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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Supertots Day Nursery

Inspected 28 Nov 2013 · published 26 Mar 2014 · URN 316462

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Summary

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    28 Nov 2013

  • Inspectors verified

    Jennifer Kennaugh

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Outstanding

  • Postcode verified

    OL11 5AF

  • Name on report verified

    Supertots Nurseries Ltd

  • URN verified

    316462

Page 1 of 12
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  • OverallOutstanding

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+83Very positivemore positive than 9% of reports of this type graded Outstanding
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

Reads more critically than most reports of this type graded Outstanding.

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Praiseexcellentexceptionallyoutstandingexemplaryvery wellrobustwell preparedeffective
Criticisminadequateconcernsgapsnot metrequires improvementbelow

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings273w+88
  • What needs to improve2874w+81

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

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Pages
12
Words of findings
3,072
longer than usual (typical 693)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 42, typical 43
Average sentence
21 words
Next steps
8
typical 1
Hedged sentences
1%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 7%What needs to improve 69%About the inspection 24%

Full report text

Supertots Nurseries Ltd 191 Edenfield Road, ROCHDALE, Lancashire, OL11 5AF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2013 08/09/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff have excellent knowledge and understanding of how to manage any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. Safety and security measures are regularly evaluated to ensure their ongoing effectiveness.  The nursery has highly robust measures to support children to learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour, including partnership working with other professionals and services.  The nursery provides outstanding opportunities to develop all children's communication, language and early literacy skills, which underpins their progress in other areas of learning. Consequently, all children are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in learning.  Providing learning experiences that are challenging, varied and imaginative is of the utmost priority and staff support this with observation, assessment and planning that is of meticulous detail. As a result, children make rapid progress given their starting

p.1

This provision is outstanding

points and capabilities.  The opportunities for parents to engage with their children's learning, including making direct contributions to this, are excellent and they have access to a wealth of information about their own child, along with support for families locally and nationally.  The nursery has a deeply embedded culture of reflection and professional development, which supports the relentless drive for continuous improvement, and produces outstanding care and learning experiences for all children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a selection of documentation on the day of the inspection.  The inspector toured the premises.

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Inspection activities

 Observations of childcare staff and their interactions with children throughout the day were made by the inspector.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the senior manager and deputy manager, and spoke with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection.  A joint observation was completed by the inspector and the senior manager.

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Information about the setting

Supertots Nursery registered in 1999 and is owned by a private provider. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a single-storey building in the Norden area of Rochdale. There are seven main playrooms and a large enclosed outdoor play area. There is easy access to the premises at the rear of the building.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open between 7.30am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks a year. There are 17 members of childcare staff, and four staff provide ancillary and administrative support. Of the childcare staff, 13 are qualified to level 3 and one member of staff has an honours degree in a relevant subject. There are currently 101 children on roll in the early years age range, attending for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery receives support from Rochdale Early Years and Childcare Services and has been awarded the highest level in the local authority quality scheme. It also holds an award in healthy eating from the local authority and one for 'Investors in People'.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the already highly comprehensive ways in which individual children are supported to manage their feelings and behaviour by introducing more whole-group strategies to further support this.

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who attend

All children make excellent progress in their learning, as staff have an exemplary knowledge of how individual children learn. Staff make plans for inclusive activities based on their observations of what children can do. They use their knowledge of children's interests to help motivate them in their learning, with information from parents. Observations are made frequently on children's learning and these are compared to expected developmental norms for children's ages. Highly comprehensive assessments are made of children's learning, through tracking their progress in detail. This enables staff to see if progress is as expected, above, or below for their age. Consequently, staff can address any gaps in learning that may emerge, so that early intervention can prevent greater future difficulties. Educational programmes are precisely matched to children's ages, stages and resulting needs, with regard to challenge and breadth. This is due in part

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who attend

to the regular reporting of assessment of children's learning to the local authority, which then returns the information to show the relative performance of individuals, children and groups compared to local and national norms. This means that the managers and staff are able to plan strategies to address learning needs precisely, and also identify any aspects to incorporate into the nursery's overall development. For example, they begin to plan for acquiring more information and communication technology resources to support children's progress in communication. Children who speak English as an additional language have a specific document to follow their progress in acquiring English and this is linked to strategies that staff can employ to further this, depending on the stage of language acquisition the child has reached. Additionally, all children have detailed records kept to show their development in communication and language as the nursery follows the 'Every

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who attend

Child a Talker' programme. This means that staff have highly precise information with which to plan for children's development in this area, which underpins all other aspects of learning. Consequently, children are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in learning, including full-time school.

