The Cloud Factory

Inspection of The Cloud Factory The Mill Outlet, Yorkshire Mill, 418 Bradford Road, Batley, Yorkshire WF17 5LZ

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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 happy and safe in this warm and welcoming environment. They have strong attachments to staff. Children happily seek staff out to join in with their play and for cuddles. Staff are responsive to babies' emotional needs and successfully meet these. For example, when babies are tired, they snuggle into staff for comfort and reassurance as they drift off to sleep. Older children are eager to share their experiences. They happily chat about what they have been doing at nursery and at home.

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The provision is good

Children are independent, confident and self-assured. They demonstrate good social skills and communicate well. Older children sit together at mealtimes and chat to staff about what they are eating. They demonstrate good table manners and say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for things. Children are well behaved. Children who might need additional support are identified quickly and plans are put in place to help them to achieve. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive the extra support they need. Leaders, managers and staff have high expectations for all children's learning and development.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have developed a well-thought-out and sequenced curriculum to help children to acquire the skills that they will need for the future. Staff promote good hygiene practices. They encourage children to independently meet their self-care needs, such as washing their hands before they eat. Older children pour their own drinks and serve their own snacks and meals. n Staff take time to settle new children into the setting so that they feel safe and secure. They gather a range of information from parents about children's likes and dislikes, routines, and what children already know, understand and can do. They use this information to plan for children's learning from the start. n Staff know their key children well. They confidently talk about children's individual personalities and what makes them unique. Staff observe children as they play, and assess their learning and development. They plan stimulating

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need to do better?

activities to support children's development, which are based around children's interests. n Staff support children's communication and language development effectively. Stories, songs and rhymes are used throughout the setting and feature heavily in the interactions between children and staff. Staff working with the youngest children use simple words and sentences to communicate. Staff working with the older children engage them in conversations and ask questions to extend their thinking skills. n Children have plenty of access to outdoor play. They spend time in the nursery

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need to do better?

19 October 2021 garden where they develop their physical skills and learn how to manage risks. Children climb and balance on play equipment and use ride-on toys to help them to practise their skills. They learn about the natural world, such as planting and growing fruit and vegetables. n Staff greet children as they join activities of their own choosing. However, staff do not routinely support all children to join in or persevere, especially those who prefer to play on the side lines. As a result, children sometimes lose interest and are not fully engaged in their learning. n Self-evaluation is successful. Leaders and managers work with staff and parents to identify potential areas for improvement. They work hard to make changes which have a positive impact on children's learning. For instance, following a recent parental survey, the manager is planning to offer children more opportunities outside the setting. This will help to promote children's

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need to do better?

understanding of the wider world and provide them with new experiences. n Leaders and managers have effective recruitment and supervision processes. Staff are dedicated and committed to their work and feel well supported. Training for formal qualifications, short courses and in-house training deepens staff's understanding and builds their confidence. n Parents speak highly about the setting and staff. They say that their children love attending the nursery and enjoy a range of activities. Parents are kept informed about what children are doing and learning through verbal communication and an online application.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have a good selection of procedures in place to help to ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so. There are strong procedures to check the suitability of new staff. The provider and staff have a good awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff complete training in child protection. They have a good awareness of the indicators of abuse and know how to report concerns. There is an identified safeguarding lead to help ensure that any concerns are reported in a timely and appropriate way.

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should:

n develop staff's teaching skills to enable them to fully support all children to join in and persevere in activities of their choosing.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2510100 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10206543 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 37 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person The Cloud Factory Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07722082663 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Cloud Factory registered in 2018. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, two staff hold a Foundation Degree in Early Years. The remaining members of staff hold relevant early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk and told her about what they want children to learn at the nursery. n The inspector held discussions with parents and children about their experiences in the nursery. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity and discussed the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The inspector sampled records, such as documents relating to the suitability of those working with children, including qualifications and first-aid certificates. n The inspector held discussions with the manager and staff throughout 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

19 October 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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