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Busy Little Hands Pre-School

Busy Little Hands Pre-School is a pre-school in Hull for children aged 1 to 4, with 32 registered places. Ofsted report card, 15 June 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Village Hall, 21 Hull Road, Anlaby, Hull, HU10 6SP

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
1 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
32 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
6 July 2023 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 15 June 2026

Who runs it

Busy Little Hands Pre-School is run by Busy Little Hands LTD (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Strong standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
  • Achievement: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 15 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children experience a caring and inclusive environment where they feel safe and develop secure relationships with staff. They are greeted warmly, settle quickly into familiar routines, and seek comfort from trusted adults when needed. Younger children are soothed with cuddles and reassurance, while older children engage confidently with staff and their peers. Children benefit from effective partnerships with parents and carers, which help staff understand their routines, preferences and individual needs so they feel secure and valued from the outset. Children attend regularly and arrive ready to learn, helping them to benefit fully from the broad range of experiences on offer.

Children show curiosity and enjoyment in their learning. They engage enthusiastically in activities such a nature role play table, stacking and balancing magnetic blocks, and exploring the outdoor environment. Children engage excitedly in the activities on offer, particularly story time. Children develop communication, early mathematical understanding and physical skills, for instance when they use tweezers and pipettes in the water tray and climb on the frame outside. They show confidence, sustain attention and cooperate well with others through sharing and turn-taking.

Children benefit from activities that are planned around their interests and next steps in learning. They are supported effectively through staff modelling, interaction and encouragement. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning are included well. They benefit from consistent strategies, such as visual aids and signing, which help them communicate, participate and succeed alongside their peers.

Children behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. They develop key skills through warm relationships, meaningful interactions and a broad range of experiences that support their confidence, independence and emotional wellbeing.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a welcoming and highly inclusive environment where every child and family are considered unique, valued and are very well supported. Leaders and staff are highly committed to their work with children. They ensure all children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning, have the best possible start to their education. Leaders and staff effectively and consistently identify and assess children's individual needs through careful observations, assessments and conversations with parents. They ensure that they identify and promptly address any barriers to learning. Staff consistently provide highly effective targeted support and well-planned activities to ensure children progress well in their learning.

Leaders use additional funding to provide children with support to help progress their development further. For example, resources purchased support children's emotional and wellbeing needs, supporting them to understand and manage their emotions. Staff receive specialist training to meet children's individual needs. This equips them with the knowledge to assist children with barriers to their learning.

Leaders understand the importance of positive partnerships with parents and other professionals. This promotes a collaborative approach to addressing gaps in children's learning. When staff identify gaps in children's learning, they implement effective strategies, such as small-group sessions and use of simple sign language and picture cards. This consistent effort helps ensure that all children can thrive and develop their communication skills effectively.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a suitable understanding of the curriculum and of the quality of teaching. They prioritise children's independence, communication and physical development. The curriculum is appropriately designed to meet the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. Staff plan activities based on children's interests and next steps, helping to make learning meaningful and engaging. For example, they support children's understanding of the world through themed activities, such as turning the home corner into a flower and vegetable shop. Children's early mathematical development is supported by staff as children enjoy sorting different coloured bears into matching coloured bowls. They encourage them to count the ice creams they are creating in the sand tray using scoops.

Children's physical development and personal, social and emotional development are prioritised. Staff support children to develop coordination and control through planned activities such as navigating the climbing frame and balance bikes outside. They provide encouragement and reassurance to help build children's confidence and independence skills. Positive relationships underpin learning and support children to engage and participate.

Staff use assessment well to understand what children know and can do, and adapt their teaching accordingly, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Adaptations, such as targeted one-to-one support, ensures that all children are able to fully access the curriculum. However, teaching is not yet consistent across the setting. While some staff expertly extend children's thinking and learning, others do not consistently use high-quality interactions to deepen children's understanding to help extend their learning further.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress in their learning and development. They independently access resources, lead their own play, express their needs and invite adults to join them as they play. Children express their needs and show that they are confident to share their ideas and make requests. Children gain high levels of confidence and self-esteem. They are making expected progress for their age and stage of development across all areas because of the breadth of curriculum they receive.

Children are eager to learn and display high levels of attention and concentration. Older children can identify their own name and are beginning to form letters. Toddlers show a keen interest in early mark making and confidently explore crayons and chalks. Outdoors, children play together well and take turns. They enjoy growing plants and playing in the toy barbeque where they pretend to make kebabs. All children show a keen interest in exploring books and talking about their favourite characters in the story.

