Little Robins Nursery & Preschool

Little Robins Nursery & Preschool
Unique reference number (URN): 2510941
Address: 2 Craigdale Road, HORNCHURCH, Essex, RM11 1AE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 20/09/2019
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Little Robins Nursery & Preschool Ltd
Inspection report: 3 March 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 move confidently and freely within the environment, demonstrating a sense of
belonging. They benefit from a wide range of engaging indoor and outdoor learning
opportunities. Children demonstrate achievement through activities, such as stories, singing,
drawing and painting. Children where there are barriers to their learning receive focused
support to strengthen their communication and school readiness. They engage well in self-
chosen play and in interactions with staff.
Children develop their physical skills and dexterity as they use age-appropriate tools. Their
understanding of mathematics is enhanced as they use language to describe position when
playing with the train set. They count and recognise numbers as they play. Children show
persistence and growing confidence as they answer questions, attempt tasks independently
and work collaboratively in group activities, including building tall towers of blocks. All
children, including those with English as an additional language, make good progress,
supported through focused workstations, a variety of sensory resources and carefully
planned activities based on their starting points and their development needs.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children display consistently positive attitudes to learning within a safe, nurturing and
welcoming environment that reflects their individual needs and interests. They show
curiosity, enjoyment and motivation as they engage in a wide range of activities. Staff
establish effective, age-appropriate routines that help children feel secure and understand
what is expected of them. Visual aids used throughout the day, during arrival, play and
snack times, support children to follow familiar routines with increasing independence.
Positive behaviour is promoted well through clear, simple expectations. Children respond
respectfully to staff and demonstrate politeness and kindness towards one another. Staff
create a calm, emotionally supportive atmosphere where children form warm, trusting
relationships with their key person. Children's feelings are acknowledged and validated, and
strategies such as a 'feelings bag' encourage older children to express emotions. This helps
them build their confidence and self-esteem. Younger children are praised often as they feed
themselves or reach for books. This reinforces their developing social skills and
independence.
Leaders and staff emphasise a caring ethos where routines and guidance align with
children's age and stage of development. Cooperative play is encouraged, and staff model
positive behaviour throughout the day. Attendance is monitored daily, ensuring that any
emerging concerns are addressed swiftly, so children can benefit fully from their learning
experiences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeing are central to the practice in this setting. Leaders and staff
successfully create a nurturing, supportive and generally safe environment. They monitor
the security of the premises as part of ongoing risk assessment. Children form warm,
trusting relationships with their key people, who respond to them respectfully and inclusively.
This helps them feel valued and confident in expressing themselves. Emotional
development is carefully nurtured right from the settling-in period, with tailored activities that
help children transition smoothly and feel secure. Children adapt well to daily routines and
develop early independence.
Staff follow consistent care routines that support children's good hygiene and physical
health. This helps them understand the importance of regular handwashing after outdoor
play and before meals. Children are encouraged to feed themselves, while older children
confidently participate in self-serving at mealtimes, developing their confidence and healthy
habits. Staff sensitively promote a nutritious, balanced diet and fully adhere to children's
dietary needs.
Across the setting, practitioners support communication, language, physical development,
oral health and personal safety as essential foundations. Group experiences, such as
shared story sessions, singing, and exploratory play, strengthen social skills and a sense of
belonging. Overall, children thrive in an environment that fosters trusting relationships,
confidence and their overall development.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders create an open, nurturing and inclusive environment where children benefit from an
ambitious curriculum. Teaching is purposeful and tailored to meet individual needs. Staff use
assessment effectively to understand what children know and can do and what they need to
learn next. Staff join in children's play to extend vocabulary, support communication and
encourage curiosity. This contributes strongly to children's emotional wellbeing, confidence
and physical development.
Children experience a balanced range of indoor and outdoor opportunities that promote
coordination, physical skills and collaborative play. Staff provide positive encouragement,
particularly for babies, and focus on supporting early communication and social interaction.
Older children are introduced to positional language and concepts that build creativity,
understanding of mathematics and early cognitive skills. Across the setting, children show
high levels of engagement, responsiveness and progress in their language and social
development.
Although staff provide a range of engaging activities, younger children do not consistently
benefit from learning in smaller groups on arrival. Group sizes are too large for staff to
interact effectively, particularly with those children. Staff do not always adapt their teaching
well enough. This means that younger children do not engage as well as they could and
become disinterested.

