Mama Bear's Day Nursery

Mama Bear's Day Nursery Springhill Green, Pennycross, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3RW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 November 2016 13 November 2013

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Partnerships with parents are strong, helping to provide children with continuity in their learning. Parents actively participate in special events and fun days.  Managers work well with other professionals to identify all children's needs and help them make good progress. Staff support individual children well and use specific strategies. For example, they make good use of visual timetables to help children develop language and an understanding of routines.  Children use a range of multicultural resources and learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.  Staff maintain children's good levels of self-esteem, for example, they consistently praise children's achievements.  Staff provide 'taster' sessions for children who are ready to move up to the next age- group room. This supports children's emotional well-being and helps them feel secure in their new learning environment.

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This provision is good

 Children settle quickly into the setting. Staff develop close relationships with new parents and children, helping them to feel confident and safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities for toddlers and older children to learn about safety.  Staff do not consistently support literacy as well as possible.

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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

 make better use of opportunities that arise to extend children's understanding of ways to keep themselves safe  extend the support for children to practise skills that prepare them for early reading and writing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector held an interview with the manager and the directors.  The inspector observed interactions between staff and children in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector spoke to parents about their views on the provision.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including staff suitability checks, children's assessments and safeguarding procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff complete training to understand how to identify children who may be at risk from extreme behaviours and harm. The management team has strong recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Regular supervision helps to support staff's professional development and maintain good teaching practices, which benefit children's learning. Managers self-evaluate their provision well, helping to improve the setting. For example, an electronic code system has been installed to strengthen security. There are also plans to create a new room for babies to explore their senses and a book corner to encourage children's love of books. Managers monitor children's progress well and develop ways to close any gaps in learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children engage in a good range of activities. For example, babies enjoy making pictures using brushes and older children use string and paint to make firework patterns. Staff talk to children about previous experiences to help them develop language and an understanding of the world. Toddlers play with shaving foam and older children enjoy crunching cereal and dry spaghetti, developing their understanding of textures. Older children enjoy learning about seasons through an indoor autumn scene. Staff monitor children's progress well and plan activities relating to their specific interests and needs. Assessment procedures are good and staff know how to move children on to their next stage of learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are good role models. They help all children to behave well and teach them to have respect for each other and the environment. All children have formed secure attachments to staff, who respond warmly to their needs. Children have plenty of opportunities to play outside. For example, while older children enjoy a game of hide and seek with staff, toddlers enjoy playing on the slide and babies play in their new outdoor hut. This enables all children to receive fresh air and exercise, helping to contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are happy and make good progress from their starting points. Older children develop useful skills in preparation for school, for example, they learn how to use scissors. Babies develop good physical coordination, such as learning to feed themselves. Toddlers learn about mathematical concepts, such as 'full' and 'empty', while playing with water in the garden. All children enjoy learning how to care for the setting's animals, developing their sense of responsibility.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY452051 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 1062950 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 - 5 Total number of places 115 Number of children on roll 176 Name of registered person Mama Bear's Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 November 2013 Telephone number 01752776633

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reference number

Mama Bear's Day Nursery registered in 2012. It operates from the Pennycross area of Plymouth, Devon. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year, from 7am to 6pm or until 7pm by prior agreement. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education places for children aged two, three and four years. There are 30 staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 24 hold childcare qualifications from levels 2 to 4.

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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

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