Phoenix Nursery

Inspection of Phoenix Nursery Phoenix Nursery, Fry Road, STEVENAGE, Hertfordshire SG2 0QQ

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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

All children enjoy inclusive activities at the nursery. For instance, the youngest children join the older children on a walk to the woods. Children develop the skills they need to get themselves ready to go, such as putting on their own coats. Staff accompany their key children outside, so that they can support their individual needs and learning requirements. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities enjoy the outing. Children who are not yet ready to talk, communicate with staff using visual cues. This helps children to know what is expected of them and keeps them safe.

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The provision is good

Children develop a love of reading. Those children who struggle to sit and focus with a book are supported well by staff. This enables them to fully engage as they listen to interactive stories. Toddlers enjoy looking at books about nursery rhymes. They push the buttons on the pages and dance along to the music and songs they hear. The oldest children confidently join in with repeated phrases in familiar stories. Children visit the local library with staff. This helps them to understand about the wider community around them. They learn to take care of the items that they borrow.

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need to do better?

n Children benefited from high levels of support from staff to continue their learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, they enjoyed participating in live online nursery sessions with their parents and watched videos about the nursery before they returned. As a result, gaps in children's learning are minimal and they settled back in quickly following local lockdowns. Younger children happily enter the nursery and wave goodbye to their parents at the door. The oldest children confidently speak about emotions and share their own experiences. This develops their understanding of how others around them might be feeling. n Children of all ages experience a language-rich environment. Staff learn basic words in children's native languages to support and encourage children's communication with them. They use relevant key vocabulary when they talk to the youngest children. Older children share their thoughts using basic sentences

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need to do better?

and staff repeat what children say back to them. Staff speak clearly, so that children can hear how the sentences should sound. The oldest children learn about more complex topics, such as 'hibernation'. Staff talk about previous activities that the children have completed. This helps children to make connections with their own experiences. For instance, they talk about when they built a house for creatures in the woods. n The highly qualified staff team continuously reflect on the provision they offer. Managers regularly observe staff and meet with them to discuss their

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need to do better?

27 January 2022 interactions with children. Managers encourage and support staff to develop their professional knowledge further. Staff share their learning with colleagues and they implement relevant changes effectively. Staff discuss how to adapt the way they plan. They consider children's ideas and interests when planning activities. As a result, children are keen to participate in meaningful and exciting learning opportunities. n Relationships with parents are strong. The manager recognises that each family's needs are different. This helps her to offer each family appropriate levels of support. Staff find out from parents what children can do for themselves, so they can then provide children with relevant challenges in their learning. They keep parents well informed about the progress their children make. They suggest various strategies to parents to help them manage children's behaviour. This gives children consistent messages between home and

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need to do better?

the nursery. n On the whole, staff ask children a range of questions about the activities they complete. They encourage children to talk about what they are doing, such as when children are painting. However, staff do not always use these discussions effectively enough. For example, they do not extend conversations with children to explore and develop their learning and understanding during a colour mixing activity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are confident in the process to follow to raise any concerns they have about children or their colleagues to managers. They know how to raise these concerns further should the managers not address the issue appropriately. Managers ensure that staff's safeguarding knowledge and training is kept up to date. Staff are aware of wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation. They are confident in how to challenge any issues regarding extreme views and behaviour. The manager has a robust recruitment process in place. This helps her to ensure that staff are suitable for their roles.

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should:

n use questioning and discussion even more effectively to help assess children's understanding and extend their knowledge even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY309806 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10219430 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 28 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Erzingher, Claire Michelle

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reference number

Telephone number 01438 352366 Date of previous inspection 2 August 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Phoenix Nursery registered in 2005. The nursery employs five members of staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three staff have early years qualifications at level 6. The deputy manager holds early years professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday. Sessions are from 7.45am until 5.30pm. The nursery is closed during bank holidays, for one week at Christmas and for the last two weeks of August. The nursery provides funded early education for 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 provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. The manager explained about the curriculum and the provision they offer and how this is organised. n The inspector held discussions with parents of children who attend the nursery. She took their views into consideration. n The inspector accompanied the staff and children on a walk to the local woodland. She observed staff interacting with children and considered the impact of these interactions on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times 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

27 January 2022 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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