Inclusion Expected standard
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or where there
are barriers to learning, demonstrate a sense of belonging within a warm, supportive and
inclusive environment. Leaders and staff value every child and demonstrate consistent
respect for their individual needs, abilities, backgrounds and culture. Children's needs are
identified early so that barriers to learning can be reduced swiftly, with effective collaboration
between the setting, parents and the local authority's special educational needs coordinator.
Staff use their knowledge well to tailor their support and ensure that children receive
targeted help that reflects their developmental starting points. Parents are central to the
setting's approach. They engage in regular discussions with staff and other professionals to
support children's learning and progress.
Respect and kindness are embedded throughout daily practice. Although the setting does
not receive additional funding, children benefit from personalised learning. For example,
staff use visual aids, sensory resources and workstation activities to encourage
communication and language skills and emotional wellbeing. These approaches help
children to build confidence, understand routines and develop secure foundations for future
learning.
Leaders and staff demonstrate a positive, proactive commitment to supporting all children.
They ensure that children feel valued, supported and able to take an active role in their
learning. Individualised support strengthens children's confidence and sense of belonging,
contributing to positive outcomes for all.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have a secure understanding of their setting and are committed to securing better
outcomes for all children. They prioritise children's starting points and create tailored
learning opportunities that remove barriers for learning and promote progress. Well-
established systems are in place to ensure early identification of need. Leaders work
effectively with the local authority special educational needs coordinator to ensure that
timely support is in place.
A clear vision for continuous improvement underpins leaders' approach. They regularly
evaluate the curriculum, the safeguarding culture and staff training to maintain high
standards. Professional learning is closely monitored, and staff receive targeted support to
strengthen their teaching and deepen their understanding of how children learn. Further
understanding is needed of how to adapt practice to better support the youngest children in
group sessions.
Positive partnerships with parents and external professionals enhance children's
experiences. Parents are kept well informed about their children's development. They are
involved in decision-making and supported with guidance on healthy routines, such as oral
health and nutrition. Across the setting, staff express appreciation for the strong leadership
and the training opportunities provided.

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
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children experience a calm, nurturing and secure environment where they feel confident,
valued and able to express themselves freely. They generally settle quickly and show high
levels of emotional security, demonstrating trust in the staff and comfort within their
surroundings. Open conversations are encouraged, and children are given opportunities to
lead discussions, helping them develop confidence and communication skills. Staff listen
attentively, extend children's thinking and model respectful, positive interactions.
Staff organise the environment to promote a sense of belonging. Children engage in a
balance of self-chosen play and meaningful adult-led activities that support their learning
and interests. They have access to a wide range of stimulating resources, such as
recyclable materials, blocks, water, sand and malleable play, which spark their curiosity,
creativity and problem-solving. Whether building rockets and astronauts or exploring books
about space, children make connections between activities and their understanding of the
world.
Teaching is generally effective. Staff use reading, storytelling and exploratory play to support
children's communication and language. They know the children well, understand their
interests and plan next steps that build confidence, independence and enjoyment of
learning. Positive relationships are evident across the setting, and children benefit from
consistent encouragement, praise and gentle guidance.
Social development is nurtured through opportunities for turn-taking, sharing and
cooperative play. Children behave well and respond positively to clear expectations.

Inspector:
Melissa Seetal
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2510941
Address:
2 Craigdale Road
HORNCHURCH
Essex
RM11 1AE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 20/09/2019
Registered person: Little Robins Nursery & Preschool Ltd
Physical development is prioritised through both indoor challenges and outdoor exploration.
Activities, such as hopping, balancing and using equipment, help build confidence and
coordination. Younger children benefit from lots of fun and engaging activities, however
sometimes group times are too large for them. This means these younger children do not
always get the focused attention they need at their stage of development. This includes
those who need extra support with communication, attention or early language.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure that staff organise group times effectively so that younger
children's learning is fully supported.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
parents 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.

Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Local authority: Havering
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 3 March 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
48
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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