Little Lambs Pre-School

Warm relationships and practical, child-led exploration define Little Lambs Pre-School. Ofsted judged the sessional setting Good in March 2023, finding children happy, safe and well cared for. Its 40 registered places are at Christian Gray Hall on Albert Road in Belvedere.

The strongest thread is language. In 2023, staff introduced descriptive words during play and made speech and language a priority, while children developed confidence through choosing activities and managing small daily tasks.

Little Lambs follows the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means children learn communication, physical, personal and early academic skills through play and adult guidance towards their next stage. In March 2023, inspectors saw a varied programme shaped around children's interests, with learning designed to deepen progressively.

The report gives this curriculum a tangible shape. Children mixed play dough to strengthen hands for early writing, compared the height of towers and explored weight and capacity with dried lentils. Outdoors, they searched for minibeasts and practised climbing and balancing on tree stumps. Staff also used puppets and words such as wobbly to extend positional and descriptive language.

Kind, caring staff built warm and trusting relationships in 2023. Children with SEND made good progress from their starting points, supported by work with parents and other professionals. Communication covered children's development and next learning.

Safeguarding was effective at the March 2023 inspection. Staff demonstrated knowledge of safeguarding risks and the correct escalation routes, while ongoing staff suitability and hazards were checked. Children also gained independence by pouring drinks, tidying toys and choosing their play.

The pre-school has 40 places in total at Christian Gray Hall, Albert Road, Belvedere, DA17 5LJ. It operates as sessional day care.

Families need current details from the setting on attendance options, accepted ages, funding arrangements and a provider-specific quotation.

• Teaching development. Ofsted asked leaders to help staff respond more quickly to children's developing interests and embed learning from training. Look for how coaching now turns children's spontaneous ideas into deeper learning.
• Current practical offer. Current attendance patterns, age eligibility, funding, meals and consumables are essential details before costs can be compared.
• Inspection date. The detailed picture of activities and relationships comes from March 2023. A visit can establish how the current team and routines compare.

Little Lambs is best suited to families seeking sessional pre-school provision where language, independence and hands-on exploration have been clear strengths. The 2023 evidence shows caring relationships and purposeful play, balanced by specific work for leaders on extending interests and embedding training. Families needing particular morning, afternoon or multi-day patterns need current details of what is offered rather than assuming a timetable from the provider subtype.