Echoes Childcare

Inspection of Echoes Childcare Signal House, Broadclyst Station, EXETER EX5 3AS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in the warm and nurturing environment. Older children are very confident and build positive relationships with staff and one another. Children enthusiastically take part in a wide range of learning experiences, which staff plan well to meet their individual needs. Children learn about the world and the wider community. They learned about the dangers of water when the Royal National Lifeboat Institution visited the nursery and enjoy visits to the supermarket to buy a variety of fruits to share at snack time. Babies and toddlers share warm interactions with staff, who follow their individual routines successfully. This helps them to settle quickly and feel secure.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for all children. They provide very good support to help them manage their feelings and behaviour successfully. Children have a good understanding of right from wrong, show kindness to one another and play well together. The management team and staff work well to evaluate practice, share ideas and make continuous improvements to the provision. The management team has introduced a new online training system to help staff broaden their knowledge and develop their practice further. For example, through training, staff who work with younger children have developed skills to manage unwanted behaviour more effectively.

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need to do better?

n Staff know the children very well. They liaise closely with parents to find out what their children already know and can do, and plan activities to build successfully on their existing knowledge and skills. For example, they use children's interests in cars and small vehicles to count and sort to extend their mathematical development effectively. n Children enjoy listening to stories and singing songs. However, sometimes staff do not plan group times effectively to ensure all children participate and fully engage. Some children lose interest and become distracted. Older children wait for long periods between activities, such as when preparing to eat lunch. n Partnership with parents are strong. Parents feel very involved in their children's learning. They speak very highly of the supportive management team and staff, and comment that their children are extremely happy at the nursery. n Staff provide a stimulating environment and interesting resources, which fosters

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need to do better?

children's curiosity. However, at busier times, staff working with babies sometimes miss opportunities to engage them effectively, so they do not focus as well as they do at other times. n Children enjoy playing outside and partake in a wide range of activities to develop good physical skills. For example, they use a variety of tools to dig in the sand and fill different-sized containers. Older children enjoy yoga,

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need to do better?

10 October 2019 developing good posture and balance as they practise the poses, such as the Downward-Facing Dog. n Staff have a very strong focus on developing children's good communication skills. They repeat babbles and sounds to babies and toddlers. Older children develop a wide vocabulary. For example, staff name different vegetables as the children play in the pretend farm shop. They skilfully use questions to encourage children to think, such as where honey comes from. n There are very good links with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, who share ideas to support children. Consequently, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have many opportunities to develop their communication skills and make good progress in their learning. Communication with other settings is very effective and supports consistency in children's care and development. n Staff encourage older children to write for a purpose to develop good literacy

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need to do better?

skills. For example, older children enjoy writing a shopping list. Children use their imaginations well. They like to dress up as a police officer and talk on a walkie-talkie or have fun dancing around the room while shaking maracas. Children are happy and well motivated to learn. Staff support them well to learn key skills which support them in their future learning and school. n Children enjoy sociable mealtimes and staff actively encourage their independence. Older children serve themselves a healthy range of food. They develop good self-care skills and manage personal hygiene well. Their behaviour is very good.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff complete safeguarding training and keep their knowledge up to date. They can identify the possible signs or symptoms which may be a cause for concern, including wider safeguarding issues. They have a clear understanding of child protection issues and know what to do if they have a concern about a child in their care. The management team monitors incidents and accidents effectively to help keep children safe from harm. The management team follows robust recruitment procedures, to ensure that only those suitable to do so work with children.

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should:

n review the planning and teaching of group times and ensure the time between activities is used effectively to challenge and fully engage children and extend their learning even further n provide babies with more choice and support them to explore and investigate a wider range of activities more consistently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY476557 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10075875 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 179 Name of registered person Echoes Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01392 460605 Date of previous inspection 2 June 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Echoes Childcare registered in 2014. The setting operates in Broadclyst Station, Devon. It is open from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. It is closed between Christmas and New Year and on bank holidays. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 30 members of staff. Two members of staff hold qualifications at level 6, three members of staff hold qualifications at level 4 and 15 members of staff are qualified to level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The manager completed a learning walk with the inspector and discussed how they provide the curriculum to meet the needs of the children attending. n The inspector spoke to staff and children and held meetings with the management team. n One of the managers and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views and written feedback provided. n The inspector reviewed documentation, including children's assessments and paediatric first-aid certificates.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

10 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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