URN EY411052 · Inspected 2026-01-15 · Published 2026-03-04 · Inspector: Sue Bradford
Little Valers Pre-school Committee Unique reference number (URN): EY411052 Address: Grove Vale Primary School, Monksfield Avenue, BIRMINGHAM, B43 6AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/07/2010 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little Valers Committee Inspection report: 15 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 Expected standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children enjoy learning in a calm and respectful environment. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the care of kind and nurturing staff. Leaders and staff have high expectations for behaviour. Staff consistently model respectful and kind behaviours, supporting children to understand how they are expected to behave. Staff consistently celebrate children's achievements. They recognise and praise children's positive behaviours, building their self-esteem and confidence. Children are highly respectful of established routines and instructions from staff. For example, children line up sensibly after washing their hands in readiness for lunchtime. Children demonstrate high levels of care and respect for their environment. For example, they help each other to tidy away toys and resources, carefully returning them to their storage boxes. This prepares children well for the next stage of their education at school, building their independence and social skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support to follow routines and timely reminders. This ensures their full engagement in activities and fosters a sense of security and belonging. Leaders work closely with families to ensure that children settle quickly and attend regularly. For example, they undertake home visits to help build positive and trusting relationships with parents and carers and children. Leaders share strategies and resources with parents to promote regular attendance. For example, they provide visual timetables for parents to help their children get ready for school each morning. This promotes regular attendance and punctuality. It also benefits children's learning and ensures that they participate in all learning opportunities, helping them to make progress and thrive. Achievement Expected standard Children build firm foundations for future learning as the result of a sharp focus on the prime areas of learning. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education at school. For example, they develop independence skills and respectfully follow the setting's rules and routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from tailored one-to-one support to help meet their developmental goals. For example, they use signs and pictures to develop their understanding of routines within the setting. This supports children's engagement and participation in planned activities, promoting their learning in all areas. Children's communication and language skills develop well. For example, children confidently engage in conversations with staff, sharing their ideas and asking for help when needed. Children who speak English as an additional language quickly learn vocabulary that helps them to express their needs. However, typically the high-quality interactions that staff have with children with SEND are inconsistent across the setting. For example, staff do not always know how to engage children with SEND in conversations that encourage their participation, promoting their communication skills.. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard An established key-person system enhances the safety and wellbeing of children. Leaders and staff implement structured daily routines to foster secure relationships among children. Staff make thoughtful adaptations to assist children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to feel secure and safe in the setting, thereby, supporting their emotional development. Staff employ various strategies to help children to develop an awareness and understanding of their emotions. For instance, they use well-known stories to encourage children to connect their own experiences with those of book characters. Staff prompt children to identify people who could help them if they became lost, like the character in a book. This promotes children's understanding about personal safety. Children learn to value and celebrate differences, understanding that everyone is unique and important. They show growing empathy and kindness towards others. For example, they wait patiently for others to take their turns when completing jigsaw puzzles and praise their efforts. These everyday interactions foster the growth of children's social and emotional skills. Staff support children to understand the importance of effective hygiene practices. For example, children independently wash their hands before eating and after using tissues to wipe their noses. Staff and children have regular discussions about healthy food choices, as they enjoy their daily fruit snacks. Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage healthy and nutritious packed lunches. Children typically enjoy playing and being physically active in the outdoor environment. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders deliver an ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning and benefits children positively. The curriculum centres on assessing what all children know, can do and understand, as well as identifying their next steps in learning. When planning learning opportunities, leaders and staff consider each child's individual needs and interests. Staff develop positive relationships with the children in their care. They consistently observe and assess each child's progress, identifying what each child needs to learn next. This insight helps them to create an engaging and varied curriculum tailored to support each child's ongoing development. Leaders evaluate how well the curriculum works and adjust it as needed. For example, when they notice children encountering difficulties in learning, leaders plan differentiated group activities to help improve children's understanding of mathematical concepts, such as matching numbers to quantities. However, staff sometimes overlook children who lose interest while waiting their turn, limiting children's full participation in learning activities. Despite this limitation, over time, children develop counting skills and mathematical understanding that provides a foundation for their transition to school. Children's personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. Children are encouraged to participate in collaborative play and manage their own belongings. Staff engage children in stories and songs to foster the development of communication and language skills. They work collaboratively to address the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, adapting activities to support individual progress. For instance, staff introduce and model new vocabulary, posing