Little Angels Uppingham

Sock matching, pretend dinosaur meals and babies passing a soft cube give Little Angels Uppingham's August 2024 picture its character: learning built around small, concrete experiences. At its 28 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective.

There is capacity for 85 children at the Ayston Road setting. In August 2024, the children attending were aged 0 to 4; that age range describes the nursery at that time.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play providing opportunities to practise language, movement and thinking. In August 2024, younger children picked up objects and knocked them together, while staff talked through their play and sang to introduce sounds and words. A soft-cube passing game brought movement and interaction together.

Older children's experiences in August 2024 included matching socks to explore pairs, alongside identifying shapes and patterns. Outdoors, an interest in dinosaurs became imaginative play: children collected leaves, stirred them into water and fed their pretend creatures. These examples connect early mathematical ideas and conversation to things children can handle and explore.

The limitation in August 2024 was consistency. Some staff missed chances to take children's spontaneous play further, and the curriculum needed more development for older children approaching their move to school. Families weighing preschool provision should give that second point particular attention.

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support through individual learning plans and collaboration with professionals involved in their care. That combination connected learning targets with the people supporting each child.

In August 2024, babies reached towards familiar staff to be held, and older children sought adults out to share their creations. Staff used encouragement and positive language to help children understand feelings, share toys and take turns.

Practical independence also featured in August 2024. Older children poured their own lunchtime drinks from teapots and practised using stairs while holding the banisters. Staff exchanged information with teachers to support the move to school, linking everyday self-care with preparation for the next stage.

The address is 4-5 Ayston House, Ayston Road, Uppingham, OAKHAM, Rutland LE15 9RL.

In August 2024, the nursery operated throughout the year on weekdays, with session times of 7.30am to 6pm. At that time it provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These are dated attendance and funding arrangements.

• Extending play. In August 2024, staff did not consistently recognise opportunities to stretch children's learning during spontaneous play. The useful test is how adults build on a child's own idea.
• The final preschool months. The August 2024 findings called for further curriculum development before older children left for school. Families should weigh how learning continues through that final stage.
• Attendance planning. The August 2024 session window ran from 7.30am to 6pm across weekdays. At a visit, what current booking and funding arrangement would fit your child's week?

Little Angels Uppingham suits families who value play grounded in conversation, practical independence and imaginative exploration. Its August 2024 picture contains tangible examples across babyhood and preschool. The decision point is how consistently staff extend that play, especially for children nearing school age.