Blossom Lodge Day Nursery

Inspection of Blossom Lodge Day Nursery Phoenix Nursery Group @ The Lodge Nursery & Pre School, 77 Hales Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 6SR

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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 are dropped off and collected from the different playrooms as parents cannot currently come into the setting due to safety measures for the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Staff make sure each child is greeted warmly, with a favourite toy or by their key person so they are comforted and settle quickly. Children enjoy exploring the well-resourced play spaces indoors and outdoors. Babies have fun climbing up the steps on the soft play cubes then slide down the slope on their tummies giggling as they go. Toddlers play with the pretend market stall. They collect the toy red and green apples and pears for a picnic and use the toy teapot to make pretend cups of tea for the adults. Outdoors, children listen to stories sitting in the log circle. They ride tricycles round the playground and use their imagination as they make 'pizza' from bark chippings in the mud kitchen. Staff encourage children to express ideas and recall what they have done before.

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The provision is good

For example, they ask them about favourite toys, stories and rhymes. Children help each other and manage feelings well. Children set the table for lunch time and help serve the food. Older children show respect for others as they play with toy cars. They create roads and a car wash, then wait for their turn to use them. Children are learning the skills they need for their future learning and the move on to school. Staff make sure they share what children are doing with parents. For example, they take photographs and videos and upload them online so parents can see what children are doing.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers work hard to support staff through the different changes, including the COVID-19 pandemic and staff leaving. Leaders and managers focus on developing staff skills and support their mental health and well-being. Staff are confident to voice their opinions and implement training effectively to benefit children and improve outcomes. Staff are starting to work together better with a shared vision to improve quality and build on the good progress children are making. n Support for babies is good. Staff offer reassurance and allow comfort objects, such as dummies when children are settling. However, sometimes, when dummies fall on the floor staff do not wash them before returning them to children. Staff support children to make choices about what and how they want to play. However, staff do not always encourage children to tidy the toys away when they have finished playing. The floor space becomes cluttered and moving

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need to do better?

around the room is more difficult. n Staff support children's communication, language, and early literacy well. Staff working with the babies provide new words and descriptions as they play. For

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need to do better?

29 July 2021 example, when children comment that they have a block, staff tell them 'yes, it is a red block'. Pre-school children concentrate well as they recall the letters in their name. Staff encourage them to find the letters from alphabet stencils or by picking out the card with their name on. n Older and younger children recall favourite stories. Younger children eagerly join in with the repeated phrases and actions as they go on a bear hunt. They say 'Bye bear' at the end. Pre-school children recall what the caterpillar likes to eat when they find one in the outdoor area. They recall that it eats lollies, apples and leaves before becoming a cocoon and then a butterfly. They show care and concern for the caterpillar making sure it is put on a leaf away from where they are playing. n Children learn about other countries and cultures. They create wall displays and scrap books about their extended families and where they have been on holiday.

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need to do better?

Staff write comments that children make so they can recall names for family members and phrases in home languages. Families send in photographs to share with the children and describe different celebrations or festivals that children can join in with in the nursery. n Key persons know children well. They plan activities and experiences that extend and enhance children's learning and development. They recognise when children may need extra support. They work closely with parents, other staff and professionals to provide interventions to support learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their development. n Children take part in many different activities throughout their day at nursery. Staff plan and adapt activities to meet children's needs and interests. Sometimes, when there are changes to the routines, staff do not explain to children what is happening. For example, after mealtimes staff clean tables

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need to do better?

before setting out new activities. Children wander about and become restless or bored. At small group time, staff do not encourage children to listen. Children continue to talk with others and are not ready to learn from the start of the new activity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff complete regular safeguarding training. Staff know exactly what to do when or if they need to refer concerns about the welfare of a child. There have been some recent changes to staff and the manager implements robust recruitment, induction and monitoring procedures. These include regular checking of all staff's suitability to work with children and ongoing support through mentoring and supervision.

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should:

29 July 2021 n support all staff to understand and follow the agreed approaches to helping children learn about good hygiene practices and caring for the play spaces n make sure staff explain better when changes happen so children know what is expected and they are ready to engage in learning from the start of new activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2546468 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10201646 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 73 Number of children on roll 194 Name of registered person Phoenix Nursery Group Holdings Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01242525374 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Blossom Lodge Day Nursery is in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The nursery registered in July 2019. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6pm all year round. The nursery employs 32 members of staff of whom two hold early years teacher status, two have appropriate childcare qualifications at level 6 and one at level 4. There are also a further 19 staff who hold appropriate childcare qualifications, 18 at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk to see how the curriculum meets children's learning and development. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager in pre-school to review the quality of teaching. n Parents spoke to the inspector and read online views from parents about the nursery, including how staff and managers have helped them continue their children's learning at home. n Children talked with the inspector about what they enjoy doing at nursery

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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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