Blackdown Children's Day Nursery

Blackdown Children's Day Nursery The Bungalow, Chelston, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9PH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 December 2017 20 January 2015

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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

 All children make good progress, relative to their starting points. Staff work closely with other professionals to make sure that children who have special educational needs (SEN) receive the support they need, to ensure they achieve well.  The provider and manager support staff very well and encourage them to develop their skills, to maintain good-quality outcomes for children. For example, all staff are learning sign language to extend their ability to communicate with deaf and hearing-impaired children.  The manager has introduced good systems to monitor the effectiveness of the learning programme. Thorough tracking helps her to identify gaps in learning for individuals and groups of children, which she and staff address well through the planning process.  Children have good self-esteem and show through their behaviour that they feel emotionally secure. For example, babies enjoy a cuddle with staff before they settle to

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This provision is good

sleep. Staff include older children well in making decisions about daily activities and they confidently discuss what resources they will need, indoors and outside.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some group activities, such as register times, are not organised effectively to engage all children present. As a result, some children start to lose interest.  Activities to encourage children to learn how to use technology for different purposes lack challenge for the older age group.

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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 how group activities are organised so that these better meet the needs of all children involved  provide more challenge for older children as they learn to use technology for different purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and the manager conducted a joint observation of a planned activity.  The inspector had discussions with the manager, staff and children, and read feedback from parents.  The inspector observed staff and children engaged in learning activities indoors and outside.  The inspector talked to the manager about self-evaluation and the effectiveness of action plans for improvement.  The inspector sampled required documentation, including safeguarding procedures, and children's progress records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The recently appointed manager has made many positive changes to the nursery. She has focused very well on team building and developing individual roles and responsibilities. As a result, staff are enthusiastic, well-motivated and committed to making further improvements that benefit children's learning. For example, they now make sure that key persons have a brief daily discussion with parents to keep aware of children's achievements at home, to include in their assessments and planning. This has also encouraged parents to begin to add comments and photographs of activities at home to their children's online learning journals. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a good understanding of local safeguarding procedures. They know what to do if they have concerns to help protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use their observations and assessments of children's progress effectively to plan good activities that challenge them well. They promote children's understanding of early mathematics very well. For example, toddlers counted 'one, two' putting on their boots. Older children predicted how much green and red pasta they needed to make Christmas wreaths. Staff extended them well. For example, encouraging them to calculate how many more green pieces than red they used. Staff make sure that children who prefer to learn outside have good opportunities to develop their knowledge in all areas of learning. For example, they encouraged older boys rolling trucks through mud to draw shapes, and write letters and numbers with the muddy tyres. Staff supported babies playing in the sand to use spades to dig and to fill containers, to extend their physical development.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children's behaviour is good and older children are aware of, and considerate to, the needs of younger children. For example, they help those who have recently transferred from the baby room to learn the different routines at mealtimes, such as helping to clear away after lunch. Children's safety awareness is good. For example, following hail, children talked about this being icy and that the decking might be slippery. They checked and reported this to staff, and reminded other children to be careful.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop good skills to prepare them for the next stage in their learning, including going to school. Toddlers confidently move on from the baby room. Frequent visits as they come closer to the move mean they have time to bond with new staff, and they quickly settle in with the larger group. Older children are independent and try to solve problems themselves before asking for help. For example, some of the ornaments fell off the decorations they made and children successfully fixed these themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY389369 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1093747 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Graham Neil Brister-Thorne

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 20 January 2015 Telephone number 01823617255

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reference number

Blackdown Children's Day Nursery registered in 2009 and is privately owned. It is located in Chelston, near Wellington, Somerset. The nursery is open from 7.45am until 6pm from Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. It receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The owner employs a manager who holds a degree in education. She is supported by nine staff; six of whom hold early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2.

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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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