Little Sunflowers Pre-School

Friendships, independence and learning to manage feelings give Little Sunflowers Pre-School its clearest character. At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for behaviour and attitudes and personal development, found safeguarding effective and identified effective early support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The setting has 52 places in total and is based at 11 Moreton Avenue, Birmingham, B43 7QP. Children attending in June 2025 were aged three to five; that age range describes the inspection group.

In June 2025, play shaped the curriculum, with children's interests informing their next learning steps. The early years foundation stage sets the framework for learning, development and care: here, its practical expression included conversation, counting, physical activity and learning through play.

A mathematics activity made the teaching tangible. Children threaded small hoops onto spaghetti, counted them and tackled further counting challenges introduced by staff. The example shows how a simple resource could combine careful hand movements with number work.

Physical activity had equally concrete ingredients. In June 2025, an obstacle course involved balancing on crates and jumping onto a mat, while painting on a large sheet of paper encouraged broad arm movements. Stories, songs and rhymes supported language alongside conversations with adults. A graduation ceremony recognised children's achievements, giving their move towards school a celebratory marker.

There was a limitation to the learning offer: the June 2025 inspection identified insufficient opportunities to extend creativity and deeper thinking through open-ended and natural play, and asked leaders to develop staff knowledge in this area.

In June 2025, staff helped children establish friendships and understand boundaries. Children shared resources, waited for turns and helped one another. These are useful foundations for participating in a group, rather than simply completing an adult's activity.

Support for emotions was practical too. Adults helped children express feelings and make choices, linking independence with the ability to manage their responses. Communication screening and regular developmental assessments helped staff identify concerns, while activities were adapted to individual learning targets.

Parents received updates about development and were involved in learning at home in June 2025. Healthy meals and snacks formed part of the day, with adults and children talking together at mealtimes. School preparation emphasised independence and emotional security.

The address is 11 Moreton Avenue, Birmingham, B43 7QP.

In June 2025, the pre-school operated throughout the year, Monday to Friday, with session times of 7.30am to 6pm. It also provided funded early education at that time for children aged three and four. These are dated operating arrangements rather than a current booking offer.

• Creative exploration. Developing staff knowledge to extend creativity and deeper thinking was the June 2025 improvement priority. Families who value child-directed exploration should weigh this alongside the structured counting and physical activities.
• Attendance and funding. The June 2025 arrangements combined year-round weekday operation with funded early education for children aged three and four. Which current attendance patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your family, and how are meals and consumables handled?

Little Sunflowers merits consideration for families who value friendships, independence and preparation for school through everyday play. The June 2025 picture combines thoughtful emotional support with concrete counting, language and movement activities. The June 2025 call for more opportunities to develop creativity and deeper thinking is the important counterweight to that inspection assessment.