URN 2805448 · Inspected 2026-03-18 · Published 2026-05-18 · Inspector: Louise Harris
Little Deers Childcare Unique reference number (URN): 2805448 Address: 72a Great Whyte, Ramsey, Huntingdon, PE26 1HU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 04/09/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little Deers Childcare Limited Inspection report: 18 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 achieve well from their starting points. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those that face other barriers to their learning. Children gain the confidence and skills they need for their next stage of learning. They are confident communicators, who engage well with staff to express their needs and learn a range of communication skills. For instance, babies use simple signing alongside single words, while older children can name their feelings and explain their thoughts and ideas. Children form friendships and confidently join activities with their peers. They demonstrate increasing independence in their self-care needs, such as wiping their nose, putting on their shoes and using cutlery to self-serve their snack. Children are enthusiastic and curious. They demonstrate resilience when faced with challenges and take pride in their achievements. Children with SEND reach their expected milestones because leaders and staff ensure they receive support for their individual needs and feel secure in their surroundings. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders have established a calm and positive environment. Secure and trusting relationships between staff and children supports children's positive behaviour. Staff model kindness, respect and cooperation, and children learn to share, take turns and work together. Staff support children to manage their behaviour in ways that are appropriate to their age and stage of development, using calm reminders and explanations. Stories are used to introduce concepts of behaviour and children learn to communicate their feelings and wishes as they discuss their different emotions. Staff use effective strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to communicate their wants and needs. Overall, children understand routines and respond well to guidance from staff. Though some routines and transitions are not yet consistently precise across the setting. For example, on occasion, children become restless as they move to activities following mealtimes. This impacts the quality of teaching some children receive from staff at these times. Despite these minor inconsistencies, children show positive attitudes to learning and engage well in activities. Leaders promote the importance of attendance and monitor it carefully. They work closely with families and offer support to ensure the best attendance for each child. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard The positive relationships staff build with children, and their families, promotes children's welfare and wellbeing successfully. Key persons know their children well, forming secure and responsive relationships. Children are confident to explore and express their emotions. Babies new to the setting have their care routines mirrored to those at home, and key persons work closely with parents during transitions, such as settle-in sessions and weaning, to ensure babies receive continuity in their care. Safe and nurturing sleeping arrangements are embedded across the setting. Staff provide gentle reassurance to help babies and young children fall asleep, and robust procedures ensure sleeping children are continuously monitored. Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting. They spend lots of time in the well-planned outdoor environment. Children take pride in preparing healthy snacks using the produce they have grown in the garden. Children have ample opportunity to engage in physical activity, such as dance, yoga and nature walks in the local community. Staff implement hygiene procedures well. Children wash their hands before eating and following messy play. Staff implement effective strategies to meet the individual needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to help all children become independent in their self-care. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that is sequenced well to support the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. There is a focus on promoting children's communication and language skills that is generally taught well. Babies enjoy singing songs and rhymes, toddlers enthusiastically listen to adults to match animal sounds to pictures, and older children share their thoughts and ideas in circle-time activities. Children demonstrate a love of books and enjoy sharing their favourite stories with staff, who extend this by taking the children to visit the local library. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their mathematical skills during play. Even the youngest children enjoy counting their pieces of fruit at snack, while older children learn about the concept of measures as they engage in regular cooking activities. Children strengthen physical skills as they chop and scoop ingredients. Outdoors, children of all ages come together to develop their physical strength on larger equipment. This promotes children's self-confidence and social skills. Children have positive relationships with their key person, who can explain what children's interests are and what they are learning to do next. They use assessment well to ensure all children make progress from their starting points and use this information to inform their planning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders monitor children's progress and understand their needs well. Children requiring additional support are quickly identified and leaders offer support and guidance to all staff to help them to plan children's next steps in their learning and development. Children have personalised target plans that are regularly reviewed to ensure they are the right targets for each child. This helps to improve the outcomes for all children through early intervention and reducing barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff work closely with families and external agencies, such as speech and language therapists and health care practitioners. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning, are supported. Families praise the progress their children make and remark on the valuable support they receive. Leaders use additional funding to support children's individual needs, such as sourcing training for staff and providing a wide range of resources for children to access further learning at home. Although some training is yet to be firmly embedded, it is having a positive impact on children's learning and development. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have a secure knowledge of the children and their families that attend the setting. They have a clear vision for the setting and create a curriculum that is ambitious for all children who attend. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders have effective oversight of their setting. They are reflective and work closely with the staff team to make improvements. Staff receive professional development based on the needs of the children attending the setting. However, leaders should continue to focus on supporting staff to embed this learning from their professional development to further raise the quality of their practice. Leaders build effective partnerships with parents, other settings that children attend and outside agencies. This ensures children receive the support they need and helps to secure positive outcomes for all children. Safer recruitment procedures are well embedded. New staff receive a thorough induction and confirm they feel supported as they settle into their new roles. Leaders check staff's ongoing suitability through regular supervision and place a strong focus on staff wellbeing. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children settle quickly in this warm and welcoming setting. Children are greeted with smiles as they arrive and those requiring a little more reassurance receive cuddles from their key person. This helps children to feel safe to explore the stimulating play experiences available. Children achieve well and enjoy learning. They are confident and take pride in their accomplishments and are eager to try new things. For instance, babies clap themselves as they master tools while exploring dough, and toddlers giggle as they splash in water while washing dolls. Older children explain their thoughts and ideas as they explore. For instance, Inspector: Louise Harris About this setting they describe the changes to texture as they add water to soil, and through gentle encouragement from staff, they gain the confidence to explore it further through touch. Children enjoy activities that match their interests and staff skilfully interact in play to build on children's learning further. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their starting points. Children make independent choices in their play, moving freely between the indoor and outdoor environments. Children of mixed ages play happily alongside each other outdoors, receiving praise from staff for kind behaviour. Children form close friendships and invite both friends and staff to join their play. They particularly enjoy learning to care for Victor the tortoise. Children learn the importance of caring for all creatures as they explore the bug hotel and wormery. They excitedly collect books about insects and listen carefully to adults as they read. Leaders and staff welcome families each day and share updates about children's learning through conversations and an online app. Children enjoy taking home resources, which staff adapt to support children's further learning and for parents to use with their children. These interactions help parents feel informed and involved in their children's learning. Next steps Leaders should target training and coaching for staff more precisely to address minor inconsistencies in teaching. Leaders should strengthen routines and transitions at mealtimes to enhance teaching and children's learning even further. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2805448 Address: 72a Great Whyte Ramsey Huntingdon PE26 1HU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 04/09/2024 Registered person: Little Deers Childcare Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00,Friday : 08:00 - 12:00 Local authority: Cambridgeshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 18 March 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 34 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. 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