Littleton Minors

Garden bug hunts and imaginative picnic play give Littleton Minors' October 2022 nursery day its character: children investigated living creatures, explored toy food and chose how to play. At its 4 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective.

Based at Huntington Community Centre, the nursery has capacity for 26 children aged 24 to 48 months. Its term-time calendar is an important practical consideration for families needing care during school holidays.

In October 2022, children combined activities led by adults with play they directed themselves. Stories and familiar songs featured in the routines, while pretend picnics gave staff opportunities to introduce vocabulary through conversation. Play dough offered another useful combination: manipulating it exercised children's hands, and different-sized cutters introduced counting and comparisons of size.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the October 2022 examples show what that means in practice: language through play, early mathematics through making shapes, and physical development through movement and handling materials.

Outside, the garden provided running space and opportunities to examine insects with magnifying glasses in October 2022. Community walks brought road safety into everyday learning. Christmas and Diwali celebrations also introduced children to differences between people and traditions.

There were limits to the teaching. In October 2022, some adults restricted children's experiments, including rolling cars through sand, and sometimes supplied answers before children could work things out themselves. More freedom to investigate and better questions were the priorities for improvement.

In October 2022, children built relationships with a key person, practised taking turns and received encouragement for their achievements. Familiar routines helped them anticipate what came next. These are useful foundations for children learning to spend time away from home.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised developmental delays promptly and sought professional help when needed. Daily conversations with parents kept families informed about progress at that time, while information shared with teachers at children's next schools supported continuity in care and learning.

Huntington Community Centre, Stafford Road, Huntington, WS12 4PD is the nursery's address. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays.

In October 2022, session times ran from 8.30am until 3.15pm, with flexible arrangements intended to accommodate families. Funded early education for children aged two, three and four was also part of the offer at that date.

• Learning through investigation. The October 2022 improvement priorities concerned exploratory play and questioning. During a visit, ask how staff now encourage children to test ideas and solve problems themselves.
• School-holiday cover. Littleton Minors closes during school holidays. Families needing care throughout the year will need an arrangement that covers those breaks.
• Funding and everyday costs. Funded early education formed part of the October 2022 offer. What would your proposed attendance pattern now include for funded hours, meals and consumables, and what would the nursery's written quotation charge separately?

Littleton Minors suits families seeking a term-time nursery for children aged 24 to 48 months. Its October 2022 picture combines conversational learning, garden exploration and close relationships with staff. The balance matters: a Good judgement sits alongside specific work needed on investigation and problem-solving, giving families a clear teaching question to pursue when choosing.