Little Lodge Nursery

Little Lodge Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2502732
Address: Country Lodge, Spetchley, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR5 1RU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 05/08/2019
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Little Lodge Day Nurseries Ltd
Inspection report: 7 May 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
Achievement Strong standard
Children make excellent progress from their starting points and achieve well across all areas
of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate confidently
alongside their peers. Children are confident communicators. They enjoy singing action
songs and rhymes and join in meaningful conversations during play and routines. Older
children confidently recall familiar stories and use mathematical language during play.
Children develop secure physical skills as they climb, use tools, practise yoga and explore
the exciting and well-resourced outdoor areas. They build strength, coordination and control
as they ride wheeled toys, use tools at forest school and investigate natural materials
outdoors. As a result, children move confidently and manage risks appropriately. Babies
eagerly explore sensory materials, water and paint, showing curiosity as they investigate
textures and movements.
Children remain highly engaged in learning. They display curiosity, confidence and resilience
as they explore, investigate and solve problems independently. Children develop the
knowledge, skills and positive attitudes they need for future learning and the next stage in
their education.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Children benefit from a calm, organised and nurturing environment, where routines are
embedded consistently across the nursery. This helps children feel safe, secure and
understand what will happen next. Staff use thoughtful and consistent approaches to
behaviour and routines. They support children through gentle reminders, visual prompts,
songs and familiar routines. For example, children help to tidy away resources, wash their
hands independently and manage daily routines confidently. As a result, children develop
responsibility, independence and a strong understanding of expectations.
Children build warm and trusting relationships with staff. They are happy, settled and
emotionally secure within the nursery. Children are eager to play, highly motivated to learn
and confidently move between activities indoors and outdoors. Staff support children
sensitively to recognise and manage emotions. For example, children use emotion cards
and discussions to help talk about how they feel. Staff use tailored strategies and calming
activities successfully to support children who need additional help to regulate their
emotions. Consequently, children feel included, valued and well supported.
Staff encourage children to share, take turns and cooperate during play and routines. For
example, children wait patiently for their turn during group activities and story times.
Children listen attentively, follow instructions well and remain engaged in activities for
sustained periods. Leaders place a strong focus on promoting regular attendance and work
closely with families to ensure children attend consistently and benefit fully from the rich
learning experiences and routines provided across the nursery. Overall, children behave

extremely well and display positive attitudes towards learning. They develop confidence,
resilience and the social skills they need for future learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders place a strong focus on children's welfare and wellbeing across the nursery. Staff
create a warm, caring and nurturing environment, where children feel safe, secure and
emotionally valued. Key persons know children and their families exceptionally well and
respond sensitively to their individual care and emotional needs throughout the day. Babies
receive gentle personal care and comforting cuddles from familiar adults, helping them feel
settled, secure and reassured. Children form close relationships with staff and confidently
seek comfort, encouragement and reassurance when needed. This helps children develop a
strong sense of belonging within the nursery.
Children follow well-established daily routines, such as handwashing, mealtimes, sleep
times and outdoor play. Staff manage these routines calmly and consistently, helping
children understand what will happen next and feel confident within the environment.
Children who sleep are cared for safely and benefit from close supervision and regular
checks. Staff create calm environments for sleep and respond sensitively to children's care
needs before rest times.
Staff promote children's physical and emotional wellbeing successfully throughout the day.
Children benefit from regular outdoor play, yoga sessions and forest school experiences that
provide enriching opportunities to be physically active and develop confidence in their
movements. Staff follow effective hygiene routines during personal care and mealtimes and
encourage children to develop increasing independence in self-care. As a result, children
feel safe, cared for and emotionally secure, which helps them engage confidently in play
and learning.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Staff plan an ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, stages of development
and individual needs. They understand clearly what they want children to learn. For
example, staff support children to become confident communicators, curious learners,
responsible citizens and to develop a good understanding of the world around them. Staff
provide a rich and stimulating range of engaging experiences that help children build the
skills they need for future learning.
Staff use books well and revisit them regularly to help children build vocabulary and
understanding over time. They introduce new language naturally during play and routines.
Staff encourage children to talk about their ideas, recall previous learning and solve
problems independently. For example, children fill and empty water containers, mix colours
together to make purple and explore textures, such as foam and paint. Young children use
tweezers and pipettes to strengthen fine-motor skills and they match animals and objects to
familiar stories. Children confidently recall story characters and use mathematical words,
such as 'full'. They confidently talk about the seasons, emotions and their own experiences.
Children develop strength in their minds and bodies as they take part in outdoor yoga
sessions. During forest school sessions, children learn how to keep themselves safe around

