Little Explorers

Little Explorers 263 West Drive, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs, FY5 2RX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 May 2018 Not applicable

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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

 The nursery has rapidly become extremely well established and is making an extraordinary impact on outcomes for children. Managers are incredibly knowledgeable, highly skilled and qualified. They are entirely dedicated providing the highest quality care and education for all children and provide excellent support for the staff team.  Managers demonstrate an uncompromising vision for the nursery. A culture of evaluative practice is entirely embedded across the nursery. Self-evaluation is incisive and leads to sharply focused and extremely well-informed improvement plans.  The learning environment is inspirational. Staff create a vibrant and innovative setting, filled with a wealth of exciting and engaging resources and learning opportunities. Children are entirely absorbed in their play and show extremely high levels of motivation to learn and take part. Children make outstanding progress in their learning.

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This provision is outstanding

 Parents and staff work together in complete collaboration. Next steps are jointly agreed with parents resulting in highly tuned learning for children. Excellent partnership working with involved professionals ensures children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully supported.  Teaching across the nursery is dynamic and insightful. Staff use expert questioning to fully promote children's thinking and communication skills, recall prior learning and to draw out further learning opportunities at every opportunity.

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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

 continue to embed the current highly effective methods of planning for children's next steps.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning, during play inside and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery owner and manager.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the nursery manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and other written comments.  The inspector looked at children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding and their individual responsibilities to protect children. Adult-to-child ratios are continuously maintained. Nursery managers demonstrate very high expectations of the staff team. Professional development of the staff team is sharply focused and helps to maintain the exceptional quality of teaching already in place. Highly detailed monitoring of children's progress helps to ensure any gaps in learning are immediately identified. The impact of this is shown in the excellent progress children are making in their mathematics, following the swift implementation of specific programmes of support. Managers are continuously focusing on embedding the planning system throughout the setting.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Highly effective systems of observation and planning are implemented with outstanding results. Planning is done 'in the moment' where staff use their expert knowledge to seize opportunities for children to progress. Staff accurately assess children's learning and together with information from parents and other professionals, plan spontaneously and draw out children's knowledge to build on it there and then. Children relish time spent outdoors. They attend 'forest school' sessions where they use peelers to strip sticks, in excellent support of their small-muscle movements and safety awareness. Staff sensitively approach children's play, extending learning in keeping with children's ideas. As children play in the mud kitchen, staff suggest they write a recipe and then explore the sounds that letters represent in words, greatly promoting their early literacy skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The key-person system is highly effective in supporting children's emotional well-being. Babies and young children respond extremely well to the nurturing manner of staff, who closely follow their care needs as discussed in-depth with parents. Older children demonstrate excellent levels of confidence, as staff provide an abundance of opportunity for children to be independent. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They listen to and take encouragement from staff to think about the most effective way to manage situations. Children have superb opportunities to learn about people and communities beyond their own experiences. During a video call to a nursery school in London, children enjoyed learning about children from other, more diverse parts of the country.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are confident and active learners, continuously exploring their own ideas. Babies and younger children make excellent progress in their speech and language skills, following careful planning and intervention from staff. Older children make marks and write for purpose, in excellent support of their small-muscle movements and emerging literacy skills. Children confidently predict and problem solve during their play. Children are exceptionally well prepared for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498674 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1044370 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 0 Number of children on roll 80 Name of registered person Adventures in Learning Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01253858748

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reference number

Little Explorers registered in 2016. The nursery employs 23 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 hold appropriate early years qualifications, including three members of staff with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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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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