Cherubs Day Nursery

Inspection of Cherubs Day Nursery 35a Poplar Street, Southport, Merseyside PR8 6DX

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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 very well cared for and thoroughly enjoy their time spent at this particularly welcoming and homely nursery. Staff are warm and attentive, promoting wonderful relationships and strong attachments. As a result, children's physical and emotional well-being is high and they show that they feel safe and secure. For example, they confidently engage with new visitors to the nursery and invite them to join in with their play. Children are keen, curious learners. They show excellent concentration skills from a young age, particularly when joining in with planned activities.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They offer consistent messages though a range of strategies, to help children understand the impact of their actions. For example, staff use visual aids in the form of small picture cards that depict the 'nursery promises'. These include children using kind hands and words. Children respond well to these strategies and, as a result, they behave very well.

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The provision is good

Staff know their key children very well and plan effectively for their progress. They monitor children's learning and plan suitably challenging experiences to build on what children already know and can do. However, on occasions, teaching is not always flexible to ensure learning intentions are always met.

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need to do better?

n The nursery is bright and engaging and provides children with a good range of choice in their play. Children enjoy the free-flow outdoor space where they delight in playing hide and seek with staff. They use excellent climbing skills to reach different parts of the garden and good spatial awareness to decide on suitable places to hide. Children squeal in delight as staff find them. n Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and, overall, support their learning very well. However, on occasions, staff do not adapt their teaching as necessary to take account of children's changing needs and group dynamics. This means learning intentions are not always fully met. n Children thoroughly enjoy art activities and exploring with paint. Staff encourage younger children's expressions as they use their hands to move the paint around the paper. Staff draw children's attention to the paint changing colour, offering

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need to do better?

an excellent narrative and supporting children's expressive art and communication skills very well. n Children learn the importance of good health and hygiene through activities and the everyday routine. For example, staff regularly remind children to wash their hands and ask them if they know why, to check their understanding. Children enjoy healthy, nutritious snacks and meals.

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need to do better?

9 March 2020 n The management team is passionate and committed, and creates an extremely positive working environment for the staff team. There is a strong team spirit among the extremely long-standing staff. Systems of supervision and professional development help to ensure staff remain skilled and knowledgeable and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. n Staff working with babies ensure their care needs are well known and met. They seek information from parents to help create a familiar routine and environment. For example, staff ensure children have their favourite items for sleep time. Babies enjoy warm interactions from staff, as part of the 'five to thrive' approach used in the nursery. Staff introduced this approach with support from their local authority and following training based on healthy brain development. n The key-person system is well established and staff are clear on their roles in

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need to do better?

supporting children's physical and emotional well-being. Staff seize opportunities at nappy changing times to engage in playful interactions. Staff working with older children provide good opportunities for them to independently manage their toileting needs, but are close by for support when needed. n Some areas of partnership working with parents are particularly strong. For example, staff value the impact of parents continuing learning at home. They encourage this through frequent sharing of activity ideas and planning information. However, information gained from parents when children first start is not always used effectively to help inform initial assessments and create a collaborative approach from the start.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff implement robust policies and procedures to promote children's safety and welfare. Staff are deployed well around the nursery and supervise children very well. The manager has received training on safe recruitment and follows comprehensive procedures to ensure those employed to work with children are suitable. Managers ensure staff are alert to safeguarding matters and potential signs of abuse through frequent training and very regular information sharing. Recent training in online safety has helped staff develop an informative display to help parents ensure children are safe at home when accessing internet-based games.

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should:

n make use of information gained from parents to better inform early assessments of children's learning, creating a collaborative approach from the very beginning n help staff to consider the impact of changes to children's needs during activities and adapt teaching to ensure learning intentions are fully met.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY252771 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10065727 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

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inspection

Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 24

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Name of registered person

Gayle Degrave and Hilary Degrave Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01704 544003 Date of previous inspection 7 December 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Cherubs Day Nursery registered in 2003 and is situated in Southport. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a tour of the premises with the deputy manager and baby room leader, and held discussions about the early years provision and meeting children's needs. n A joint observation was carried out and the inspector took account of the deputy manager's evaluations. n The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery's documentation. This included suitability checks on staff and safeguarding policies. n A meeting was held between the inspector, the manager and the deputy manager to discuss leadership and management arrangements.

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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

9 March 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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