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Little Doves Nursery & Preschool Ltd

Little Doves Nursery & Preschool Ltd is a pre-school in Wolverhampton for children aged 1 to 4, with 42 registered places. Ofsted report card, 20 January 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Parkvillage Education Centre, (Aladdin's Education) Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 0RA

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
42 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
31 March 2025 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

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

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 20 January 2026

Who runs it

Little Doves Nursery & Preschool Ltd is run by Little Doves Nursery & Preschool Ltd (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

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

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 20 January 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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

All children, including those who have recently started at the setting, are happy and settled. Staff are attentive to them and provide them with high levels of care, love and comfort. This helps to support children to settle quickly when they are unsettled. Children confidently seek staff out for help when this is required. Staff work well in partnership with parents and other professionals. They find out key information about children before they start at the setting. This helps them to get to know children's needs and development swiftly. Staff use this information well to help determine when children require early help and/or intervention.

The curriculum is varied and ambitious. Staff use children's next steps to plan a range of learning experiences for children to access, which children enjoy. Overall, children show an eagerness to become engaged. They make progress in their development from their starting points. Staff support children to develop their knowledge of numbers and shapes through a range of puzzles, songs and rhymes. Children thoroughly enjoy sensory experiences, such as paint. They learn about colours and how these mix together.

Children are confident and independent learners. They have lots of space to try and complete tasks for themselves. Staff support them to play alongside, and with, their peers. Children make their wishes known through words or gestures. Staff are responsive to children. They model language well. Staff support children to develop their speech through asking open-ended questions. Staff give children lots of space and time to answer questions.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of each child's needs and development. This includes any child who has recently started at the setting. Consequently, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress in their learning from their starting points. Leaders take proactive steps to identify and remove any barriers to children's learning. This includes making changes to children's hours, in order to improve their attendance. Leaders swiftly identify children's emerging or changing needs. Staff continue to monitor and assess children's development to identify any gaps and to set targets for children to achieve. They work closely with parents and make referrals to other professionals. This helps to ensure that children with SEND, or those with any barriers to their learning, receive the early help or specialist intervention they require.

Children who are known or were previously known to children's social care receive effective support from staff. Staff monitor the impact of any plans that have been developed to support children and make changes as required. They attend all meetings and gather or share key information with parents and other professionals. This helps to ensure that children are kept safe and receive the support and consistency they require. Staff receive training and support from leaders and gain advice and tips from other professionals about how to support specific children with SEND. However, there are occasions during large-group times where some of the strategies shared with staff are not consistently implemented in practice. This impacts on children's level of engagement during these times.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a sequenced curriculum. It covers all areas of learning. Leaders have a clear understanding of each staff's teaching practice. They identify methods to help improve further the quality of teaching children receive. Staff use stories, books and rhymes to help develop children's language skills. They read and sing with lots of animation, expression and excitement. This helps to keep most children's interest. Younger children attempt to sing along to familiar songs. Older children eagerly explain what is happening in the story from looking at the pictures. In addition, children have lots of opportunities to develop their mathematical knowledge. For instance, younger children learn about space as they attempt to fit puzzles into the right places. Staff provide them with tips until they are successful. Older children learn about 'full' and 'empty', and 'more' and 'less' as they explore with rice and a range of containers.

Staff plan an array of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences for children to access, both inside and outdoors. They plan these based on children's interests and next steps. Leaders ensure that the learning environment is accessible to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to ensure that all children continue to thrive in their development. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as climbing and running. They also play cooperatively with each other and staff during free play. On the whole, staff teach children well. However, there are occasions where some learning experiences are not delivered at the right level. For instance, some children achieve tasks with ease or find it slightly too challenging.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with any barriers in their learning, make continuous progress in their development. They are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school. Children develop their independence, as they learn how to self-serve and feed themselves. In addition, children learn how to dress and undress themselves throughout the day.

