Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)
Little Angelz Day Nursery
Summary
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- Inspection datesingle source
23 Jun 2014
- Inspectors verified
Alex Brouder
- Overall effectivenesssingle source
Requires improvement
- Postcode verified
LE1 3PJ
- Name on report verified
Little Angelz Day Nursery
- URN verified
EY463996
Deep dive
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Grade profile
Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2013.
- OverallRequires improvement
Tone of the report
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In line with other reports of this type graded Requires improvement.
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Strengths
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No standout praise found.
Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
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- Children enjoy their time in the nursery and show that they feel welcome. p.1
- Key persons have developed strong bonds with children ensuring children's well being is promoted well. p.1
- Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures to ensure that children's safety is promoted. p.1
- Staff have positive relationships with the children and their families, promoting a welcoming, friendly and caring environment. p.1
- Teaching is consistent across the nursery. p.1
- Planning, observation and assessment systems are not fully embedded into practice, leading to children making satisfactory progress overall. p.1
- Occasionally there is not a member of staff at the setting who holds a qualification in paediatric first-aid and this is a breach of legal requirement. p.1
- Procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the planning and the quality of teaching are not yet robust. p.1
What the report dwells on
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Anatomy of the report
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- Pages
- 12
- Words of findings
- 3,021
- longer than usual (typical 773)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 47, typical 48
- Average sentence
- 21 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 8
- Hedged sentences
- 7%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Little Angelz Day Nursery Angels House, 54 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 3PJ
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Inspection date
Previous inspection date 23/06/2014 29/11/2013
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early years provision
This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3
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This provision requires improvement
Children enjoy their time in the nursery and show that they feel welcome. Key persons have developed strong bonds with children ensuring children's well being is promoted well. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures to ensure that children's safety is promoted. Staff have positive relationships with the children and their families, promoting a welcoming, friendly and caring environment.
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It is not yet good because
Teaching is consistent across the nursery. Planning, observation and assessment systems are not fully embedded into practice, leading to children making satisfactory progress overall. Occasionally there is not a member of staff at the setting who holds a qualification in paediatric first-aid and this is a breach of legal requirement. Procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the planning and the quality of teaching are not yet robust. Young children do not have regular opportunities to access the outdoors. Some staff miss opportunities to promote children's independence and extend their learning through everyday routines.
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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 conducted a tour of the premises with the manager.
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Inspection activities
The inspector observed activities within the baby and toddler room and pre-school room, as well as the outdoor area.
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Inspection activities
Assessment records, planning documents, policies, qualifications of the staff and their suitability were checked. Discussions were held with parents, staff and children. A number of meetings were held with the manager at various points in the day.
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Information about the setting
Little Angelz Day Nursery was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Angels House in the city centre of Leicester. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. In addition the manager has Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. There are currently a total of 24 children on roll, 21 of whom are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
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must:
improve teaching methods to ensure that staff use their skills to challenge and extend children's individual needs. Gather observations and assessments to monitor children's learning and development to ensure their next steps are appropriately planned for to enable all children to make good progress through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated play opportunities
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must:
ensure at least one person who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate is on the premises when children are present
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must:
provide younger children with daily access to the outdoor play area or planned outdoor activities.
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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:
improve processes for the monitoring of staff practice, so they are robust enough to ensure planned learning experiences provide appropriate interest and challenge to enable children to consistently make good progress
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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:
ensure that staff use every day opportunities to develop children's independence skills, particularly during snack times.
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who attend
Overall, staff have a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this appropriately to guide the development of children's learning. As a result, children make satisfactory progress across all areas of learning, in readiness for school. Suitable systems are in place to seek information on children's skills before they begin at the setting, which staff use as a base line to provide appropriate toys and activities to meet their needs. Initial observations are made to allow staff to identify children's interests, different learning needs and physical abilities, in order for staff to plan interesting and appropriate activities for children. Ongoing observations and assessments are tracked to enable staff to analyse children's continual progress. From this, staff plan children's next steps to ensure children develop appropriately within the seven areas of learning, given their starting points. However, this practice is not consistent, as some staff do not always plan
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who attend
using information about what they know from children's likes and interests. This has the tendency to inhibit the progress that some children make. For example, although staff know a younger child has a strong interest in cars and trains, planning does not reflect this and observations in place do not link in any way to the use of this to develop and extend their learning. In addition, although there are opportunities for children to initiate their own play, there are many adult-led activities offered, which do not always offer differentiation or challenge and staff's purpose is too fixed, which can lead to them not bringing in children's ideas and abilities. For example, the toddlers completed a self- portrait under heavy assistance from staff. As a result, all the portraits completed were anatomically correct and were clearly not representative of the children's achievements. Despite these weaknesses, children do have fun and are engaged in play at all times. Staff
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who attend
know the children well and, overall, are able to explain their individual needs and do allow children to make choices from the suitable range of low-level resources, supporting their play and ideas as required. Parents are encouraged to share what they know of their child's learning at home, which is shared on a 'tree' within the foyer, celebrating children's achievements and valuing parents' knowledge. Staff have a suitable understanding of their responsibility for completing the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years and share this with parents when the time arises. Children who attend the nursery for out of school care are appropriately planned for and additional resources and activities are provided.
