Little PAWS Nursery School

Little PAWS Nursery School
Unique reference number (URN): 2858522
Address: Pevensey & Westham C Of E Primary School, 86 High Street, Westham, Pevensey, BN24 5LP
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 28/08/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Pevensey and Westham CofE Primary School
Inspection report: 5 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.

Strong standard
Expected standard
Leadership and governance Strong standard
The nursery is highly regarded by the school's senior leadership team as being intrinsically
linked into the school community. The nursery values align seamlessly with the school's
focus on ensuring that every child achieves well and has the best possible start to their
learning journey. Although the nursery has only been open for 5 months, considerable
improvements are already being seen in the progress individual children make, especially
those who are potentially more disadvantaged and/or at risk of falling behind. The provision
for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery.
Strategic leaders play an essential role in the precise assessment of children's individual
needs. They work closely with parents and other professionals at a very early stage to
identify the help and support that will be most beneficial to each child.
Leaders have strong oversight of the quality of provision and are realistic in recognising
what is working well. They precisely know where ongoing development is needed to
strengthen the quality of provision overall, and incisive plans are already in place to address
these areas. This is particularly in relation to strengthening the quality of teaching and
supporting staff through personalised programmes of professional development.
Achievement Expected standard
All children, particularly those who are known to be more disadvantaged or face other
barriers to their learning, are making progress in their learning. Since starting at nursery,
some children have made significant progress from their individual starting points, and gaps
in their learning are closing rapidly. It is not yet possible to measure longer-term impacts as
the nursery has only been open for 5 months.
Children build the confidence, independence and effective communication skills they need
to be successful learners. Older children ask questions. They demonstrate how curious and
interested they are, as staff encourage children to think in detail and recall previous learning.
Babies and younger children delight in exploring new things and working things out
independently.
Children form positive relationships with adults and make friends within the nursery. During
group play, children listen to one another, take turns and show kindness towards others.
These skills support them well for future learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Overall, children behave well. Leaders and staff have high expectations of children. They set
clear boundaries and simple rules that children mainly follow with ease. Staff adapt their

expectations appropriately to take account of every child's care and learning needs. Leaders
recognise that, very occasionally, routines do not always run as smoothly as they could, and
this has an impact on some children's behaviour.
Children show kindness and respect for others. This is modelled effectively by staff, who
interact with children positively and remind children how to share, take turns and listen to
others. When younger children struggle with sharing, staff gently help to resolve any minor
issues.
The leadership team is dedicated towards promoting a strong family ethos within the
nursery. Every child and family are known and valued, so children develop a strong sense of
belonging. Links with parents are being developed quickly, and staff have worked hard to
create a very positive partnership. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the positive
impact it has on their children's learning. They say children ask to go to nursery on days
they do not attend.
Leaders help parents understand the benefits of children's regular attendance at nursery.
Any unexplained absences are quickly followed up by leaders to make sure children and
families are safe.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children benefit from warm, caring relationships with staff. Staff work closely with parents to
fully understand each child's care and learning needs. Babies and younger children follow
consistent sleep and feeding patterns to help them feel safe and secure. The key-person
system works effectively. Parents confirm how well staff know their child's individual needs
and characteristics.
Staff are kind towards all children. They fully support children who may have additional care
and learning needs and implement respectful routines that are personal to every child.
Children's health and wellbeing are given high priority. Children benefit from plenty of
opportunities to be outside each day and to take part in active, physical play. Babies and
children learn to move in different ways to support their healthy development. Staff teach
children the importance of keeping safe, including when crossing the roads near the school.
During outings to the nearby castle and library, staff talk to children about possible dangers
to help them stay safe.
Staff work closely with parents to help them understand the importance of children's oral
hygiene. When children visit the dentist, they take the nursery's 'Percy Penguin' with them to
help them feel calm.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that enables all children to build secure
foundations for future learning. High priority is placed on developing children's literacy and
mathematical skills. The schemes of work followed by the school start in nursery. This
means children's progress in these areas is carefully monitored and continues into school.