Children develop their language skills well. They are confident communicators who are able to express themselves and make their wishes known through using gestures, speaking single words or full sentences. Children develop their perseverance as they explore with puzzles or construction equipment. They show a willingness to get engaged and have their own ideas. Children learn how to manage their own health, such washing hands to remove germs. They develop an understanding of how to look after their bodies through making healthy food choices and staying hydrated as they help themselves to water. Children learn new skills, such as climbing. They learn to use the steps and ropes to help move themselves up the play equipment outside.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff give children lots of time and space to complete tasks and activities for themselves. Children develop their concentration skills well during this time. Staff are on hand to provide children with support where this is required. Children show high levels of pride when they accomplish tasks for themselves. This includes them clapping their hands and saying 'yay'. Children generally show an eagerness to get engaged. They have lots of opportunities to interact and play with or alongside their peers and with staff. Children develop their social skills during this time as staff remind them to share and take turns.

Leaders have clear procedures in place to monitor children's absence. Parents know that they must report their child's non-attendance to leaders swiftly. Leaders and staff make contact with parents to find out any reasons for absences when this is required. Staff provide children with high levels of care, comfort and love. They use the child's interests and distraction well when children become unsettled. Staff are very positive role models to children. They praise children for what they do well. Staff quickly remind children of the rules. Children typically behave well. However, some staff do not fully support children to understand why they should not do something. Consequently, there are times where some undesired behaviours are repeated.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff talk to children about the importance of maintaining their health and hygiene. They teach children how to wash their hands correctly to remove any germs. Children are provided with a range of healthy and balanced meals, which they enjoy. Staff talk to children about what their bodies need, including rest, water and healthy food. Children get lots of opportunities to play outside and get fresh air. Staff talk to them about how to stay warm while outside. Children enjoy movement and music sessions inside. They join in with the actions to familiar rhymes.

Children have developed strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Children who have recently started at the setting show their confidence with staff as they seek them out. This includes children with little or no language who use gestures with staff to make their wishes known. Staff quickly identify and respond to children's individual needs, for instance if children become upset or when they are tired or hungry. Staff support the children to learn about their emotions and their feelings. However, at times, some children's behaviour starts to disrupt other children.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know their setting's context well. They work closely with parents and carers to identify any individual needs they or their children have. Leaders then put support in place to meet these needs. They ensure that all parents are kept informed of their child's development, progress and ways they can support their child at home. In addition, leaders and staff share key information with other professionals or settings that children attend. This helps to ensure that children receive the consistency they require.

Leaders ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the setting's policies and procedures. In addition, staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing and monitor their workload well. They offer staff a range of training, which helps to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Leaders have an understanding of the setting's strengths and areas that could improve further. They carry out regular supervisions with staff and they monitor staff's practice closely. Leaders have taken steps to provide staff with specific training, coaching and support to help develop their teaching skills further. This needs to continue to ensure that all children consistently benefit from the curriculum on offer.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders must ensure that all staff consistently implement the strategies given to them from other professionals, in order to maximise the support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive.
  • Leaders should support staff to ensure that all learning experiences on offer to children are tailored to suit each child's age and/or stage of development.
  • Leaders must ensure that all staff support children to understand the rules and boundaries in place and learn what is expected of them.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 20 January 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 20 January 2026: Full inspection, report card: Expected standard in 6

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

  • Old Fallings Playgroup - Pre-school, Wolverhampton WV10 8BH, ages 2 to 3, 25 places, 0.6 miles
    Ofsted, 26 May 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Let Us Play Shaw Park - Pre-school, Wolverhampton WV10 9LE, 0.8 miles
  • Fun 4 Kidz Little Village - Day nursery, Wolverhampton WV11 1PE, 68 places, 0.9 miles
  • TLC Neighbourhood Nursery - Day nursery, Wolverhampton WV6 0LZ, ages 2 to 4, 82 places, 0.9 miles
    Ofsted, 9 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Scholars Childcare - Day nursery, Wednesfield WV11 1UN, ages 0 to 4, 81 places, 1.0 miles
    Ofsted report card, 25 March 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met

Schools nearby

Little Doves Nursery & Preschool Ltd on the Ofsted website