Lots for Tots Childcare Hilton

Lots for Tots Childcare Hilton
Unique reference number (URN): 2850769
Address: Unit 1, 2 and 3 Mandarin Court, Hilton, DE65 5FJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 17/07/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: LOTS FOR TOTS CHILDCARE LTD
Inspection report: 25 February 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 developing their language and communication skills well. Babies babble back
and forth to staff, and older babies repeat single words. Toddlers talk to puppets, changing
their voice to pretend the puppet is talking back to them. Pre-school children are social at
mealtimes. They excitedly tell their friends they have carrot and cucumber sticks that make
crunching sounds when they eat them.
There are occasions when children are unable to continue their chosen activity. As a result,
they are not learning as much as they could. For example, toddlers are eager to build towers
to match the pictures they have been given. However, staff have not provided enough bricks
for children to use.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face
barriers to their learning develop confidence and skills because support is tailored to their
needs. For example, children with SEND are encouraged to play alongside other children to
help build on their social skills. This helps children prepare for the next stage in their
learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Babies and toddlers are encouraged to behave well and learn to cooperate. Staff use praise
and clear expectations to encourage children to share and take turns. Staff have built
positive relationships with the children in their care. For example, babies settle well, cuddling
up to staff to join in activities. Staff understand that some children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities find playing alongside other children a challenge. Staff adapt the
activity, gently engaging them with smaller groups. This enables all children to access the
activities on offer.
While leaders recognise that pre-school children need support to manage their behaviours,
such support is not yet effective. For example, during lunchtime, staff fail to consistently
guide children in understanding their expectations. Some children leave the table to play,
returning as and when they wish. Staff do not address this issue. When other children
attempt to do the same, staff encourage them to sit back at the table. As a result, children
are confused about what they should and should not do.
Leaders routinely monitor attendance, ensuring that any lapses are checked to keep
children safe. Staff work closely with parents to help them understand the importance of
regular attendance and how it may affect their child's development.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children build secure attachments with their key person. Even the youngest children
develop a sense of belonging and become increasingly confident and independent in their
surroundings.

Leaders understand the importance of supporting children's health and wellbeing. Children
are provided with nutritious meals and fresh drinking water, and robust systems are in place
to ensure that their dietary needs are met. Staff create a calm, comfortable environment for
children who need to rest. They regularly check that children remain safe while they sleep.
Children enjoy outdoor play. Pre-school children concentrate as they attempt to throw balls
through holes. This helps develop their hand–eye coordination. Toddlers are supported by
staff to safely navigate steps on a slide, while others use their leg muscles to push
themselves along on ride-on toys.
Leaders and staff encourage children's early independence skills, which are embedded in
daily routines. Pre-school children access the toilet, wash their hands before meals, and
make choices about activities they wish to participate in. Toddlers are encouraged to get
their own nappies from their bags, and babies are asked if they would like their nappy
changed. They stop their play, holding up their arms to staff.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have developed a broad curriculum that builds on all children's existing knowledge
and skills, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff
understand how to support individual children's next steps during play. For instance, staff
strategically position activities at various levels to boost babies' confidence when standing.
As a result, babies pull themselves up and independently access the activities on offer.
Staff are aware of each child's level of ability. They adapt their vocabulary to support early
mathematics. For example, toddlers are helped to identify colours, match single-digit
numbers and count. Pre-school children are encouraged to recognise and compare
different-sized dinosaurs. This helps each child consistently build on what they already know
and can do.
Staff support smooth transitions for all children. They know some babies and toddlers need
gentle reassurance at key times during the daily routine. Familiar staff provide support,
using items from home to provide additional comfort. This helps children settle quickly,
ensuring continuity of care and learning.
Large-group activities are not yet organised well enough. Some pre-school children wait for
unnecessarily long periods, starting to become bored due to a lack of direct engagement
from staff. As a result, these children disengage from the activity and start to create their
own entertainment.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff know the children in their care well. They assess children's development
to identify and provide tailored support for those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to learning. They regularly observe
children's progress to ensure that they make steady progress from their starting points.
While staff work with external professionals to embed tailored plans to help children achieve
their targets, there are minor occasions when key staff members are not informed of all

agency involvement in a timely manner. This means there could be potential delays in
ensuring that those children receive all the targeted support needed to enable them to make
rapid progress.
Leaders use funding effectively to support children. Targeted funding is used to support one-
to-one interventions for children with SEND and purchase appropriate resources to support
children's development. Leaders work with staff to monitor and review the impact this has on
learning to ensure that it helps to improve outcomes for children.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are reflective and strive to provide children with the best experiences and learning
environment they can. They have an accurate view of the nursery's strengths and areas for
development. They monitor practice through regular observations and discussions with staff.
Leaders use this information to plan relevant training and support.
Leaders fully consider staff's wellbeing and workload in their decision-making, ensuring that
support is available when needed and expectations are realistic. This helps maintain a safe
and positive environment for everyone. Staff say they enjoy working at the nursery and that
leaders are supportive.
Leaders work well with external professionals so children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, receive appropriate and targeted support. They
recognise there are occasional delays in sharing assessments received from external
professionals with children's key persons. These minor delays in implementing
recommended support do not ensure that children make rapid progress.
Leaders and staff develop positive relationships with parents. Parents say they receive
effective communication from the setting and regular updates on their child's progress.
Parents state their children are making new friends and have developed their speaking and
listening skills. They believe their children are ready for school.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. All children build secure attachments
with their key person, helping them settle quickly and feel safe and secure. For example,
babies confidently explore the enticing activities on offer, with staff providing gentle

reassurance when needed. Babies use their senses to feel different textures on sensory
mats, and others enjoy crunching up cereal and feeling it run through their fingers.
Children are supported to develop their growing independence skills. For example, toddlers
are encouraged to dispose of their leftover food and put their dirty plates in a bowl. Pre-
school children pour drinks and use tongs to serve themselves vegetable sticks. When
spillages accidentally occur, children readily use cloths to wipe up the mess. These
experiences help children to do as much for themselves as possible.
Leaders promote an inclusive environment for all children. Staff set out a varied range of
activities that reflect children's interests and abilities, closely aligning them with their next
steps. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.
Children show excitement as they get ready to play in the outdoor environment. Staff
provide safe supervision and support as children navigate small climbing frames and use
the slide. This helps children develop their physical skills. Pre-school children work together
to collect small wooden planks. They bend and stretch as they safely move these to their
chosen destination, lining them up to create a pathway. Staff support the children in sharing
this area with others who express a desire to line their toy dinosaurs along the pathway.
Children are developing the social skills needed to play and learn cooperatively with others
and build friendships.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen staff activity planning to ensure that required resources are
readily available to enable children to focus and engage in meaningful learning.
Leaders should ensure that key staff receive timely updates regarding assessments
carried out by external agencies, enabling them to provide targeted support for children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders should encourage staff to implement consistent behaviour management
strategies that build on pre-school children's understanding of expectations.
Leaders should enhance the organisation of large-group times to avoid lengthy waiting
periods for pre-school children and maximise their time spent in purposeful learning.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, and the SENCo 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.

Inspector:
Susan Hyatt
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2850769
Address:
Unit 1, 2 and 3 Mandarin Court
Hilton
DE65 5FJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 17/07/2025
Registered person: LOTS FOR TOTS CHILDCARE LTD
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Derbyshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 25 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
81

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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