Little Stars Childcare Cheddleton

Warm relationships and an uneven learning programme define the March 2026 picture at Little Stars Childcare Cheddleton. This Cheddleton setting has capacity for 34 children. Its strengths and its teaching concerns deserve equal weight in a family's decision.

At its 30 March 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, inclusion, and leadership to be at the expected standard, with safeguarding standards met, but curriculum and teaching needing attention. These are separate judgements, rather than a single overall grade.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: everyday play should help children develop skills and understanding, with teaching building on what they can already do.

In March 2026, books, shared reading and role play gave children opportunities to practise language and connect play with familiar experiences. Preschool children chose activities and initiated their own play. Threading, pouring and scooping offered practice in hand control, while number recognition and comparisons introduced mathematical ideas.

Outdoor experiences extended beyond the setting. In March 2026, children visited a nearby farm, and younger children, including babies, took regular walks. These gave children concrete experiences of their surroundings rather than keeping exploration indoors.

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that progress was too often incidental, teaching did not consistently address children's learning priorities, assessment did not sufficiently shape next steps, and curriculum improvements were not yet generally embedded. Enjoyable activities were not consistently connected into a purposeful learning sequence. That distinction matters: engagement alone does not establish that teaching is extending a child's knowledge.

In March 2026, staff used information gathered from families before children started, alongside observations, to identify individual needs. Babies' feeding and sleeping arrangements followed their home routines, giving families a practical point of continuity between home and childcare.

Interactive communication boards helped children express needs when speech was less developed. In March 2026, targeted individual interventions, adapted routines and work with external professionals formed part of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Families participated in identifying needs and shaping that support.

Children's photographs were displayed to help babies recognise themselves within the setting. During March 2026, staff also used links between colours and feelings to help children express emotions, alongside activities about oral health, healthy choices and being active.

The address is 165 Cheadle Road, Cheddleton, Leek, ST13 7HN. In March 2026, opening hours were 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the children attending were aged 1 to 4. These are dated operational details; the age range describes children attending that visit.

• Teaching sequence. The March 2026 actions required clearer learning sequences and assessment-led teaching tailored to children's starting points by 1 May 2026. Ask to see how a child's next steps now influence activities across the week.
• Leadership follow-through. In March 2026, monitoring lacked the precision needed to establish consistent teaching expectations. A visit should explore how leaders check that curriculum changes reach everyday practice.
• Attendance arrangements. The March 2026 opening window ran from 7am to 6pm on weekdays. Which booking patterns can your family use within those hours?

Little Stars Childcare Cheddleton suits families who value attention to home routines, communication support and outdoor experiences. Those features were evident in March 2026, alongside a substantial weakness in curriculum design and teaching. Families weighing it should give the implementation of the required teaching changes as much attention as the care arrangements.