Early Days Nursery

Inspection of Early Days Nursery 330 Weston Road, Stoke On Trent ST3 6EZ

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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

Children demonstrate that they are happy, confident and settled. They quickly form positive relationships and build secure attachments with their key person. Babies snuggle onto staff's laps and receive encouragement to lift flaps or point to items while they look at board books. When babies are tired or upset, staff hold them close and gently comfort them. Children behave well and follow instructions. Staff demonstrate polite and courteous relationships towards the children. This helps to provide a good model for children's behaviour. Children are encouraged to think about others, share and take turns. Staff have high expectations for all children. For example, they praise children's efforts when they have achieved a goal or persevered with a difficult or new task. This helps to build children's confidence in their abilities and reinforces their positive attitudes to learning.

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The provision is good

All children develop good physical skills. For example, they learn about the different ways that they can move their bodies. Children confidently balance and climb on obstacles and equipment. They enjoy jumping and skipping and excitedly show the inspector how they can hit the ball with their tennis racket. Children squeal with delight as staff encourage them to go outside with their umbrellas where they giggle and enjoy twirling around with them in the wind. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have adapted drop-off and collection arrangements to improve safety for both children and adults. The nursery has introduced additional ways to ensure that communication with parents continues to be effective.

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need to do better?

n Managers' intent for the curriculum is clear for all children. Overall, staff design a curriculum that builds on what children already know and use their interests to inform planning. However, at times, staff do not monitor some children's engagement in activities. This means that children are occasionally not fully engaged in group activities and some opportunities to challenge and extend learning are lost. n Staff regularly observe children as they play and make accurate assessments about their development. They use this information to carefully evaluate when children are ready for their next stage of learning. The special educational needs coordinator helps staff to make plans to adapt the curriculum to meet the children's learning needs, while further assessments are undertaken. n Overall, children benefit from stimulating activities that build on what they know and can do. For instance, children use their imagination and develop their

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need to do better?

communication and language skills as they venture on a 'bear hunt'. They learn new words, such as 'squelching', 'squishy' and 'squashy', as they walk bare foot through grass and water. n Staff support and develop children's love for, and interest in, literacy and books.

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need to do better?

16 February 2022 Older children particularly enjoy activities where they can be involved in recalling the story. Overall, staff provide children with activities to support their listening and attention skills. However, the organisation of some group activities are not always fully effective. For example, at times, when the noise levels increase, children are not able to hear and concentrate to the best of their abilities. n Children are encouraged to be independent, and staff support their health and well-being through daily routines. For instance, younger children and babies are supported to feed themselves. Older children serve themselves and cut up their own food using a knife and fork. Children manage their own self-care skills. For example, they wash and dry their hands competently and discuss why it is important 'to keep germs away'. n Staff receive regular supervision meetings to reflect on their practice. They

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need to do better?

benefit from undertaking training to further develop their knowledge and skills. Managers support the team well. They provide regular times for staff to discuss their work and the children's care. n Parents speak very highly of staff and managers. Staff ensure that parents are kept informed and involved in their children's care and learning through a regular two-way exchange of information. The key person provides ideas of activities and resources for parents to take home. This helps parents to build on their children's learning outside of the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their responsibility to safeguard children. They know the signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff know the procedure to follow should they have concerns about a child or if an allegation is made against a member of staff. Staff conduct risk assessments and daily checks are made to ensure that the nursery remains secure and that all child-accessible areas are safe. Staff deployment is effective, which enables them to supervise children well indoors and outside. The manager conducts ongoing vetting checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n support staff to organise group times more effectively to provide children with opportunities to listen and concentrate without distractions and be fully engaged in their learning n monitor children's engagement in activities in order to offer them consistent challenge so that they make more rapid progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY491545 Local authority Stoke-on-Trent Inspection number 10125093 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 80 Number of children on roll 132 Name of registered person Early Days (Staffordshire) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01782 325234 Date of previous inspection 5 August 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Early Days Nursery registered in 2015. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including two at level 4 and four at level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery 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 nursery. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity with a manager. n Parents and carers shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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 February 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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