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who attend

The nursery promotes children's exploratory and sensory play with a wealth of activities across the day, both indoors and outside. Children delight in exploring media, such as coloured mashed potato and couscous by moulding it into baking tins, as part of pretend play that they are cooking. This provides an excellent opportunity for talk in full sentences and also to develop children's critical thinking about concepts, such as 'full' and 'not full' as they fill the tins up. Outdoors, staff support children to play in the 'mud kitchen'. Children are encouraged to problem solve, such as when they wonder where they can get water from to make their mud mixture 'more runny'. Staff provide plenty of praise and encouragement when children show the confidence to engage in 'messy play' if they have previously been reluctant, in order to motivate them to further their efforts. They are skilled at drawing shy children into interaction with themselves and others, in order to

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who attend

build confidence and support development in communication and language. Staff also have the expertise to be able to divert from an activity they have planned when children chance upon an alternative opportunity for learning, such as when they find a ladybird outdoors, or notice a bird's nest in a tree. They maximise the learning from these activities, such as by asking children to count the spots on the ladybird, which they do correctly, then asking 'how many spots do you have?' to extend critical thinking. As a result, children have to decide if they are wearing clothes with a spot pattern and answer in a sentence accordingly. They follow the children's lead again, when they start to chase their peers, and develop this into a listening game of 'freeze and run' to enhance children's ability to listen to simple instructions. In small group work, staff demonstrate an excellent ability to engage children who are outwardly non-compliant, by making sure that their

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who attend

language matches the children's interests. They offer games to challenge children's learning in communication and thinking. For example, they show them each two cards in turn and use two words to describe each picture, before taking one picture away, while the child covers their eyes. They then ask the child to say which picture has gone, using the essential key words to describe it. This provides excellent extension of their communication skills. They also take children's suggestions for further activities on board and agree to them as rewards for completing tasks. This shows children that their views are valued, which reinforces motivation. All staff also carry photo cards of activities and routines, in order to show children what is happening next, or to help them show staff what they would like to do. This provides excellent support for children with English as an additional language and any others who find it difficult to express themselves well enough

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who attend

to be understood. As a result, staff can model correct speech in order to build children's language skills by using words, sentences and pictures to show meaning.

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who attend

Daily letters and sounds activities are provided to give children a foundation in early literacy. For example, staff plan small group activities to help children tune into sounds, which enhances their listening skills and their ability to distinguish between different sounds. This forms excellent preparation for learning to spell and read correctly at school. Pre-school children all use pre-reading books to build on this. The use of home reading books also enables parents to become directly involved in their children's learning. There are additional routes for parents to contribute directly to children's learning, such as the use of take-home toys and diaries, which children take if they are going to a special family event or at weekends. Overall, parents are extremely well supported to be active participants in their children's learning, which provides an excellent basis for this when children transfer to school. Parents receive daily written or verbal information about their

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who attend

child's activities depending on the age of their child, and are aware that they can view children's learning records at any time. Parents' meetings and evenings are very well attended, demonstrating an excellent level of parental engagement with the care and education of their children. This includes when the progress check at age two is carried out for children, so that they have an opportunity to contribute to this. Overall, parents receive highly comprehensive information about their child's progress and activities. The nursery prepares detailed reports for children's next settings, including full-time school, in order to support continuity of learning. Advice is always available for next settings, such as schools, after children have transferred, especially when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities, in order to effectively support their well-being and learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff demonstrate a detailed knowledge of children, their routines and their preferences. As a result, they provide excellent support for children's emotional well-being and physical needs, which in turn, supports their learning. A key strength is how well staff know the children they care for and how they work to support individual children's learning about managing their feelings and behaviour. This is accomplished by the use of role modelling, puppets and stories to develop children's empathy with others, in order to minimise or remove any unwanted behaviours. Small group times are used to help children explore their feelings and their understanding of how their actions can affect those of others. These are led by the member of staff designated to oversee behaviour management. As a result, children who experience difficulties in this area of learning receive close attention to support their development and narrow gaps in this. Use is also made of strategies, such

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

as staff 'shadowing' children to try to ascertain any particular times, circumstances or environments when children may find managing their feelings more difficult, and for this to be incorporated into planning their support. Some use is also made of whole-group strategies to reward good behaviour, such as appointing 'helpers' from the children who show success in this. However, there is further scope to ehance the use of such strategies as the staff continue to support children to manage their feelings and behaviour to the very highest level. Children also participate regularly in events to raise money for local and national causes, learning about diversity and the differing needs of others.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children and babies demonstrate excellent confidence and explore the space and resources thoroughly. They develop responsibility and independence through daily routines, such as lunchtimes, when children are able to serve themselves. This also develops hand-eye coordination as they manipulate the large serving spoons. Children use resources safely, showing a high regard for their own safety and that of others, and resources and toys are highly accessible indoors and out, covering the breadth of the areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, children develop independence because they can make decisions about what to play with and how to combine resources in their play. This supports their thinking and problem-solving skills. Children's welfare is exceptionally well protected by staff upholding a highly comprehensive range of policies and parental permissions. The nursery provides outdoor

