Hydra Tots

Hydra Tots Hydra Kids, Unit 8, Hydra Business Park, Nether Lane, Ecclesfield, SHEFFIELD, S35 9ZX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 May 2016 19 April 2012

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Exceptionally skilled staff promote children's communication and personal development exceedingly well. For example, children are extremely confident to talk together about their very good understanding of how to live healthily.  The nursery managers provide highly inspirational leadership. They have established an excellent learning community, where staff feel highly valued and share a common vision for sustained improvement. Leaders have highly effective methods to promote staff's continued professional development.  Staff use their excellent knowledge of each child's achievements to provide rich, varied and imaginative experiences that inspire and motivate children to learn. Children truly relish the variety of experiences offered to them.  Staff are very caring and build extremely strong relationships with all children. Children settle in quickly and develop strong friendships with staff and their peers over time.

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This provision is outstanding

They are very happy and thoroughly enjoy their time in the nursery.  The nursery works very closely with other professionals, including speech therapists and special educational needs support staff, to help all groups of learners achieve extremely well.  Managers and staff work tirelessly to keep parents informed of children's progress and find innovative ways to enthuse them to support their learning at home. The partnership with parents is excellent. This has a very positive impact on children's progress.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the impact of the innovative developments planned to enrich children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. He looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The leadership team's drive and commitment are outstanding. Staff work highly effectively as a team. They create a very welcoming family atmosphere for children to learn in. There are highly imaginative and robust systems to develop staff's teaching, leadership and management skills. Consequently, staff feel valued and take on high levels of responsibility. They are passionately committed to the sustained improvement of the nursery. Leaders have planned to introduce many innovative experiences to deepen children's learning. They acknowledge the importance of reviewing the impact these changes have, in order to make sure they maintain the excellent outcomes already achieved for children. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have an excellent understanding of policies and procedures to help keep children safe and secure at all times. They are well trained in child protection and very vigilant.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff make excellent use of information from parents to precisely measure children's achievements and get them off to a flying start. Early reading and writing skills are extremely well taught. Staff plan particularly imaginative activities which thoroughly engage all groups of children and promote all aspects of their learning. For example, children are utterly engaged in exploring properties of materials when they play with fabrics and sing a song about stretchy materials. Staff help children acquire the knowledge and skills to prepare them very well for their future learning. For example, babies learn to listen carefully to the different sounds made by their musical pans and to repeat simple phrases in songs and rhymes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children strongly develop the confidence to act independently and explore the world around them. They are highly inquisitive and eager to find out more. Staff are excellent role models and promote high standards of behaviour. They very successfully help children to recognise the consequences of their actions and to manage their own behaviour. Children learn to be gentle and kind to each other. They observe the caterpillars, tadpoles and froglets in their classrooms sensitively, so they do not scare or harm them. They play with 'kind hands', thoughtfulness and consideration for others. They develop an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles through, for example, the excellent mealtime routines and highly exciting physical activities, such as climbing and balancing on the large and unusual soft-play resources.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make outstanding progress from their individual starting points. Staff gather thorough information from parents on children's interests and achievements. They use this knowledge to help babies and children build rapidly on their skills, knowledge and understanding. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress in developing the communication, social and mathematical skills that support their future learning. For example, children add one more or subtract one less when they order models of food to match the story of caterpillar who is always eating.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY430914 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 850196 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 156 Name of registered person Hydra Kids

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 April 2012 Telephone number 01142450558

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reference number

Hydra Tots was registered in 2011. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language.

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reference number

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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reference number

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

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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