Teaching is appropriately adapted for every child, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities. Activities have clear learning intentions, matched precisely to
every child's planned next steps. All areas of the curriculum are fully inclusive and
accessible to every child.
Staff encourage children to be active, confident learners. They build children's
independence and enable children to make their own choices. Physical development is a
key feature of the nursery and is reflected in the learning that takes place outside within the
school's woodland area. Staff are trained in specialist teaching areas. They provide
activities, such as building dens and handling tools, that help to build children's core muscle
strength.
Staff weave mathematical concepts into planned and unplanned activities. As part of the
'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' story play, staff help children to count to 3 and compare
different sizes.
Leaders accurately recognise that the new staff team still needs development, at times, to
ensure that highly effective teaching and interactions with children are fully embedded
throughout the routine.
Inclusion Expected standard
The nursery offers a fully inclusive environment where every child is welcomed and
included. The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) is especially effective. The school staff with specific responsibility for children with
SEND have the highest expectations for every child, regardless of their care and learning
needs. They work closely with nursery staff to identify and assess individual children's needs
quickly and accurately.
Leaders and nursery staff work closely with parents to clearly understand children's personal
needs. Support strategies are put in place promptly so that children are not at risk of slipping
behind. The staff with specific responsibility for children with SEND have established
positive working relationships with the local authority and other professionals so that
children's learning needs can be planned for effectively. Comprehensive support plans are
now in place for every child who needs it.
Funding is used carefully to target the highest priority areas. Additional resources are
obtained, which are matched to children's care, learning and play needs.
Leaders have a shared commitment towards providing every child with the best chance to
succeed. Overall, teaching is matched appropriately to every child's needs. Leaders have
challenging strategic plans in place to support the ongoing development of teaching so that
it consistently meets the needs of the most disadvantaged children, and gaps in learning
close even more rapidly. They recognise that high-quality teaching is not yet fully embedded.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children show how safe and secure they feel at nursery. Babies and younger children
snuggle up to staff for cuddles and comfort. They benefit from consistent staff who know
them well and are responsive to their individual needs. Older children invite staff into their
play. When children recreate the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', staff play
alongside children and support their imaginative ideas. These positive interactions enable
children to form positive, trusting relationships with staff.
Children take part in a wide range of activities, indoors and outdoors. All children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully included. Leaders
work closely and sensitively with parents to make sure any barriers to children's learning are
quickly identified. When needed, leaders make relevant adjustments to ensure that children
attend regularly and benefit from the full programme of learning.
High priority is given towards promoting children's language development. Babies and
younger children develop a wide vocabulary as staff gently narrate what babies are doing
and introduce new words through stories, songs and rhymes. Older children practise their
communication skills as they play together in small groups and share their ideas.
The school-based setting helps children feel part of the school community. Children
regularly use the school library, hall, playing fields and nature areas. This helps children
become increasingly confident within the school environment. Children regularly meet the
school staff, including members of the senior leadership team, and build positive
relationships with them. This enables every child to feel valued and included.
Children with SEND are supported particularly well. Specialist trained staff work closely with
nursery staff to identify personalised programmes of learning specific for every child. The
combination of early identification of need with targeted, precise assessment has a positive
impact on the progress levels all children make. This includes those who started nursery
with gaps in their learning.
Next steps
Leaders should continue to embed the programmes in place for staff development and
training to further enhance the quality of teaching.

Inspector:
Jo Caswell
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2858522
Address:
Pevensey & Westham C Of E Primary School
86 High Street, Westham
Pevensey
BN24 5LP
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 28/08/2025
Registered person: Pevensey and Westham CofE Primary School
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: East Sussex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 5 March 2026
About this inspection
During the inspection, the inspector spoke with members of the school's senior leadership
team, the school business manager, leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the
safeguarding leads, children, staff and parents.
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006,
focusing on the quality of provision registered on the Early Years Register. The registered
person is required to ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
50
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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