Babraham Nursery

Inspection of Babraham Nursery 17-18 The Close, Babraham, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22 3AQ

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children are highly motivated and eager learners. They have very good language skills for their age and use them very effectively to communicate their ideas as they play. Children relish using the new words they have learned. Very young children confidently say, 'more' or 'again' during an energetic singing session. They follow directions and jump up and down with enthusiasm. Practitioners revisit subjects to check children's understanding. They engage children in conversation and skilfully encourage them to think, question and make decisions.

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The provision is outstanding

Children behave exceptionally well. Practitioners help them to understand and control their feelings and behaviour. They give children the tools to do this effectively. For example, they remind children to use their words to explain why they do not like something. Children swiftly and amicably resolve their differences.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are exceptionally confident and thrive in practitioners' nurturing care. Their very strong attachments to their key person, provide the security for them to become absorbed in their learning and play. When babies are tired or upset, practitioners hold them close and gently comfort them. Children eagerly share their thoughts about their experiences at the nursery. They explain that they learn lots of things that are important.

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need to do better?

n Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They have formed strong bonds with practitioners. During the first COVID-19 national lockdown, practitioners kept in regular contact to ensure children's well-being and learning was well supported. They shared activities, such as play dough disco and read bedtime stories for children to watch online. n Leaders and senior practitioners have designed an ambitious curriculum that ensures every child has the best possible start to their education. Practitioners have a detailed knowledge of their key children and use information from their observations to guide their planning. They closely monitor children's progress to identify any gaps in learning, so that these can be swiftly addressed. n Practitioners give children many rich opportunities to develop their early writing skills. Young children give meaning to the marks they make, and older children

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need to do better?

form recognisable letters to write their own name. Children's work decorates the walls and practitioners write down their words to add to the display. This helps to support children's understanding of what they say can be written and read by someone else. n Children thoroughly enjoy spending time outdoors. They explore the forest area, experiment with mud, play tunes on the musical wall or push themselves along on scooters to see how fast they can go. Practitioners know that spending lots of

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need to do better?

17 February 2022 time outdoors, observing nature or being immersed in activities, improves children's physical health and well-being. n Babies sleep peacefully outdoors under a wooden gazebo, where they are protected from the elements. They are wrapped up warmly and supervised closely. This has a positive effect on children, who sleep very well as they fall asleep to the sounds of nature and in the fresh air. n Partnerships with parents are very well established and valued. Parents report how exceptionally well informed they are about their children's learning and provide very positive comments about their children's experiences at the nursery. They say that practitioners 'go above and beyond' to ensure that their child's welfare is secured. Parents say this reflects how they care deeply for the children and how well looked after they are. n Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, thrive

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need to do better?

in all aspects of their development. Practitioners liaise very closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that each child receives the support they need. Leaders use additional funding to target specific areas of development for children and reduce any differences in their learning. n The leadership and management of the nursery are exceptional. The manager has high expectations for all practitioners, ensuring they continually develop their skills and knowledge. Practitioners report that leaders give their well-being high priority, and they feel extremely motivated to do their very best for the children in their care. As a result, children flourish and develop the skills they need to support their future learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team is dedicated to ensuring children's welfare is given the highest priority. Practitioners receive highly effective and regular training to ensure their knowledge of safeguarding issues is up to date. They have an excellent understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's well-being or the conduct of a colleague. The provider ensures their recruitment and vetting procedures are robust. Security is very good, and practitioners identify hazards swiftly to minimise any risks to children to help keep them safe.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221547 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10113101 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 90 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person The Babraham Institute

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reference number

Telephone number 01223 496200 Date of previous inspection 12 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Babraham Nursery registered in 1990. The nursery employs 35 members of childcare staff. Of these, 29 hold appropriate early years qualifications; six at level 2; 14 at level 3; one at level 4; three at level 5; four at level 6 and one at level 7. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8.45am until 5.45pm, and until 5.15pm on Friday. 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector observed activities indoors and outside and assessed the impact these have on children's learning. Children told the inspector about what they like to do when they are at nursery. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss and understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector had discussions with practitioners at appropriate times during the inspection. Parents spoke and gave written feedback to the inspector about their views of the nursery. n Meetings were held between the inspector and the leadership team about the management of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including the safeguarding procedures and evidence of the suitability of adults working in the nursery.

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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

17 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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