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who attend
Children arrive happily at the nursery, greeting their peers and familiar staff easily. All children are quick to engage visitors in their play. For example, a young child brings over a large dinosaur, laughing with delight as the visitor pretends to chase them with this. In addition, older children, inquisitive as to why there is a visitor, ask them the reason for their visit and if they would like to play with the puzzles with them. This shows that children are confident and happy both in their surrounding and with other adults. In the main, children are appropriately supported in acquiring the skills needed in readiness for school. For example, they wash their own hands after messy play and before food and take off their own shoes and clothing as needed. However, there is scope to use daily routines, such as snack times, to extend these skills further, for example, by allowing children to pour their own drinks, set tables or serve food. The nursery places a strong
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who attend
emphasis on communication and language. Therefore, overall, speaking and listening skills are developed generally well, given children's starting points. A high number of children have English as an additional language and the staff work with parents to establish familiar words from home, to use within the nursery, helping children to understand routines and key points in the day. In addition, visual timetables, gestures and objects of interest further support children to understand the routines of the day and to feel included. The nursery staff support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to have their needs met well, as staff take time to work closely with parents and other professionals to develop their skills and abilities.
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who attend
Children begin to explore numbers and related concepts as they play and during adult-led activities. For example, a small group of pre-school children were asked to count the number of water-proof boots that were laid out in front of them, while children of all ages have opportunities to hear and say number during songs and rhymes. Older children are confident in their skills and abilities and many can count to 10 or more. However, staff miss opportunities to extend this skill further, for example counting the steps down to the outdoor play area or the number of chairs needed for meal times. Older children using the outdoor area show they successfully recognise numbers as staff ask them to throw a ball at a corresponding number on the wall. Children of all ages begin to problem-solve, for example, as older children sit and persevere with puzzles of varying difficulty, turning the shapes around until they manage to complete it whilst younger children work out how
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who attend
shapes of varied sizes fit through holes. Children love to use their imagination and to be creative. They have access to role play equipment and engage in every day play opportunities to develop their skills for the future, for example, as they wash the dolls clothes, build towers of various sizes and explore colour through painting. Their awareness of others develops through planned activities to reflect not only the cultures of children present but of the wider world. Most children have regular access to the outdoors and older children are able to access this area more freely due to the proximity of this. However, toddlers and babies do not have sufficiently frequent access to this. As a result, there are fewer opportunities for this age group to explore their developing skills, for example in using wheeled toys or in climbing up and down the stairs.
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
Overall, staff generally take appropriate steps to promote children's good health and well- being. They are good role models, ensuring children learn about self-care needs, such as the importance of hand washing and of using tissues appropriately. Effective procedures have been established to ensure that, should a child become unwell, staff understand the action to take to ensure their health needs are supported. Further to this, all accidents occurring to children are recorded and parents sign to acknowledge each entry. However, a member of staff is not always on duty who holds a current paediatric first-aid certificate and this has a negative impact on children's health and safety and is a breach of legal requirements for both the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. Within the nursery staff ensure that children are safe and learn how to keep safe through, for example, appropriate entry and exit procedures and in supporting them to move up
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
and down the stairs in safety when using the outdoors. In addition, children practise a fire drill on a regular basis. All meals offered to children are prepared on site and reflect the cultural needs of the children in attendance. Systems are in place to establish children's individual preferences along with any allergies or dietary requirements to ensure that children are only given food appropriate to their needs. Should parents request certain foods not be given to children or a wish to provide their own foods, steps are taken to ensure that practice is adapted with immediate effect, supporting children's well-being. Meal times are used as a social occasion in which children sit together, with staff, to talk about their day. Staff follow appropriate hygiene procedures once children have finished meals, such as clearing all pots away, wiping tables and sweeping floors to ensure that all food items are cleaned away. This supports children's health and well-being. In the main
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
area, most of the older children have daily access to the outdoors using an appropriate range of equipment to support their physical skills. Staff ensure children are appropriately supported and supervised in this area, counting them in and out to ensure that they are safe.
