Littlehampton nursery near Body Shop HQ retains ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating

Little Pioneers nursery in Watersmead Business Park, Littlehampton, was rated as ‘oustanding’ in every category by Ofsted inspectors Kerry Lynn and Sarah Denman when they visited on November 21.

In the report, published recently, the inspectors singled out the children’s ‘wonderful enthusiasm for learning’ and ‘highly-motivated and passionate’ staff.

Emma Bowman, senior nursery manager, said: “I’m so proud of all the children and my colleagues for this fantastic achievement. Retaining our outstanding rating is all down to their hard work and enthusiasm and this award is very well deserved.

“It was especially rewarding to hear the judges’ recognise what a happy, empowering and inspiring place the nursery is for all the children who come here.

“We really have built a wonderful community and are determined to keep providing a wide variety of fun, stimulating experiences that support all aspects of our children’s development.”

Owned by Co-op Childcare and formerly known as the Co-operative Childcare Body Shop, it opened in 2013 and was initially rated as ‘requires improvement’.

In 2015, it then became an ‘outstanding’ nursery following another inspection.

The Littlehampton nursery has a large natural garden featuring an outdoor forest school and children enjoy activities from cooking to yoga, dance and cycling, as well as learning languages, maths and social skills.

In the report, inspectors praised how the nursery planned activities to support children’s interests, promoted literacy skills and encouraged them to try nutritious new foods.

Children at the Littlehampton nursery have the opportunity to learn about the origins of their food, as well as grow their own vegetables, as part of Little Pioneers’ Healthy Living and Wellbeing Programme.

The nursery has also been awarded a silver Eco-schools Award for its work in educating children about the planet, raising awareness of the environment and improving the nursery’s sustainability.

According to a spokesman, Little Pioneers is the first national nursery group to secure Millie’s Mark accreditation for making sure all staff working directly with children are Paediatric First Aid trained.

The nursery, which employs 39 staff, receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four-years-old. It is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.