Middleton St George Day Nursery

Inspection of Middleton St George Day Nursery Community Centre, Station Road, Middleton St. George, Darlington, Durham DL2 1JG

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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 show enjoyment during their time at the nursery and benefit from plenty of opportunities for fresh air. Children of all ages enjoy using the recently developed outdoor area. Staff create a warm, welcoming environment in the nursery. Children independently access a range of creative and interesting resources. They enjoy making choices about their learning and show confidence in asking staff for help. Older children who attend the holiday club are keen to share how much they enjoy attending. They particularly enjoy the outdoor activities and say that the staff team are lovely. Staff are responsive to children and have high expectations. They use children's interests to extend their learning. Children make good progress, particularly in their understanding of the world and their own community.

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The provision is good

Children show that they feel safe and secure in the nursery. They talk excitedly about their community and the different things they expect to see as they walk around. Children learn new vocabulary linked to nature and children delight when they see the cygnets in the lake. Older children show pride as they share their knowledge of the horse chestnut tree and remember things they have learned previously. Since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the manager has changed the procedures for settling-in children and the collection and dropping off of children. Although parents are no longer invited inside the nursery, staff make full use of their outdoor space to get to know new children and families. They collect detailed information about children's routines and use this information to help them care for children.

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need to do better?

n Staff use comforting voices and reassurance to help children who are new to the setting build relationships with them. They respond when they recognise babies are tired, and provide them with objects from home to help them go to sleep. Babies respond well to praise, and use their hands to feel the wooden logs and materials in the basket. Staff praise children regularly and this helps children to keep trying new experiences. n Older children show high levels of confidence, independence and have good problem-solving skills. For example, children thoroughly enjoy lining up their sunflowers and they work together to put them in height order. Staff extend children's mathematical understanding. For example, they teach children how to measure in centimetres. However, staff do not consistently build on older children's developing reading and writing skills as effectively. For example, children's names are pre-written before the activity starts.

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need to do better?

n Staff who work with toddlers plan focused times for them to develop their social skills and language skills. Children show enjoyment as they sit together and sing

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need to do better?

29 July 2021 rhymes. However, their learning is sometimes disrupted by the area and time that staff plan to carry out this activity. For example, children are distracted from their learning by the sounds from the ventilators and extractor fans. n Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe in the community. Older children show confidence in assessing the risks in their environment, such as crossing the road. They learn how to behave safely with minimal support. Children develop an understanding of being healthy. Staff are good role models and promote positive behaviour. They show children how to wash their hands correctly and talk to children during lunchtimes about how 'vegetables help their muscles grow big and strong'. n The manager is kind, caring and supportive towards her team. During the pandemic, she has offered staff a choice about attending the setting and she has supported their decisions. The manager uses her time in the nursery's rooms

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need to do better?

to model effective teaching and to help staff reflect on their practice each day. This has helped to develop staff's understanding of how to engage more deeply with children and had a positive impact on children's behaviour. n The manager and staff team develop and maintain partnerships with other professionals who work with children. For example, they regularly hold discussions with teachers about how they can support children to move on to school. n Partnerships with parents are very positive. They leave feedback about the nursery and say that 'between the premises, the environment and the team, their children have everything they need'. The manager regularly sends out newsletters and new procedures to help parents understand the expectations of the nursery. Parents say that they feel communication is very clear and concise and this has helped them during difficult times.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager follows robust procedures to help her recruit new staff safely. She ensures that they are suitable to work with children and obtains appropriate references. The manager has close links with the local authority and an awareness of wider safeguarding concerns, such as radicalisation and the impact of domestic violence. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of what to do if they have concerns about children's safety or well-being. In addition, they know what to do if they are worried about a colleague's practice and confidently discuss procedures for this. The manager shares risk assessments and policies with staff and parents. This helps parents to understand how staff are keeping their children safe. Security in the nursery is good. For instance, there is a doorbell and camera system in place.

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should:

29 July 2021 n enhance staff's understanding of how to promote older children's developing reading and writing skills further during experiences n consider ways to reduce noise levels indoors, particularly during focused communication and language sessions, to help extend children's learning even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2515305 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 10202140 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 27 Number of children on roll 57 Name of registered person Middleton St George Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07900956128 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Middleton St George Day Nursery registered in 2019. It operates from a separate hall within Middleton St George Community Centre. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7am until 6pm. It operates for 51 weeks per year, closing for a week at Christmas and is closed on bank holidays. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. The manager and deputy manager hold a degree in early years and the majority of staff hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3. The nursery provides funded early education places for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery also provides wraparound care for local schools and runs a holiday club.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) 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 the quality of education during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The manager and inspector carried out joint observations of a planned activity outdoors and on a community walk. n The inspector held a discussion with manager in relation to the leadership and management of the nursery. She looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of recruitment, staff's qualifications and their suitability to work with children. The inspector discussed children's learning and development with the staff team and nursery manager. n The inspector spoke to parents and obtained feedback for the inspection.

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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

29 July 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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