questions to prompt children's recall of familiar story events. This enhances children's thinking and communication skills. Inclusion Expected standard Children who speak English as an additional language receive support to make progress. For example, staff use key words in children's home languages and visual cues to help children to settle quickly. As a result, children become familiar with daily routines, making progress as they access the full range of learning opportunities on offer. Leaders and staff use observation and assessment to identify children's individual starting points and any potential barriers to learning they may have. Leaders seek the advice of outside professionals to implement individual targets and learning plans. This ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get targeted support. Staff make appropriate adjustments to routines and activities to support children's next steps. They plan purposeful learning opportunities for children to participate in at their own pace. This builds children's self-confidence and growing independence. Leaders closely monitor children's progress. They promptly adjust resources and activities in response, promoting children's continued development and learning. For example, staff provide photos for children to help learn the names of familiar people and objects in their learning environment. Leaders and staff undertake training to help promote their knowledge and skills, to further support the individual needs of children. However, this training is not always tailored to support the specific needs of individual children, sometimes limiting the progress they make. This means that leaders do not ensure that staff possess the precise knowledge or skills to support the specific learning needs of children with SEND. Children develop a sense of belonging. For example, they happily engage in activities, talking about their families and recognising how they are different and similar. This fosters children's self-awareness and confidence and helps them to build respectful relationships with others. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders generally evaluate the effectiveness of their provision and the quality of teaching and learning to ensure they continue to meet children's needs. They identify where adjustments could lead to further enhancements. For instance, leaders have recognised changes that could be made to the outdoor learning environment, to enrich opportunities for children's learning. Leaders actively promote staff's wellbeing, fostering an environment where staff feel valued and supported. Regular supervision sessions and observations of teaching and learning are typically conducted to identify opportunities for professional development and enhance staff practice. This approach supports the ongoing improvement of teaching, benefiting all children in the setting. However, leaders do not consistently equip staff with the specific knowledge required to effectively support the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Despite this weakness, leaders ensure that children with SEND are engaged and enjoy their learning, and are making progress. Leaders prioritise working in partnership with parents and carers. Parents are very happy about the individual support their children receive. They describe ways in which leaders and staff at the setting support them and their families. For example, parents appreciate the tailored activities that their children bring home to support and extend their learning at home. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children arrive happily at the setting, where they are greeted with warm smiles and friendly conversations. The caring staff build positive relationships with children. This supports children to feel safe and secure and settle quickly. This promotes a calm and positive start to the day. Children quickly join in activities tailored to their needs and interests. They play cooperatively alongside their friends, sharing resources and solving problems together. For example, children use building bricks to make roads for toy cars. They display resilience and develop positive attitudes to learning as they persevere. Children are determined to make the longest road they can, overcoming obstacles in their way. Children learn early literacy and mathematical skills that promote firm foundations for future learning. Children excitedly engage in multisensory activities, linking movement and songs with early mathematical concepts. For example, children learn to name and draw simple shapes in the air as they sing and dance along to familiar songs. The setting places a strong emphasis on developing children's communication and language skills. Staff usually use effective strategies to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress in this area. For instance, they plan meaningful and timely interactions with children to encourage their play and expand their understanding. Children demonstrate independence skills, hanging up their coats and putting away their personal items. They confidently identify their names in print to self-register each day. Children's transition to school is well supported. For example, children eat lunch in the school dining hall regularly, helping them become familiar with the environment and school routines. Leaders encourage positive attendance with parents and children. Staff have high Inspector: Sue Bradford About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY411052 Address: Grove Vale Primary School Monksfield Avenue BIRMINGHAM B43 6AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 14/07/2010 expectations for children's behaviour, and their behaviour is excellent as a result. Children respectfully follow the setting's 'golden rules' and instructions given to them by staff. Staff regularly praise children's efforts and achievements, building their self-esteem and confidence. Children play cooperatively, sharing and taking turns with their friends. They happily offer a helping hand when it is time to tidy toys away. Next steps Leaders should develop ongoing professional development opportunities to ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills they need to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make the progress of which they are capable of in their learning and development. Staff should consistently plan and adapt teaching to promote the engagement and participation of all children in group activities. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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. Registered person: Little Valers Committee Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 15:30 Local authority: Sandwell Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 15 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 3 to 4 Total number of places 24 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. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted © Crown copyright 2026 © Crown copyright