Lottie & Ollie

A calm, well-organised day and close key-person bonds define Lottie & Ollie's latest inspection picture. Ofsted rated the provision Good in March 2024, with safeguarding arrangements judged effective. The setting has 31 places at 2 Willow Parade, Front Lane, Cranham.

The strongest thread is language. Older children worked with an early literacy programme, while younger children joined in songs and listened to farm-animal stories. Staff also built movement into the day through garden play and local walks.

The Early Years Foundation Stage gives the day its learning structure: play and adult guidance develop communication, physical skills, relationships, literacy and the other foundations children need before school. In March 2024, inspectors found staff observing children regularly, setting ambitious expectations and acting promptly when learning concerns emerged.

Learning had practical hooks. Children explored shadows with torches in role play, older children used learned sounds to read simple words, and story sessions encouraged both participation and re-enactment. Fine-motor opportunities supported the hand control needed for later writing. This makes school preparation broader than practising letters alone.

Creativity sat alongside physical development. Staff encouraged imagination in inviting play areas, while the garden and local walks gave children regular chances to strengthen larger movements.

The key-person system carried real weight at the March 2024 inspection. Staff formed close relationships with their key children, and newcomers received responsive reassurance and affection. Attentive supervision then gave children confidence to explore.

Parents told inspectors they valued the family-like atmosphere and proactive communication. Daily feedback, online assessments and newsletters linked nursery experiences with home. Staff also supported independence through everyday personal care, including toileting and toothbrushing.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective at the inspection. Staff had completed safeguarding and paediatric first-aid training, understood signs of harm and knew the procedures for concerns and allegations. Regular assessment was especially useful for children with speech delays and those learning English as an additional language.

Lottie & Ollie is a full-day-care provider on non-domestic premises in Cranham, within the London Borough of Havering. In March 2024, children attending were aged one to four.

At the same inspection, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. Current entitlement, delivery pattern and any charges need to be covered in the provider's written quotation.

Emotional vocabulary. The March 2024 improvement points asked staff to check children's understanding of feelings more consistently and help them learn the words to label them. Families may want to explore how that improvement is now reflected in daily practice.

Staff development. They also asked the provider to extend professional-development opportunities so practice could improve further. This matters because staff learning affects the consistency of children's experiences.

Lottie & Ollie suits families drawn to close key-person relationships, purposeful early literacy and a calm setting where stories, imaginative play and physical activity reinforce one another. The Good March 2024 judgement gives parents a recent independent view, while its two improvement points are clear and practical rather than vague.