Little Shoes Nursery

English and Spanish gave Little Shoes Nursery its character in October 2023, with physical play and everyday independence alongside its bilingual curriculum. At its 11 October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The important qualification was that activities needed to respond more closely to individual children, especially when Spanish-only delivery lost their attention.

The nursery has 30 places in total at the Cassidy Pastoral Centre in Brighton. That is whole-setting capacity, not the size of an individual group.

In October 2023, babies crawled and climbed over soft-play equipment towards a ball pit, then sought an adult to share their success. Older children helped each other move a plank when tidying an assault course. Physical activity also created opportunities for cooperation.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care. Here, the October 2023 bilingual curriculum added English and Spanish to that framework. Cooking brought ingredients and utensils into learning, with practical instruction on handling a grater safely. However, some children disengaged when adults used Spanish alone; language exposure needed to be matched to their understanding.

Independence developed through ordinary routines in October 2023. Babies received gentle help to serve food, toddlers needed some assistance, and older children managed independently. Children also voted for a helper and made choices about their learning, giving them experience of making decisions together.

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that developmental concerns prompted timely referrals for additional support. Staff also used observations to plan children's next steps, including helping them recognise emotions and consider how their behaviour affected others.

Communication had two sides in October 2023. Staff shared learning with families and offered ideas for continuing it at home, but messages from parents sometimes failed to reach the key person. That could leave staff unaware of a child's sleep needs. More reliable sharing of daily information was an explicit improvement priority.

Allergy precautions in October 2023 included placemats identifying each child's allergens, checked by the chef before children served food. Families managing allergies should discuss current practice during a visit.

The current address is Cassidy Pastoral Centre, 7 Surrenden Road, Brighton, BN1 6PA.

In October 2023, the nursery operated on weekdays across the year, with sessions running from 7.30am to 6pm and a two-week Christmas closure. Children attending at that inspection were aged 0 to 4. These are dated attendance details rather than a promise of today's arrangements.

• Language and participation. Spanish-only activities sometimes lost children's attention in October 2023. During a visit, ask how practitioners adapt bilingual activities to different levels of understanding.
• Daily handovers. Parent messages did not always reach the key person in October 2023. Ask how information about sleep and other daily needs now reaches the adults caring for your child.
• Allergy management. Individual allergen placemats formed part of the October 2023 meal routine. Confirm current procedures if your child has an allergy.

Little Shoes suits families interested in English-and-Spanish early learning. Its October 2023 practice combined active play, practical independence and opportunities for children to make choices. The deciding questions concern how bilingual activities engage each child and how reliably daily care information is shared. Those details matter more than the curriculum label alone.