Little Learners Day Nursery

Little Learners Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2742392
Address: 156 Whitehorse Road, CROYDON, CR0 2LA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 20/07/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Whitehorse Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 20 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
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour, which is typical across all ages. For
example, they teach toddlers and pre-school aged children to show kindness to their peers
and share resources. Due to staff's consistency in using the same techniques and approach,
children are well behaved and understand the routine well. Staff quickly address any
behavioural incidents and support children to understand the emotions and needs of others
at the understanding and ability of each child. As a result of this, children are observed to be
empathetic and patient with one another. They often think of solutions without needing adult
support. Staff role model kindness and care, which children then imitate and learn from. The
staff work well together and communicate in a kind and clear manner, while showing respect
for one another. This enables children to understand the importance of respect, care and
empathy.
Leaders promote children's attendance with parents and carers. They work closely with
them to understand the cause for attendance and how they can offer support. Due to this,
parents are swift at notifying the setting in the morning of any absence and keeping the
setting up to date with any ongoing issues that may affect attendance. Leaders have worked
closely with the team to implement a secure routine that will help support children's
behaviour and attitudes. This routine is not fully embedded yet, and leaders are still
continuously supporting the team to implement this. However, there is a noticeable positive
change in children's behaviour and calmness since the routine has started to embed into
everyday practice.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff demonstrate an effective understanding of how to support children's
welfare and wellbeing. For example, staff engage in discussions with children about healthy
eating habits, the importance of hydration and how movement keeps them healthy. Staff
work closely with parents and carers to an gain understanding of their children's interests.
They use this information to create activities that children will enjoy. The impact of this
means that staff create a welcoming space, where children feel they belong and typically
enjoy learning.
Staff are observant of children and attend to their care needs swiftly, such as changing wet
clothes, cleaning their faces or offering frequent water. Staff focus on independence across
all ages. As a result, children develop their independence skills as they grow, such as
washing their own hands and self-dressing. Staff share knowledge with the children about
healthy habits during mealtimes, while promoting good manners. However, this is not
consistent in all ages of children. Leaders and staff have created an outdoor area where
children can develop their physical skills. Children learn the importance of movement and
healthy activities.
Staff have secure attachments with all children, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities. As a result, children are confident, social, happy and eager to

Needs attention
share experiences. There is an effective key-person system in place, which means all
children have their individual needs met and staff recognise where adaptations are required.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff swiftly identify and support children who need extra support. Staff work
closely with the local authority teams and their designated special educational needs
coordinators to observe, assess and implement next steps that meet the needs of children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their abilities and progress.
Leaders and staff provide support to families to ensure that children are engaged in learning
opportunities at home and in the setting for consistency. For example, staff prepare home
learning activities linking to the weekly theme that parents can deliver at home. The impact
of this is parents feel supported and included in their child's learning and development, and
children access engaging learning opportunities when they are absent from the setting.
Staff use individual and group tracking systems to identify areas of development and
celebrate individual achievements. However, as the curriculum is not consistently
embedded, all children, including those with SEND and those who speak English as an
additional language and those with barriers to learning, do not consistently progress on to
the next stage of learning effectively. Staff are swift at adapting activities and experiences to
ensure that all children are included and feel a sense of belonging. For example, during a
baking activity, staff help children to mix the wet ingredients and offer them the dry ones
instead due to sensory barriers.
Achievement Needs attention
Due to weaknesses in practice negatively impacting on children's achievements, children
are not suitability prepared for the next stage of learning. For example, older children in the
setting engage in mathematics activities with number recognition and tracing, but they are
unable to identify numbers and complete the task as they have not yet achieved the skills
prior to this stage. However, children do develop some age-appropriate knowledge and skills
in the areas of learning. For instance, children do achieve individual milestones in
communication and language. Children attempt to complete new tasks and show a positive
attitude to trying. However, due to the lack of prior learning experiences in some areas,
children are not always able to complete the desired task.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders have an ambitious and effective curriculum desired for the setting. However, this is
not yet well embedded. Staff do not typically understand the curriculum and its intent, which
means there is an overall negative impact on children's learning and development. For
example, staff do not fully understand what they want children to learn and how they
prepare children for the next stage of learning in all areas. They incorrectly think that some

