Little Ambers - Bournemouth

Inspection of Little Ambers - Bournemouth Elm Academy, Holloway Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset BH11 9JN

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children respond happily to the friendly welcome staff provide. Staff set clear expectations for children's progress and plan exciting activities based around their interests, such as their favourite film characters. Children become confident, motivated learners. They see how things change as they discover how water freezes. They make a castle of ice and know they need hot water to melt it. Staff support children very well to develop their social skills and interact well with others. Children benefit from the frequent praise and encouragement staff give them. Parents say their children are happy at the setting and make good progress. Staff have changed arrival and collection arrangements to keep children safe as a result of COVID-19 (coronavirus). They now meet children and parents at the gate to the playground. Staff are proactive in working with parents to help their children settle and feel secure in the nursery. Management and staff are giving additional focus to

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The provision is good

children's outdoor activities following the COVID-19 lockdown period when children had fewer opportunities to benefit from being out in the fresh air. For example, children enjoy running freely and have fun jumping and splashing in the puddles. They use up their energy raking the earth in the digging patch, or lifting small rocks and stones in the builders role play area.

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need to do better?

n The management team supports staff well to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, staff have completed training to understand how to support children's speech and mental health. They make good use of additional funding to follow a specified programme to help children's pronunciation of words. n Staff plan and implement a well-organised curriculum of motivating play activities. They monitor children's progress effectively, and accurately identify their individual developmental needs in all areas of learning. Staff understand how all children, including those with additional needs, develop. As a result, children make good progress in their learning. n Children gain the necessary skills to prepare them for their move to school. They learn to be kind to others. Older children help their younger friends and hold their hands to give reassurance. They show concern for others, for example when seeing that a member of staff has hurt their arm. Staff support all children

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need to do better?

well to express and manage their feelings. They read children a favourite story that links emotions to colours, to help them understand and express their feelings in an inclusive way. n Children learn about keeping safe and healthy. They use special safety knives to carefully chop up vegetables, such as aubergine, courgette and beetroot, and enjoy eating the pumpkin soup that they help to make. n Staff encourage children's understanding of the world effectively. Children learn about life cycles and see how caterpillars grow, turn into cocoons and then into

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need to do better?

19 May 2021 beautiful butterflies. Staff extend children's interest in sea life very well and children discover how different sea creatures, such as an octopus, live in the sea. n Children enjoy greeting their friends and staff in their daily circle times. Staff make good use of this time to listen to children's ideas. However, staff do not always organise group activities, such as circle time, to meet the attention span of all children and support their full participation and learning consistently well. n Staff are skilled at supporting children's imaginations. Children excitedly ask staff if they could visit the Queen. Staff help children think about where she lives and how they could get there. Children decide to travel on a bus, build a castle out of cardboard, and invite the Queen to tea. n Staff give a clear focus to promoting children's communication and inclusion. Children eagerly use a simple sign language to sign their names and greet their

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need to do better?

friends. Staff actively encourage children's discussion. However, at times, staff do not use language as well as possible in activities. For example, to help children develop their understanding and range of vocabulary even further. n Staff encourage parents to share in their children's learning. They liaise with them to support their children's specific individual needs and help every child feel achievement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team and staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They continually update their understanding of safeguarding issues and clearly recognise possible signs that may alert them to concerns. The management team and staff frequently monitor the effectiveness of their risk assessments and how staff supervise children to help keep them safe. Staff record accidents and incidents clearly and managers monitor these to help identify where further prevention may be needed to minimise any reoccurrence. The management implements clear staff recruitment procedures and continues to assess staff suitability through ongoing supervision arrangements.

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should:

n review the organisation of larger group times to ensure all children are able to fully engage and develop their listening and attention skills n strengthen staff's understanding of how to develop and extend children's vocabulary consistently well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY561703 Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Inspection number 10191130 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 41 Name of registered person Ambers Group Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01202 022055 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Ambers – Bournemouth registered in 2018. It is located in Bournemouth, Dorset. The nursery is open Monday to Friday during term time only from 8.45am until 2.45pm. It receives funding to provide early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs six members of staff. Of these, one holds a level 6 qualification and the other staff hold qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector observed children's interactions in play, indoors and outdoors, and held discussions with staff about learning and development. n A sample of documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including staff qualifications and first-aid certificates. n The inspector and the manager completed two joint observations of activities and had discussions about the quality of teaching. n The inspector took into account the spoken views of parents. n The inspector had a tour of the premises with the manager and discussed the organisation of the play areas.

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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

19 May 2021 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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