Little Owls Nursery Gipton North

Inspection of Little Owls Nursery Gipton North Gipton North Children's Centre, Thorn Walk, Gipton, Leeds LS8 3LP

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children. They focus on helping children to develop secure foundations for their learning. For example, staff support children to communicate in different ways, depending on their needs and stages of development. Babies begin to use different signs and point to pictures to show staff the activities that they would like to choose. This helps them to become independent learners. Older children start to use sentences. Staff support them to extend their vocabulary by introducing new words. They gather extensive information about children when they join the nursery. This has had a positive impact on children's emotional well-being and helps staff to meet their care needs effectively. Children settle in very quickly and show that they feel safe, confident and happy in the nursery. Their behaviour is very positive and they develop high levels of self-esteem.

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The provision is good

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursery merged with a partner nursery and some children were unable to attend. Staff worked exceptionally hard to maintain relationships with families and had regular telephone contact with them. In addition, they provided videos of story sessions and provided learning activities for children to take part in at home. This helped to minimise the impact of the pandemic, particularly for older children who were excited and confident to return.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide a caring and nurturing environment for children. Children have secure bonds with their key person and staff team. For instance, babies seek staff's attention when they play and explore the areas with confidence. Toddlers begin to learn the names of other children in the group as they join in with welcome songs. Staff recognise when children are tired and follow their individual routines from home. This meets children's care needs effectively. n Children learn about their own community and the wider world. For example, staff provide activities which reflect children's home lives and special celebrations, such as Diwali. Older children concentrate well and listen intently as staff read factual books about the celebration. They develop their physical and creative skills as they mould clay and use glitter to make their lights. n Staff focus on developing children's speech and language. Overall, children make

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need to do better?

good progress in relation to their starting points in learning. For example, staff line up the toy animals and babies begin to copy the words and sounds they hear. Staff model words which describe the texture of the pumpkins as older children use spoons to dig out the inside. The manager is currently reflecting on ways to provide even further support for toddlers who speak English as an additional language. n Children benefit from a healthy, varied menu, which caters for their individual

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need to do better?

3 November 2021 dietary requirements. Staff encourage children to try new food. They model good manners as they eat lunch with children at the table. Children have plenty of opportunities for fresh air. They use the outdoor areas to develop their physical skills as they run around the garden. However, there are times when staff miss opportunities to extend other areas of children's learning outdoors. n Staff are skilled in identifying any gaps in children's development and use their assessments effectively. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals to work towards targets for children's learning. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they use extra funding to provide one-to-one time with children and provide quiet, sensory spaces for them to be calm and settled in. n The management team has established highly effective partnerships across the

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need to do better?

local authority. It uses these links to help families to access any support that they need, including beyond the setting, such as financial help. Partnerships with parents are extremely positive. They say that staff and managers 'go the extra mile to help children and their level of expertise is very much appreciated'. n Staff say that they feel valued in the nursery and are passionate about their work with children. They attend various professional development opportunities to develop their skills. For example, some staff are trained in storytelling and have used this to inspire a love of books in children across the setting. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings and attend training days, which have recently focused on their positive well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team prioritises children's safety. It provides staff with regular training opportunities to help them maintain an in-depth understanding of child protection procedures. Staff show confidence in describing how they identify, report and record concerns about children's welfare. They are aware of broader safeguarding concerns, including the potential signs of exploitation and female genital mutilation. The manager has thorough procedures to follow in the event a complaint or allegation is made against a member of staff. During recruitment, she checks staff's suitability to work with children and obtains suitable references. Staff adhere to robust risk assessments to help keep areas safe for children. For example, they ask parents to check the contents of children's bags before they are taken into the room.

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should:

n enhance ways to develop young children's communication skills even further, particularly for those children who speak English as an additional language

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should:

3 November 2021 n help staff to further develop the curriculum so it consistently challenges and excites children when they choose to learn outdoors.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY384782 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10209944 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 52 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Leeds City Council

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reference number

Telephone number 0113 2405168 Date of previous inspection 14 March 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Owls Nursery Gipton North registered in 2009. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the manager. The nursery opens all year round, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm, except for the first Wednesday of each month when the nursery closes at 4pm for a staff development session. 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 setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in her 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 A joint observation was completed by the manager and inspector, indoors during a planned activity. n The inspector held a discussion with management team and early years lead teacher 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. n The inspector spoke to parents and obtained their 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

3 November 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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