Children with special education needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress in their development. They are confident in expressing themselves and joining in play with their peers. Children achieve well in this setting and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including the move on to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children show increasing levels of respect towards their peers. For example, they ask their friends if they can have a turn making a 'kebab' in the wooden barbeque. They take turns at being the 'shopkeeper' in the shop. Staff recognise these moments and praise children for their positive behaviour and respect towards each other. Leaders and staff also ensure that they organise children's experiences so that they have a secure understanding of what is expected of them. This includes firmly embedding daily routines. Children consistently show positive behaviour as they move between these familiar routines. For instance, they know that they must wash their hands before snack and always stay sitting down until they have finished eating their meals or snack.

Leaders and staff skilfully create a calm learning environment that stimulates children's fascination and interests. This helps promote children's consistently positive attitude to learning throughout the setting. For example, children explore their surroundings independently and choose where they want to play. They join in with either group activities or selecting toys to play with from the variety of choices available to them. Staff further build on children's engagement by inviting them to join group activities. Staff focus on children's play choices and move themselves to support children with their chosen activities. This supports children to build on their concentration skills.

Staff take into account children's age and developmental stages when planning daily routines and make appropriate adaptations. They understand the importance of play for children and provide long periods of uninterrupted playtime. Attendance is promoted effectively and staff follow clear procedures to monitor and support children's regular attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are a high priority at this setting. Leaders and staff form excellent partnerships with parents and carers. This helps staff to recognise any changes to children's needs and circumstances to keep them safe. Staff fully understand and swiftly identify the unique needs of all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are responsive and effectively adapt procedures, such as nappy changing procedures to ensure children are fully supported and their wellbeing is prioritised. This means children experience consistent warm, attentive and nurturing care. Staff use gentle and calm approaches with children when establishing routines. Children who are new to the setting settle quickly. Children form close attachments with staff and demonstrate when they need help or reassurance if needed. This supports children's emotional regulation and self-worth from a young age. Children explore lots of opportunities for outdoor learning and test and extend their own ideas and progress in their physical abilities. Children demonstrate resilience and a can-do attitude to learning.

Staff nurture children's healthy lifestyles and children's emerging independence is evident. Children wash their hands independently and express the importance of getting rid of any germs. Older children put their coats confidently and attend to their own toileting needs. Staff work with parents and share healthy lunch box expectations. They talk to children about healthy foods during mealtimes and demonstrate their awareness of safer eating requirements. Staff consistently promote the importance of regular teeth brushing through role play and reading books about visiting the dentist. Children have regular access to outdoor physical activities and fresh air. This supports children in adopting a secure understanding of healthy practices.

Leaders place a great emphasis on helping children to recognise how to keep themselves safe. They promote road safety and 'stranger danger'. They support parents in understanding appropriate use of screen time and helps children understand how to keep themselves safe online.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They respond appropriately when issues arise, such as reviewing and updating procedures and risk assessments, and providing refresher training to staff. Children benefit from effective partnerships with parents and carers, which help staff understand children's routines, preferences and individual needs so that they feel secure and valued from the outset.

Leaders show a clear commitment to sustained improvement. They make decisions that support children's safety and wellbeing and use additional funding to enhance provision and support children who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, helping them to access learning and make progress. The ongoing development of the outdoor area seeks to increase opportunities for natural play, such as growing vegetables and plants and is a current priority.

Leaders maintain a visible presence in rooms and provide day-to-day guidance and informal support to staff, taking account of staff wellbeing. Staff access learning and development opportunities, according to their interests. However, the professional development programme is not yet precisely targeted to promote consistently high-quality interactions. Leaders recognise where further development is needed to strengthen consistency in practice, and secure even better outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should ensure all staff consistently offer high quality interactions to children to further support their development.
  • Leaders should target staff professional development specifically to enhance the quality of teaching to benefit children's learning.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 15 June 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 4 September 2025: Full inspection, Requires improvement (report)

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Teeny Tots Day Nursery - Day nursery, Hull HU10 6SP, 47 places, under 0.1 miles
    Ofsted, 30 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Springboard Nursery Anlaby - Day nursery, Anlaby HU10 6RJ, ages 0 to 4, 98 places, 0.4 miles
    Ofsted report card, 3 July 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Kids Planet Willerby - Day nursery, Hull HU10 6LU, 70 places, 0.6 miles
  • Anlaby Park Methodist Pre-School - Pre-school, Hull HU4 7RR, ages 2 to 4, 45 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted, 6 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Brambley Cottage Day Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, East Riding of Yorkshire HU13 9AS, ages 0 to 4, 65 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 14 November 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Busy Little Hands Pre-School on the Ofsted website