Mountlands Day Nursery

Inspection of Mountlands Day Nursery 36 Vicarage Road, Gloucester GL1 4LD

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children receive a warm welcome by staff upon arrival. They immediately go and find their name card as they self-register. Staff aim to create a home-from-home environment for children and their families. Children are happy and show that they feel at ease. For example, they change into their indoor slippers when they first arrive and enjoy sitting together with staff at lunchtime to share a freshly cooked healthy meal. Staff are nurturing in their interactions with the children and know how to meet their care needs effectively.

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The provision is good

Staff provide children with broad learning experiences to help enrich their knowledge of the wider community and teach them to become good citizens. For example, children recently enjoyed having a special visitor come to the nursery to talk about harvest time and share a story. Following the visit, staff extended children's understanding of helping others by collecting food donations for a local charity.

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The provision is good

Furthermore, during the inspection, the children were overwhelmed with awe and excitement when the local fire brigade visited. The children listened attentively as the firefighters read them a story about the importance of not playing with matches. Children then proceeded outside where they got to try on a firefighter's helmet and coat, sit in the fire engine and test out the fire hose. Staff used this opportunity well to promote children's language and communication skills, for example through skilful questioning and providing a running narrative to help extend their vocabulary.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide a broad curriculum for children, both inside and outdoors, which reflects all areas of learning. As a result, children are generally able to choose where they would prefer to learn. Staff support children well in this process and respect their views and ideas. n Current systems to observe and assess children's learning are effective and, overall, all children make good progress. Staff work with other professionals to support children with special educational needs, including identifying specific targets. However, at times, staff do not prioritise the implementation of some targeted plans to help children make rapid progress. n Children enjoy relaxing in the nursery's sensory area, which aims to provide a calming experience for them. For instance, children are able to sit comfortably under a canopy with staff as they watch the sensory bubble lamp change colour. Staff use this opportunity well to encourage children to have some quiet time,

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need to do better?

for example to reflect on their feelings. n Staff promote children's early literacy skills well. For example, they encourage

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need to do better?

16 October 2019 older children to trace over their name using correct letter formation. Additionally, the nursery manager has recently made effective use of allocated funding to purchase dual-language story books in Polish, Gujarati and Urdu, to support children who speak English as an additional language. Children enjoy taking these books home to share with their parents. n Children engage in active physical play outdoors and learn about healthy foods. For example, they learn about where food comes from, including growing and tasting tomatoes they have harvested in the nursery's growing patch. n Following recent behaviour management training, staff have introduced a reward chart to recognise and praise children's good behaviour. Staff comment that this has helped to improve overall behaviour and build children's confidence. n The manager oversees staff performance well. She observes staff regularly and

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need to do better?

provides feedback to help improve their teaching practice. Staff attend ongoing training to improve their professional knowledge and skills. n Parents are highly complimentary about the nursery. They comment about the homely atmosphere, and how 'amazing' and 'fantastic' the staff are with their children. n Members of the management team have made significant improvements since their last inspection. They have addressed all previous actions and recommendations successfully. Self-evaluation processes are effective in identifying areas of strength and development. For example, the manager has further plans to improve the outdoor provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of their role to keep children safe from the risk of harm. They are familiar with the procedures for reporting any signs of abuse or neglect, including those relating to wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty. Staff supervise children closely and maintain required adult-to-child ratios. All staff undergo thorough suitability checks as part of the recruitment process before working with the children.

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should:

n review and implement targeted plans consistently to support further those children with special educational needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY549276 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10084136 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 2 to 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Sparkling Angels Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01452 506880 Date of previous inspection 26 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Mountlands Day Nursery registered in 2018 and is situated in Gloucester. It is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week over Christmas and Easter. The nursery has six members of staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate childcare qualification at level 5 and three hold level 3. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a tour of all areas of the nursery. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the nursery manager. n A sample of the nursery's documents was reviewed by the inspector, including evidence relating to staff's recruitment process, suitability checks and qualifications. n The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents throughout the visit. n The inspector observed the interaction between children and staff outdoors as part of a special visit from the local fire brigade.

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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

16 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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