areas of learning, such as mathematics and literacy, are only taught to children at a pre-
school level. Therefore, there is no scaffolding of learning before children reach this stage.
Leaders have delivered guidance and training on the setting's curriculum. However, they
have not monitored practice effectively to observe and assess the impact or staff's
knowledge and implementation. Staff share their methods of assessment to track what
children can do, but due to the inconsistent curriculum, this is not yet effective. Leaders are
ambitious for all children. However, due to the inconsistencies with the curriculum, children
do not always thrive in every area of learning. Staff do encourage children's physical
development effectively however, for example, during garden time, staff engage in a range
of gross motor activities with the children.
Leaders and staff have a key focus on children's independence and communication and
language. These areas are well embedded throughout the setting. For example, staff use
visuals and shorter sentences to support children with barriers to their language to engage
in learning experiences. Staff encourage children to be independent at age-appropriate
tasks. For example, older children help set out lunch tables and self-serve their meals.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders have knowledge of the setting's strengths and areas for development. However,
their oversight and monitoring are not effective as there are gaps in the curriculum, teaching
and children's achievements. Leaders have supported staff to embed a new routine, which
as a result has positively impacted children's behaviour. Leaders have also set a clear focus
on the importance of communication development, due to their cohort of children and their
needs. As a result of this, children are thriving in their language skills. However, leaders
have not monitored staff's knowledge and practice effectively to ensure that their vision for
the setting's curriculum is understood and implemented.
Leaders understand the setting's context well. They demonstrate an understanding of the
local area, cohort of children, the needs of children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and children known to children's services. However, due to the gaps in
curriculum, there is an impact on the overall achievements for all children. Leaders provide
staff with professional training and coaching. However, they do not follow learning through to
ensure that these skills and knowledge are delivered in practice. For example, leaders share
their desired curriculum during staff training sessions, but they do not check staff's
knowledge on this or observe their practice to ensure that it is being delivered.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff plan a curriculum based around children's interests and areas of next steps. However,
they do not consistently implement a structured curriculum and scaffold children's learning.
For example, children in the pre-school group explore literacy writing activities, but they
have not had the prior knowledge or experiences to be able to complete the learning
outcome for the activity. As a result of this, children do not consistently achieve in all areas
of learning, as they do not develop skills during their journey through each stage of learning.
However, leaders have implemented a key focus on communication and language
development as the setting has a high number of children who speak English as an
additional language, speech and language delays or special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND). The impact of this is all children, including those with SEND, are
supported in their language development and are making progress in this area.
Children demonstrate a sense of belonging in this setting and are excited to share personal
experiences with staff. For example, children discuss their upcoming holidays and key
updates, such as expecting a new addition to their family. Key persons work closely with
parents and carers to gain understanding of the children's interests, care needs and stages
of development prior to joining the setting. As a result of this, new children settle quickly into
the environment and form secure attachments with their key person.
All children are well cared for and supported emotionally. Staff reduce barriers to children's
learning by making adaptions and following their individual interests. This helps all children,
including those with SEND, to have access to learning experiences and equal opportunities.
This means that children show a positive and eager attitude to learning. Leaders offer staff
training and guidance on effective curriculum and monitoring children's achievement.
However, this is not yet embedded and consistent.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion
Date
ensure that staff understand the setting's curriculum and embed it
consistently across all age groups of children
23/03/2026
support staff to develop their knowledge of scaffolding experiences
and preparing children for their next stage of learning, so all children
can achieve
23/03/2026

Inspector:
Louise Mackay
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2742392
Address:
156 Whitehorse Road
CROYDON
CR0 2LA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 20/07/2023
Registered person: Whitehorse Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Local authority: Croydon
Action Completion
Date
improve and monitor practice to ensure that staff demonstrate
understanding of their role in delivering the curriculum and
monitoring achievable outcomes for children.
23/03/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the safeguarding leads, the special educational
needs and/or disabilities coordinator, staff and parents and carers 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.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 20 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
28
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.

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