Little Squirrels - Community Nursery

Little Squirrels - Community Nursery Froebel House, 100 Granby Street, Plymouth, PL1 4BN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 June 2017 Not applicable

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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

 The manager and staff team work together effectively and routinely share information to help them get to know all children well and meet their individual care needs. Children form strong attachments with staff, settle quickly, and are happy and content.  Children are enthusiastic and motivated learners. They eagerly join in with the enjoyable activities that staff plan and make good progress across all areas.  The manager makes good use of funding and ensures staff work effectively to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have developmental delays. They form good partnerships with parents and outside agencies to meet children's needs and create tailored plans that successfully help children make good developmental progress.  Leaders are committed to making ongoing improvements to raise outcomes for children further. For example, they have plans to develop how they monitor the progress of

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This provision is good

groups of children and to involve all parents more in children's learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently support young children's early language and communication skills in the baby room.  At times, staff do not adapt their teaching to provide greater challenge for the most able children, to help them make even more progress in their 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

 provide more support for babies to develop their early language and communication skills further  support staff to have even higher expectations of the most able children, to consistently provide good challenge that extends their learning further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed children's interaction and participation in a range of activities and routine tasks, inside and outside.  The inspectors carried out joint observations with the manager to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning during adult-led activities.  The inspectors spoke with staff, parents and children to take account of their views.  The inspectors held discussions with the manager and provider about how they meet the requirements.  The inspectors sampled a range of documentation, including children's learning records, staff qualification and training certificates, and risk assessments of the premises.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues and procedures, including the restriction of mobile phones around children and how to refer any concerns to the relevant authorities. They carry out regular risk assessments of the premises and ensure they provide a safe, hygienic and secure environment. The manager organises the staff well to ensure they meet the children's needs. Recruitment and induction procedures are rigorous to check that staff are suitable to carry out their roles and knowledgeable of their responsibilities. Staff have good morale. The manager supports them well to reflect on their practice and identify any training needs. This has led staff to review the environment for babies, to create a more engaging area that captures their attention and encourages their exploration.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff assess children's learning accurately. They plan stimulating activities that engage children and, overall, build on what they know and can do. For example, they provide 'tummy time' for babies and encourage them to kick their legs to develop strength and control of their movements. Older children competently write and recognise letters, and link these with sounds, showing strong literacy skills. Staff interact well with children, listen to them and follow their interests. For example, children expressed an interest in computers and staff encouraged them to revisit a recent role-play activity. Children chose the resources they wanted and imaginatively pretended to work at an office, using toy laptops and 'writing letters' to post. They thoroughly enjoyed this spontaneous play and concentrated well for a sustained time. Staff inform parents of children's achievements and routinely provide support to help them extend children's learning further at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff provide a calm and positive learning environment from the moment children arrive, and they are kind and gentle. Children behave well and develop good social skills from a young age. For example, babies pass toys to each other and older children willingly help to tidy up. Staff build children's self-esteem well, such as regularly praising their efforts, and children confidently take responsibility for their own needs. For instance, babies try to use cutlery at mealtimes and older children dress themselves.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop good skills to support their future learning and the move to school. For example, older children in particular learn to express their ideas effectively. Children enjoy looking at books alone and with staff, and they confidently try to solve problems by themselves. For example, children work together to build a balance beam using large blocks and investigate how many children can use a single seesaw at the same time.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498093 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 1099021 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 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person KCP Keystone CIC

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01752 551502

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reference number

Little Squirrels - Community Nursery is part of the Keystone nursery group and registered in 2016. It operates in the Devonport area of Plymouth and is open from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year. The nursery employs seven members of staff to work with the children, including the manager, who has early years professional status. The staff team includes two apprentices who are working towards relevant qualifications, one member of staff who holds a level 2 qualification, and three staff who hold qualifications at level 3. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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