Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery Downfield Lodge, Downfield Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 4HL

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Inspection date 27 June 2019 Previous inspection date 18 March 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Children form secure and close relationships with their key person and other staff. Staff are friendly and welcome children warmly on arrival. They offer praise and reassurance during children's play and celebrate their achievements, however small. n The quality of staff teaching is good, in particular for pre-school children. For example, older children spontaneously give the answer to simple sums when staff ask how many serving dishes are needed in total for each table. n Staff regularly complete observations and assessments of children's progress. They use the information they gather effectively to identify and plan for each child's next steps in learning. All children make good progress in their learning and development. n Staff have clear, consistent expectations for children's behaviour that children understand. They behave well and learn to manage their feelings and play with others. n Parents comment on the 'friendly, caring' atmosphere the staff create. They say how

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This provision is good

well staff help their children develop in confidence and prepare them well for school. n The manager and her team demonstrate a long-term, well-documented and largely successful drive to improve the education and care of the children who attend. For example, she has supported a member of staff to gain early years teacher status to bring further expertise to the staff team to improve outcomes for children. n At times, staff do not consistently help children raise their awareness of healthy eating or positive hygiene practices, to help promote children's understanding of good health more effectively. n Staff working with two-year-olds do not organise some parts of the session, such as when waiting to go outdoors, getting ready for sleep and group times, to support children's learning opportunities consistently well. n Systems used by the manager to enhance the knowledge and skills of newer staff and apprentices are still being established and are not yet fully effective in delivering

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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 extend children's understanding of the benefits of healthy eating and positive hygiene practice even more effectively n review the deployment of staff and improve the organisation of routines to reduce waiting times for two-year-old children to maximise their play and learning opportunities throughout the day n continue to implement the programme of support, coaching and training to broaden the knowledge and skills of staff and apprentices and to identify additional training individual staff might benefit from.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed activities, staff interactions and the quality of teaching throughout the nursery. n The inspector held discussions with the manager and deputy manager and looked at self-evaluation documents. She spoke with children and staff at appropriate times. n The inspector conducted a joint observation of staff practice and discussed how the manager monitors and evaluates the quality of teaching. n The inspector took into account the views of parents from discussions and written testimonials. n The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including staff suitability, checks and policies. She viewed planning records and documentation relating to children's progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff, students and agency staff attend safeguarding training and understand what to do if a concern arises. Leaders follow effective recruitment and induction procedures to help ensure the ongoing suitability of staff. Overall, the manager supports her staff effectively in their roles. She discusses children's learning and shares ideas from the training she attends. For example, she has improved the way she monitors groups of children's progress to help staff provide children with further challenges and improve outcomes for children. Staff have built good links with local schools and positive relationships with other providers children attend to ensure continuity and consistency for all children, including those who are working at less than expected levels.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children concentrate on their chosen activities and invite staff to join in their play. For instance, older children enjoy exploring early addition and subtraction games with coloured cubes and number cards together. Staff extend this activity by discussing length and measure as children build towers of different heights. Younger children delight in the variety of sensory activities staff provide. For example, children swirl their fingers in scented foam to make marks and create yellow and black paintings interpreting a bumble bee. Staff working with babies use shape and colour names as they learn to post shapes in a posting box. Older children confidently recognise their name to register when they arrive. Younger children start to recognise familiar letters on their special shoe basket. This helps support children's early literacy skills. Some children who are about to go to school are already forming recognisable numerals and some are writing

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

their own name and labelling their own work.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff organise each room to enable the children to choose from a wide range of clearly- labelled resources. This approach helps develop children's self-confidence and independence as learners. They move freely around the nursery and regularly spend time outdoors in their designated areas. Staff encourage children and babies' physical skills well. For instance, they provide a variety of equipment to develop climbing, balance and ball skills, and offer energetic turn-taking games. The experienced cook and staff ensure children's individual dietary needs are always met. Children benefit from freshly- prepared meals.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children gain the skills they need for their future learning and in readiness for school. Pre-school children, in particular, develop their personal, social and emotional skills well. For example, they practise changing into physical education clothes, learn to listen to adults and respect friends' ideas and opinions. They know they need to be careful of other children as they dance and play lively agility games. Children develop their understanding of the world around them. For instance, they explore the passage of time as they use sand timers to take turns on the computer.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY488416 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10076467 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 123 Name of registered person Curious Caterpillars Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 18 March 2016 Telephone number 01453 750957

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reference number

Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery registered in 2015. It is based in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The nursery opens for 51 weeks of the year, from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. A total of 14 staff are employed to work directly with the children. Of these, one holds early years professional status, one holds early years teacher status, one holds a relevant early years qualification at level 4 and five hold qualifications at level 3.

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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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