Horizon Childcare

Horizon Childcare Discovery House, Pynes Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5AZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 March 2017 9 June 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 Staff are very caring towards children. They are responsive to babies’ needs, for example, quickly recognising when they need a sleep or a cuddle. This helps children to feel settled and secure.  The manager and her senior staff team have worked very effectively since their appointments to make necessary improvements. For example, positive changes have been made to improve the safety and quality of the learning environment.  Parents speak highly about the improvements they have seen to the nursery. They are particularly pleased about the good progress their children are making in their learning and development.  Children enjoy their time at Horizon Childcare. They have fun playing alongside each other in the well-resourced play areas.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are yet to build successful relationships with other settings to enable them to share what they know about those children who attend them. Partnerships with local schools are also in the early stage of development meaning staff’s focus on school readiness is not thorough.  The quality of teaching is not consistently of a very high standard. Action plans to develop teaching practice are in the early stages and are only just beginning to make a positive difference to children’s learning.

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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

 improve links with other settings and local schools so that information about children’s learning and development is shared and children are prepared as well as possible for their move onto school  implement effective plans to improve the quality of teaching to bring it to a consistently very high standard.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to parents, staff and children.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of staff's teaching practice with the manager.  The inspector sampled documentation such as DBS records, the safeguarding and complaints policies and staff files.  The inspector observed children at play both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector met with the manager and the provider to discuss how the setting is managed.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The provider has been proactive in taking action since the last inspection to make significant improvements to the learning environment and teaching practice. A new manager and senior staff team have been appointed and together they have identified the key areas for improvement. New systems are in place to monitor teaching and to identify staff training needs. Policies and procedures have been re-written and shared with staff to make sure they are fully understood and implemented. Safeguarding is effective. All staff are clear about the signs that would raise their concerns about a child's welfare. The provider has taken effective steps to improve safety at the nursery. For example, a new entry system has been installed to help keep children safe and make sure that unauthorised persons cannot gain access to children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The manager and her staff team have effective systems in place to observe, assess and monitor children's progress. They use their knowledge of each child and their interests to plan purposeful activities that suit their developmental needs well. Staff successfully teach children how to play together and develop their imaginations. For example, children have great fun being astronauts in the spaceship role play area that staff have made for them. A strong emphasis is put on developing children's communication and language. For example, staff read stories to children from a good selection of high quality books, teaching children new vocabulary. Careful thought is given to how the room is laid out to provide children with a good choice of activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children particularly enjoy being in the outdoor area, for example, practising their early writing skills as they paint on the fences with brushes and water.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide children with a good range of equipment, such as magnets, wooden blocks and different size reflective discs for children to develop their knowledge of shape and size and other mathematical concepts.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are on hand to help children settle quickly when they arrive. Children build good relationships with key staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Staff have a good knowledge of children's home routines, which helps them to meet their individual needs. For example, they know how and when children like to sleep. Children behave well and are taught to be polite and well mannered. The manager is a good role model for both staff and children. For example, she steps in to show staff how to use distraction to manage toddler temper tantrums effectively.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children demonstrate a good attitude to learning. They are eager to explore and take part in activities. Children are confident in recognising their own names, which helps prepare them for school. Younger children and babies explore the world around them and learn about different textures as they play with sand and water, for example.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY497757 Local authority Devon Inspection number 1083307 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 24 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Horizon Care (South West) Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 June 2016 Telephone number 01392 426340

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reference number

Horizon Childcare registered in 2016. It is situated in Pynes Hill Business Park in Exeter. The setting is open from 7am to 6pm, seven days a week, all year. Seven staff are employed. The manager has a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Teacher Status. In addition, two members of staff have qualifications at level 3 and two members of staff have qualifications at level 2. The setting is registered to receive funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged three and four.

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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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