Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit

Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit Icknield Way, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 2BT

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Inspection date 14 February 2019 Previous inspection date 5 April 2016

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

n Governors, the head teacher and senior leaders are committed to driving the highest quality care and education. They encourage staff to consider how they promote children's learning and development effectively through their own high-quality teaching and interactions. n Children thrive in the unit. They move around selecting activities and equipment that interest them, triggering high levels of concentration while they explore and experiment. n Staff immerse children in a language-rich environment. They speak clearly, narrating what babies and very young children are doing. Staff give children time to formulate answers to questions, helping children practise and develop their growing vocabularies. n Staff support parents to access additional help and advice outside of the unit, such as attending meetings and welcoming other professionals into the unit. This contributes to continuity of progress for children.

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This provision is outstanding

n Babies are nurtured by highly responsive staff to help them feel safe and secure. They lean on the shoulders of staff when they are cuddled and giggle while staff use finger rhymes during their play together. Staff follow sleep routines that babies have at home to help them settle quickly in their new environment. n Highly accurate monitoring of children's progress assists the head teacher and governors to produce school improvements plans that focus on children's well-being and learning. The head teacher and her senior team swiftly identify any emerging weaknesses and rapidly act to address these. Comprehensive evaluation of the impact of any changes made help ensure that continuous improvements are highly effective.

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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 find even more exciting and stimulating activities that reflect the sharp focus on children's identified precise next steps in their learning development.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed activities in the group rooms and garden. She spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector held meetings with the head teacher, the chair of governors, the senior leader and the lead special educational needs coordinator. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the senior leader. n The inspector checked the evidence of the suitability of staff on the whole site. She looked at a range of documents, including children's assessments, the school improvement plan, planning sheets and attendance registers. n The inspector spoke to a small number of parents and took their views into consideration.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders follow their robust recruitment procedures to help ensure that staff are suitable for the roles in which they are employed. Staff know how to report any concerns they have about children's well-being. Senior staff have an excellent overview and understanding of the changing dynamics of the local community and sensitively support families. Staff's professional development is supported in a variety of ways, for example through training courses and mentoring. They share best practice when visiting the nursery school and showcase their own strengths to others. Structured network groups help the head teacher gather information from innovative research and trends that she shares throughout the setting.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children are inquisitive. They are fascinated by their own shadows and carefully watch what happens when they move around. Staff point out the differences in shape and height and explain in simple terms how shadows are formed. This helps children begin to understand about the world around them. When reading books, staff ask children open questions about what they think about the story, helping children to begin to formulate their own opinions. Children who speak English as an additional language rapidly acquire new words. Staff gather key words that children use at home and provide picture cards to help strengthen communication. Babies use their whole bodies in sensory play. They feel the texture of shredded paper and are mesmerised when they watch the paper fall. Staff bury models of animals for the babies to discover, helping to extend their learning further while they move the figures around.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children behave exceptionally well. They follow the positive examples set by staff who, for example, take time to explain why it is kind to share toys and equipment. Staff embrace the local community. Children and parents share aspects of their home lives and different cultures during short speaking and listening sessions, helping children to feel valued. Staff monitor children's level of well-being through their detailed observations. This helps them identify when additional support is needed to contribute to children's confidence and self-esteem. The key-person system is highly effective. Staff develop strong partnerships with parents and exchange information about learning and development. Together they plan how and when to make changes at critical points in children's development, such as the transition from nappies to potty, helping to make these as smooth as possible.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are enthusiastic, confident learners. They embrace the challenges that staff set them. Children begin to recognise shapes and understand that counting helps them measure quantity. They begin to listen to phonics to help support their early literacy skills and use pencils and paintbrushes proficiently. Children embrace opportunities to care for living things, such as the unit's guinea pigs. When the time comes, children are well equipped for their next stage of learning at nursery and subsequently school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY241136 Local authority Luton Inspection number 10073127 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 3 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Luton Borough Council

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 5 April 2016 Telephone number 01582 593426

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reference number

Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit is part of Grasmere Nursery School and registered in 2002. The setting employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The setting is open each weekday, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays, two weeks in summer, two weeks at Christmas and one week at Easter. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting provides funded early education for two- and three-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.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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