Grass Roots Private Day Nursery

Inspection of Grass Roots Private Day Nursery St Peter's Community Centre, St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX6 1HB

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children engage in purposeful play and are curious, inquisitive learners. They thrive in the nursery through individualised support from highly skilled and experienced staff. Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve and an in-depth knowledge of all children's capabilities. Many of the children enter the setting below expected levels of development and with limited language. Through targeted support, these gaps in learning quickly narrow.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff actively encourage children to have a go at challenges and test out their ideas. For example, as children play with water and it stops pouring, staff ask them what they think has happened and how they can overcome this difficulty. Children understand how they need to use the water pump to get it started again and work as a team to make this happen. High-quality interactions from staff successfully build children's confidence and self-esteem.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff deployment is effective in ensuring children are safely supervised. Children behave well. They are supported to learn how to manage their emotions and develop an understanding of how behaviour impacts on others.

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The provision is outstanding

Following time off during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff were quick to shape the curriculum accordingly for children's needs. They prioritised learning for children's communication, language and emotional well-being. Staff planned activities that encouraged children to talk about their feelings. This approach helped to build children's confidence, speaking and listening skills. To ease anxiety, a video was also made to show children, families and staff how things would work when they returned. The inclusion of an 'empathy dog' also helped to ease the anxieties of children who were apprehensive about returning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders ensure that the curriculum continues to challenge all children, builds on existing skills and widens their experience. Children go to the theatre, on woodland walks, visit the nursery allotment and learn about places in their local area. The impact of the curriculum is clear to see as is the high-quality education. All staff know the children and their families exceptionally well. Staff offer individualised support to every child, providing them with the best possible start in life and enabling them to achieve to their full potential. Staff achieve an excellent balance between allowing children to follow their interests and incorporating the skills they intend for them to learn and practice. For example, children learn how to balance as they walk along a beam, trying not to fall into the 'larva pit', and count 15 jumps on the bridge. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the help and

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need to do better?

16 August 2021 support they need through timely intervention and because staff get professional support quickly. Careful consideration is given to how any additional funding is spent and to where it has the greatest impact to improve outcomes for children. For instance, funding is used to get additional staff to work specifically on a one- to-one basis with children. It is also used for staff training and to purchase resources to support children's individual learning needs. n Staff are exceptionally skilled and give high priority to children's language and communication development. They engage in ongoing dialogue with children during activities and they use lots of repetition and well-timed questions to promote language. Staff introduce children to new words such as 'infinity' and talk about their meaning in context. Children work collaboratively and can be regularly heard talking through what they are doing and what they plan to do

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need to do better?

next. For example, they talk of making paint by crushing chalks with a potato masher and adding water. n Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have done everything they can to support children and families. They helped other nurseries in the area by accepting their children when they were unable to open. Leaders put in place 'live learning' to ensure any children who were at home could still join in experiences with their friends. Children listened to stories and kept in touch with their key person through weekly face-to-face video calls. Doorstep visits enabled managers to check with families to see if there was any further support they needed. Learning resource packs were also delivered during these visits. n Staff invest heavily in their partnerships with parents. They work closely with them from the start, finding out about children's starting points to effectively plan their next steps in learning. Parents report how exceptionally well informed

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need to do better?

they are about their children's learning, skills and next steps. Parents are fully involved and consulted on their child's learning journey and any transition arrangements. Detailed information is regularly shared with parents both verbally and online, and suggestions made for how they can support children's learning at home. n Leaders recognise the importance of staff well-being. They place high priority on ensuring staff are listened to and their input valued. Leaders ensure there is time built in for all staff to be able to reflect on their practice. Staff are actively encouraged and supported to attend training to build on their skills and knowledge. This helps to drive improvement and further improve outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that both staff and parents understand the safeguarding policy and the nursery's responsibilities around child protection. Staff are very experienced and knowledgeable in relation to all aspects of safeguarding. They are highly skilled in working with professionals to prioritise children and families to get the support they need. Staff are very alert to possible indicators of abuse and are fully confident in following local procedures to report any concerns. During the recent

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Safeguarding

16 August 2021 COVID-19 pandemic, steps were taken to keep in touch with families and provide any additional support needed. This included signposting them to other services. Parents spoke of how they really valued this and the difference it made to the family. An effective balance is achieved between providing a safe environment while also allowing children to explore and take risks. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and demonstrate this through everyday play opportunities. For example, they act out putting on their seatbelts on the bus they have made.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY555772 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 10204844 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 53 Number of children on roll 78 Name of registered person Grass Roots Private Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01422 836280 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Grass Roots Private Day Nursery registered in 2018. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff, 12 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, which includes early years teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm.

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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 where the manager explained the skills and knowledge she wanted children to learn. n The inspector spoke with several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation, evaluating the quality of education during an activity.

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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

16 August 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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