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

play experiences which give children excellent opportunities to take reasonable risk in their play, with careful supervision. This enables children to enjoy exercise and learn about the benefits of this in a healthy lifestyle. The outdoor area is exceptionally well organised to allow for outdoor play in all weather, with covered areas adjacent to the building. The use of fences, locks and gates means that security in the outdoor area is excellent and children are always under close supervision from staff. This supports their safety by ensuring that staff can see where children are playing at all times. Inside the nursery, effective measures, such as high door handles prevent children from moving between rooms or accessing the outdoor areas unsupervised.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Food is prepared on the premises and children can make choices from a healthy range of options, supporting their enjoyment of a balanced diet. This helps them to learn about the basis for a nutritious diet, through discussion with staff. Staff take care to inform children and babies in advance about care routines that are required, such as nappy changes, in order to maintain their emotional well-being and respect their dignity. Children show a very good level of self-care and are able to manage a variety of aspects of personal hygiene appropriate to their age and stage of development. Staff in the toddler room talk to children frequently about the importance of washing their hands thoroughly after playing outside or before eating meals. As a result, children have opportunities to learn effective hygiene routines. All areas of the nursery are exceptionally clean and well maintained to help prevent accidents or the spread of any germs. Daily checks for hazards

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

in order to minimise risk to children and staff are rigorous. There is a robust procedure for answering the main door to protect children from unauthorised access, and the main gate to the rear of the premises is also locked during the day to further support children's security. Staff deployment is observed to be highly effective in supporting children's welfare and learning. This is due to the extensive use of children remaining in key groups for hygiene routines, such as hand-washing, and during activities to promote children's communication and language development. This means that children have continuity to form friendships with each other, which supports interaction and play through which learning can be established. The times when children change room within the nursery are very well managed, with plenty of discussion with parents to support children during this. A highly flexible approach, which is based on the needs of the individual child, is taken at

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

all times when children join the nursery or move rooms, to maintain children's emotional well-being. The nursery requests information from any previous settings attended by children in order to inform their initial planning, and also seeks detailed information from parents to supplement this. Preparation for providing for any specific health needs of children, by liaison with professionals involved with children's care, is meticulous. Highly comprehensive information to support children's good health and well-being is kept from when children join the nursery, in order to meet their needs, such as dietary requirements. This is regularly updated in order to continue to meet children's needs effectively and safely.

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provision

Risk assessments and safety checks are highly detailed and reviewed whenever required so children can safely access a wealth of learning experiences on and off the premises. Staff have a robust understanding of how to manage any concerns they may have about a child's welfare due to excellent knowledge of safeguarding procedures. All adults who work on the premises are checked and vetted for working with children, and staff make regular declarations regarding their ongoing suitability to work with children. All documentation relating to statutory requirements is completed to a very high standard to support the safe and effective running of the setting. This includes a policy for the use of devices with cameras on the premises, such as mobile phones and the use of social networking sites by staff. The nursery's highly comprehensive policies and procedures underpin an outstanding level of care and learning for all children in the nursery. Staff

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provision

demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to carry out their roles and responsibilities. This is because these are clearly defined and frequently reviewed with them in order to ensure they are familiar with the continually high standards of care and teaching expected from staff.

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provision

Procedures for recruitment, induction and staff performance management are excellent. As a result, the nursery has a highly skilled and enthusiastic staff team to maintain outstanding care and learning for children. A key strength of the nursery is the partnership with the local authority which enables staff and managers to formulate action plans that precisely address the learning needs of groups of children and individuals. The appraisal and supervision process is exceptionally rigorous, so that staff receive frequent feedback in order to enhance their practice. Staff plan exceptionally detailed educational programmes based on the needs and experiences of individual children, which provide purposeful challenge for their ages and stages of development. There are multi-layered systems in place to monitor the quality and consistency of observations, planning and assessment of children's learning. The deputy manager monitors all ongoing planning to

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provision

ensure that it meets the high expectations needed for delivering a vibrant educational programme to all children. The quality of staff teaching is monitored through continual informal observation by room managers and the deputy manager on a daily basis. There is also a highly organised formal system of observation on staffs' quality of teaching to inform the appraisal and supervision process. Consequently, practice to support children's learning is outstanding throughout the nursery and they are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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provision

The nursery works in partnership with other agencies and professionals in order to support any additional needs that children may have. Parents' and children's views are frequently sought in order to ensure that the nursery's provision continues to meet the needs of children and families. Self-evaluation is ongoing, in partnership with the local authority quality team, and the managers continually work to ensure that all aspects of the nursery's practice are exemplary. Staff are required to write accounts after training to reflect on how the information received will enhance their practice, before cascading this to other staff. Therefore, this leads to a high level of reflection when introducing new initiatives, such as for behaviour management, in order to further enhance the care and education provided by the nursery.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 316462 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 915311

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 86 Number of children on roll 101 Name of provider Supertots Day Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 08/09/2009 Telephone number 01706 356 021

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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