Squirrels Family & Childcare Centre

Squirrels Family & Childcare Centre Duston Community Centre, Pendle Road, NORTHAMPTON NN5 6DT

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Inspection date 15 November 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision is good

n Managers review and evaluate the quality of the nursery thoroughly. They identify areas for development, and monitor the impact of any improvements made. n Staff engage in regular discussions with managers and receive in-house training to develop their practice and their understanding of the nursery's policies. This is enhanced through a wide and varied training programme with other outside agencies. n Managers complete thorough risk assessments to keep children safe. They determine the level of risk, and implement suitable measures to reduce risks within the nursery and during outings with the children. n Staff provide children with regular outings and visits, which promote children's sense of community, confidence, and social skills when out in the wider world. n The manager has a clear understanding about how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has put secure arrangements in place to

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This provision is good

share relevant information with the parents of these children, and other agencies, and has implemented highly effective strategies to ensure that children's care and learning needs are met. n Managers have not fully implemented monitoring and development for the quality of teaching. n Staff provide parents with limited guidance to help them link their child's learning at home with their learning at the nursery. n Occasionally, staff do not use what they know about children's next steps in learning to plan more precisely, so that children make the best possible progress.

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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

n implement further monitoring and development for the quality of teaching n develop greater consistency for including children's next steps of learning within planning n engage and support parents further in guiding their child's learning and development at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector held discussions with the managers, staff and parents. n The inspector had a tour of the premises with a manager, and completed a joint observation to assess the quality of teaching. n The inspector observed children's activities and children's interactions with the staff. n The inspector considered various policies and records, including those for safeguarding children, accidents, medication, qualifications and training, children's learning and development, and risk assessment. n The inspector visited a local park and small copse area with children and staff.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Managers use the views of others to help reflect on the quality of the nursery provision, and to make improvements. For example, managers now track groups of children to identify any trends in their development and use the findings to assist in the planning for children's learning. The manager has taken steps to improve further the already good teaching. However, this practice is not fully established. Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff complete relevant child protection training and understand how to safeguard children's welfare. Managers complete robust checks to ensure the suitability of staff. There are some initiatives to involve parents in their child's learning, such as selecting library books to read at home. However, opportunities to link children's learning between the nursery and home are more limited. Parents comment on friendly relationships with staff, and the positive integration of the nursery within the community.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children enjoy their time in this welcoming nursery. They use resources, such as household items within role play, which enhance their play and learning. Staff know the children well and build on child-initiated activities and interests to extend children's learning. Staff model language effectively, which helps to increase children's vocabulary. Pre-school children achieve difficult physical challenges. For example, they learn to climb independently up a high grassy mound to reach the top of a play slide. Younger children experiment and make changes to materials, such as mixing flour and butter to form a dough. Children develop strategies to solve problems. For example, they remove butter from a wooden spoon by scooping it off with another spoon. Children use their imaginations to initiate role play and engage socially with others.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have regular outings and visits, which promote their interest in nature and the natural world. For example, when walking through a small woodland area, staff encourage the children to recall a previous visit when they collected conkers to take back to the nursery. Staff help children to keep themselves safe, such as looking and listening for vehicles before crossing the road carefully. Children are confident and they behave well. They take turns, are good at sharing, and show concern for others. Staff promote a healthy lifestyle to children. Children have access to a balanced and healthy range of meals and snacks. Children are well prepared for starting at the nursery and when they move to a new group room. Staff monitor these moves sensitively and make adjustments to meet the child's individual needs. Children feel secure and valued because staff are caring and friendly.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make typical or better progress given their starting points and capabilities. They are motivated learners. Children of varied ages show good levels of concentration and persevere with new tasks. Children use mathematics within their play and learning. Older children can count a small number of objects, using one number for each item. Children develop important skills that enable them to become independent. They enjoy books and can recall the narrative of stories.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY540560 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 10084551 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 10 Number of children on roll 200 Name of registered person Swain, Melissa Jane

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07802 326481

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reference number

Squirrels Family & Childcare Centre registered in 2016 and is located in Northampton. It is open from 7.30am to 6pm, closing for public holidays and for two weeks at Christmas. There are 17 members of staff working at the setting. Of these, 11 have a qualification at level 3, two members of staff have a qualification at level 6 and there is a qualified teacher with early years specialism.

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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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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