University Nursery Edwinstowe Close

Inspection of University Nursery Edwinstowe Close, off Chaucer Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 7EB

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children reap the benefits of a well-thought-out curriculum. Staff plan a wealth of learning experiences that reflect children's individual interests and aptitudes. Children form strong bonds with staff and approach visitors with confidence. They demonstrate they are happy and feel safe. In all areas of the nursery, children easily access high-quality, age-appropriate resources to further support their learning. Older children are enormously independent. They enjoy almost continuous access to the outdoors, enabling them to make full use of this stimulating and well-planned environment. Children demonstrate they are very self- reliant and solve problems with confidence. For instance, when children believe the water butt is empty, they quickly seek out an alternative source. They carefully transport water across the play area so they can continue with their self-chosen activity.

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The provision is good

Babies are nurtured well. They have reassuring cuddles from staff, and benefit from being able to rest and sleep when they need to. Staff work closely with parents to make sure young children's home routines are known and followed. As children grow older, staff give high priority to teaching them how to share and take turns. As a result, children play together very well. They are highly respectful of staff and each other. When children need help to manage their behaviour, staff provide positive support and guidance.

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need to do better?

n Staff have positive encouragement from the management team to gain qualifications. They engage in a variety of training opportunities that help them to extend their knowledge of childcare practice. Staff say they have good support from their managers and feel valued by the company. Their health and well-being is given a high priority. In a few instances, some staff would benefit from more focused professional development in order to support them to extend their teaching skills still further. n Parents clearly hold the nursery and staff in high regard. They speak warmly about their child's key person and say children are looked after very well. Staff make sure parents have daily information about their children's learning through their online system. Parents say staff know their children very well and consider their individual interests. For instance, staff make children's favourite resources and comforters available, which helps to promote children's emotional well-

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need to do better?

being. n To help children to be ready for school, staff carefully plan more structured activities that focus on extending older children's concentration and listening skills. Children practise their mark making, and some form letters and numbers with skill and precision. They follow school routines as, for example, they learn

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need to do better?

20 February 2020 to carry their food trays to tables at lunchtime. Staff talk to children about their move to their various schools to ignite their enthusiasm and confidence. n From an early age, children learn to enjoy books and listen to stories. Staff introduce young children to books with flaps and buttons to attract their attention. Children choose books eagerly and take them to staff, who respond positively and provide enjoyable spontaneous storytelling sessions. Children sing out loud as they play, demonstrating their happiness. They know a wide variety of songs and enjoy joining in with small-group singing sessions. n Children have many opportunities within the nursery to share their diverse languages and cultures. Staff work closely with parents to learn about children's home lives and help them to mark their special events, such as birthdays or Hanukah. Managers have recently begun to reach out to their community. For

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need to do better?

example, they have successfully made links with a local school, so children can share in school events and make use of their woodland area. However, there is scope to give children richer experiences that enhance their understanding of people, families and communities beyond their own. n Children thoroughly enjoy being creative. They spend long periods of time making up their own scenarios. Children create 'cupcakes' from mud and chatter happily to staff about their favourite flavours. They pretend tape measures are snakes and get lost in the 'jungle'. Staff skilfully adapt activities to extend children's own ideas. For example, making play dough turns into a lovely exploration of texture, colour and consistency.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff complete regular training to update their understanding of safeguarding procedures. They are clear about their responsibilities to protect children and know how to address any concerns they may have about children's welfare. Staff keep accurate records, for example, of children's attendance and any accidents that occur, which helps to enhance children's safety. Staff manage and minimise risks effectively. They carry out daily rigorous checks of the nursery and resources. They carefully adhere to parents' wishes with regard to children's individual dietary needs.

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should:

n refine the programme for professional development to focus firmly on enhancing individual staff members' skills and knowledge to help them to deliver the best possible teaching n make more of opportunities to widen children's understanding of people, families and communities outside of their own experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY396228 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10113051 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 to 4 Total number of places 79 Number of children on roll 97 Name of registered person Childbase Partnership Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01223 353068 Date of previous inspection 15 August 2013

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Information about this early years setting

University Nursery registered under its current ownership in 2009. The nursery is exclusively for staff of Cambridge University. Opening times are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, including some bank holidays. The setting employs 45 members of staff, including bank staff, two administrators and the nursery cook. Of these, 22 have appropriate early years qualifications between level 6 and level 3. The nursery provides early education funded places for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager showed the inspector around the nursery and discussed how the environment is planned to promote children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. She observed staff's interactions with children indoors and outside to evaluate the quality of the educational programme. n The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children during the inspection. She looked at parents' feedback to gather their opinions of their children's experience of nursery. n The inspector met with the manager and representatives of the senior management team. Essential documents were looked at, including evidence of the suitability of staff, qualifications and staff supervision records.

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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

20 February 2020 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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