the fire pit and when using tools. They learn to care for living things as they explore plants,
insects and birds within the natural environment. As a result, children are curious and
motivated learners, who remain engaged for sustained periods and confidently apply skills
during their play.
Staff skilfully adapt activities and teaching to support children's learning and development.
They use practical experiences, small-group activities and clear modelling to help children
build knowledge and skills over time. Staff interact warmly with children and use praise and
encouragement to help children remain motivated and engaged in learning. Children
develop confidence, communicate increasingly well and make excellent progress from their
starting points.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff place a strong focus on inclusion and ensure all children and families feel
welcomed, valued and supported. Staff know children and their families exceptionally well
and use this knowledge to identify children's individual needs and any barriers to learning
they face from an early stage. Staff carry out regular assessments and work closely with
parents and external professionals to provide tailored support that helps children to make
the best possible progress from their starting points.
Leaders ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive carefully
planned and consistent support. Staff work closely with the nursery's special educational
needs coordinator and external professionals to ensure strategies and support are
embedded into daily practice. Leaders use additional funding purposefully to reduce barriers
to learning, including adapting the environment to create calmer 'listening spaces'. Staff
make thoughtful adaptations to teaching and routines. They use visual prompts, sign
language, small-group activities and simplified language to help children understand,
communicate and take part confidently alongside their peers. As a result, all children access
the curriculum successfully and participate fully in nursery life.
Staff provide sensitive and consistent support for children facing challenges with their
emotional wellbeing and behaviour. They use tailored strategies and calming activities to
help children recognise and manage emotions successfully. Leaders work closely with
families and external agencies to ensure children receive the right support at the right time.
Consequently, children develop confidence, feel secure and thrive within this inclusive and
supportive setting.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and strive to deliver high-quality care and
education for all children. The leadership team is well established and work closely together
to maintain consistent practice across the nursery. Leaders understand the strengths of the
setting well and continue to drive positive improvements that benefit children, families and
staff. They ensure the environment is well maintained, organised and well resourced with
high-quality resources that support children's learning and development effectively.
Leaders implement robust governance procedures. Leaders maintain oversight of
mandatory training, including safeguarding and paediatric first-aid courses. They ensure

robust health and safety procedures are fully embedded across the nursery, including
effective risk assessments, hygiene routines and regular environmental checks.
Leaders focus highly on staff wellbeing and professional development. Staff say they feel
valued, listened to and well supported by leaders. Staff morale is high. They work well
together as a team and leaders encourage them to share ideas and access training to
further develop their knowledge and skills. Leaders lead by example and provide ongoing
guidance and coaching to staff. Regular supervision meetings, staff meetings and appraisals
help leaders monitor staff wellbeing, workload and practice effectively.
Partnerships with parents and the wider community are strong. Parents speak highly of the
nursery and value the regular communication, support and guidance they receive. Children
benefit from a wealth of opportunities to visit the local community, including the library, a
care home and other places of interest. These experiences help broaden children's
understanding of the world around them.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are very happy, settled and emotionally secure within this warm, welcoming and
nurturing nursery. They build warm, trusting relationships with their key persons and
confidently seek reassurance and encouragement from familiar adults. Children respond
positively to well-established routines and move confidently between activities and daily
experiences. This helps children feel safe, develop a strong sense of belonging and become
confident learners.
Children display highly positive attitudes towards learning. They eagerly engage in a broad
range of stimulating experiences, indoors and outdoors, and confidently follow their own
interests during play. For example, babies explore paint, water and sensory materials, while
older children use tools, mix colours, investigate natural materials and engage in imaginative
play linked to familiar stories. Children remain focused and motivated during activities and
display curiosity as they explore, investigate and solve problems independently. Forest
school sessions, yoga activities and regular outings within the community help children
develop confidence, physical skills and an understanding of the world around them.
Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They develop communication
skills through meaningful conversations, stories and play experiences. Staff introduce new
vocabulary naturally throughout the day and encourage children to recall experiences and
talk about their ideas. Children confidently use words such as 'empty, big' and 'small' during
play and routines. They develop increasing independence as they wash hands, serve food,

Inspector:
Tina Smith
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2502732
Address:
Country Lodge
Spetchley
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1RU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 05/08/2019
Registered person: Little Lodge Day Nurseries Ltd
tidy away resources and manage routines confidently. Children behave well and respond
positively to gentle guidance from staff. They learn to share, take turns and are kind towards
others. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance so children benefit
fully from the experiences and learning available. Children thrive within this inclusive nursery
and develop the skills, confidence and attitudes they need for future learning.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove
barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all
children's achievement and wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with company directors, leaders, practitioners, children and parents
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
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30
Local authority: Worcestershire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 7 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
88
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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