learning when playing outdoors.
Staff plan a range of physical activities and experiences for children, such as music and
movement sessions. This helps children to be creative as they move their bodies in different
ways to music. Staff carefully arrange fun ways to expand children's mathematical
knowledge as they break blocks of ice to find and count hidden penguins.
Typically, staff teaching is effective and they are enthusiastic teachers. Staff personalise
learning to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities. Generally, staff's energy successfully promotes children's enjoyment in
learning. On occasion, staff distract children before group learning has finished. This
interrupts children's focus and concentration. Parents receive information about how they
can extend their children's learning at home. For example, they regularly borrow books and
story sacks to read with their children.

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 are happy and enjoy their time at this inclusive nursery. Settling-in approaches are
flexible and adapted to meet the needs of each child as an individual. This helps children
feel safe and secure from the outset. Staff make the most of this time to get to know children
and their families to build secure relationships with them.
Children benefit from a broad and fun curriculum. Babies delight in interactive singing
sessions. Toddlers become increasingly independent and show pride in their achievements
as they complete tasks for themselves without needing any help from staff. Pre-school

Inspector:
Dominique Allotey
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2660796
Address:
Space Adventures
32-34 Frobisher Way
children play collaboratively and respectfully as they willingly share resources. Children
develop a range of skills that are built up over time and enable them to be well prepared for
their eventual move on to school. Staff and leaders focus primarily on children's learning and
development in the prime areas. This enables children to develop effective social skills,
promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles and prioritises their personal and
emotional wellbeing.
Staff are knowledgeable about the children they care for, including any barriers to learning
that children may face. Staff use their knowledge to ensure the curriculum is planned and
delivered in a way that supports each child to make sound progress across all aspects of
their development. Children attend regularly. Leaders help parents and carers understand
the positive impact that regular attendance has on their child's progress.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen staff's interactions during group activities to minimise
distractions to support children's ability to develop deep focus and concentration.
Leaders should review daily routines, such as during transition times, to ensure teaching
is of consistently high quality throughout the day.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
parents and carers and children 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.

Taunton
TA2 6BB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 23/11/2021
Registered person: Ocean Adventurers Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Somerset
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 21 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
57
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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