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
The nursery is inviting to children, with low-level pegs enabling them to independently place their coats and belongings as they arrive. All children settle well and have strong bonds with the staff. They are confident with visitors and even the younger children are happy to engage them in their play. An established key person system supports children's settling into the provision and their transition from home. Parents share information about daily routines, such as children's eating habits and sleep patterns and staff ensure they provide consistency in these. Staff gather relevant information on children's learning needs before they begin at the nursery, enabling staff to provide toys and equipment to support their play and enjoyment. As a consequence, children settle quickly and easily into this welcoming nursery. All base rooms are well organised to enable children to feel happy, relaxed and at ease. Babies and toddlers settle easily due to the appropriately organised
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
warm and welcoming spaces they have access to. For example, low level resources enable them to play freely and easily. Staff ensure that children's move from room to room is managed well, through, for example, visits with their key person for short periods, helping them to develop confidence not only with new staff but their peer group also. In addition, the manager has taken steps to develop relationships with other early years settings, such as schools the children will be attending, to share what they know of children's learning and development. The manager is committed to supporting all parents with their child's move to their next setting and in particular ensures that she works closely in partnership with parents of children who have special educational needs, along with outside agencies who may offer support, to ensure that the transition for these children is as successful as possible.
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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
Children behave well and consistent strategies are in place to ensure that this is managed appropriately. Staff are positive role models and offer clear guidance to children during times of disruption. For example, a young child exploring a play house becomes agitated and upset when other children try to play alongside them. The manager distracts the child through talking about the characters within this and redirecting their focus onto something other than the children. Children in the pre-school room begin to manage their own behaviour, as they learn to ask their peers not to take resources from them as 'this is not kind'. Overall, children apologise for upsetting others, showing that they are beginning to understand the rules for playing harmoniously together.
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provision
Overall, children at the nursery are safeguarded. This is because appropriate checks have been completed on all adults caring for children. All staff, including those most new to the nursery, know how to implement safeguarding procedures to protect children's welfare. Further to this, the designated lead for safeguarding has completed appropriate training, as has the deputy, which has been cascaded to staff, ensuring all those working with children are well versed in the relevant action to take should they have concerns about a child. Parents are informed of this procedure and a policy outlining this is displayed in the main foyer, ensuring parents are aware of the nurseries responsibilities. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable and safe to work with children and no staff are left unsupervised until all relevant checks are in place. An induction procedure ensures that staff are suitably informed of their new role.
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provision
Effective risk assessments are completed to ensure the safety of equipment and to ensure that all areas children have access to are safe and well maintained. In addition, daily visual checks of the indoor and outdoor environments contribute to promoting children's safety. Staff are deployed appropriately throughout the rooms where children are cared for to ensure that staff to child ratios are continually maintained, supporting children's welfare.
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provision
The manager appropriately supports staff in their role. She sees ongoing training as an important part of early years childcare. Consequently, all staff are required to attend training courses to ensure the nursery is able to develop and improve. The manager carries out annual supervision meetings along with regular meetings throughout the year to discuss any gaps in staff's skills and abilities and offer suggestions on the best way to move forward. She works closely with staff, spending time in each of the areas in which children are cared for, to support and enhance staff practice with children. Despite some weaknesses, the manager and staff demonstrate a commitment and willingness to improve the nursery. Together, with contributions from parents, they have completed a process of self-evaluation in order to improve their development plan.
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provision
The manager has a suitable understanding of her role in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a reasonable overview of the observation and assessment of children. Planning is completed by staff within their base rooms, generally around a theme. Key workers ensure that children's individual needs are planned for appropriately in line with their next steps, which helps to ensure that children generally make steady progress. However, systems to monitor the educational programmes and assessments of children's learning and development are not yet robust enough to ensure these are consistently supported. Suitable arrangements are in place to keep parents informed of their child's progress. All parents are invited to share their child's achievements from home, for example, during daily discussion and formal meetings to discuss their child's progress. Further to this, a 'wow moment tree' has also
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provision
further encouraged parents to share key events from home. Parents, spoken with, comment on the care and welcoming environment that is offered to their child. Parents like the fact that staff give them ideas of how to support their child's growing communication, particularly for those children who have English as an additional language. Secure links are in place to work with and alongside external agencies to support children who may have special educational needs to ensure children are able to gain the support needed. Children are appropriately prepared for their transition to school due to the established systems put in place with settings that children will be moving on to.
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The Childcare Register
The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are
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actions)
The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are
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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:
ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first- aid qualification (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first- aid qualification (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).
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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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
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Grade Judgement Description
is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY463996 Local authority Leicester City Inspection number 979003 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 21 Name of provider Little Angelz Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 29/11/2013 Telephone number 01162 519329
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Setting details
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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