Minnows Children's Day Nursery

Inspection of Minnows Children's Day Nursery 39 Turford Avenue, MIDDLESBROUGH, Cleveland TS3 9AT

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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 are happy at the setting and form secure bonds with caring staff. The key- person system is effective. Staff know the children in their care very well. This enables staff to plan the next steps for each child's learning. All children, including those with some additional needs, are very well supported by staff. As a result, all children at the setting make good progress in their learning and development.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and learning. Consequently, children behave well and have a positive attitude to learning. Children are busy and occupied throughout the day. They enjoy the wide range of stimulating resources and activities.

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The provision is good

Children talk about what they like to do at the setting, such as playing with their friends and playing outside. Children form good relationships with their peers and draw pictures for their friends.

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The provision is good

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, children enjoyed visits to a local care home and being with visitors to the setting, such as a football coach. These activities will resume as soon as it is safe to do so, as staff report that children benefited from and enjoyed the learning experiences. However, children still have some opportunities to learn about their local community and visit a local grocery shop.

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need to do better?

n Babies' individual care routines are well promoted and children receive good support with toilet training. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Staff are well aware of children's dietary needs and preferences. However, drinking water is not easily accessible to all children. Children talk about and are excited to eat a dessert that they helped to make, after shopping for the ingredients. n Children love playing outside. They are skilled at avoiding obstacles when using a range of ride-on vehicles. Children participate in role play, which promotes their imagination and language skills. For example, they pretend to be selling ice creams and talk about the different colours, flavours and toppings. Children also express creativity when involved in different craft activities. n Children show an interest in books and enjoy story times. They learn about letters and letter sounds when playing I-spy. They select foam letters from a

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need to do better?

water tray to make their name. However, the reading area outside is not well used by children as it is not currently attractive or inviting. In addition, the slide is currently out of bounds, waiting to be repaired. n Children's hand-to-eye coordination is promoted when they dig with different utensils. They scoop and transfer mud, sand and water into containers of

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need to do better?

24 February 2022 different sizes. They also have opportunities for solving problems when selecting the correct-sized vehicles to fit into tunnels and tubes. n Children have lots of opportunities for counting and recognising numerals. However, they are not challenged to learn about and compare quantities, such as 'more than' or 'less than'. That said, children do learn some positional language when using vehicles, such as 'forwards', 'backwards', 'left' and 'right'. n Staff work really well in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that they are kept informed of their child's development and progress. Parents comment that their children have made very good progress since starting at the setting, particularly in relation to their social development. Parents also comment that they find staff very caring and approachable, also that staff have supported them when needed. n Staff benefit from an effective appraisal process and have access to ongoing

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need to do better?

training and development courses, such as safeguarding children. Staff demonstrate a positive attitude towards continuous professional development. They have also completed specific training that enables them to support children's language and communication skills. n Children's language and communication are well promoted across the setting. Children participate in lots of singing and story time routines, such as singing songs related to the current theme around farm animals. Children's listening and speaking skills are also promoted through interesting activities. For example, they record words and phrases and listen carefully to others' recordings. In addition, a book-lending library system is in place to support literacy at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. They are able to recognise and identify the signs and symptoms of possible abuse and neglect. They know how to act promptly to safeguard children. Staff demonstrate that they would be confident to challenge any incidents of possible poor practice within the setting. Staff assess the risks in the indoor and outdoor environments to ensure children's safety and security. Good progress has been made since the last Ofsted visit. All children are well supervised and any accidents or injuries are clearly recorded.

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should:

n ensure that fresh drinking water is available and accessible to children at all times n improve some aspects of the outdoor play area so that children make better use of all of the outside resources

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should:

24 February 2022 n promote children's mathematical skills further, for example, by providing opportunities for them to learn about and compare quantities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY359117 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 10220583 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 54 Number of children on roll 67 Name of registered person Nunthorpe Nurseries Group Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01642 245599 Date of previous inspection 8 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Minnows Children's Day Nursery registered in 2007 and is in Middlesbrough. It is part of the Nunthorpe Nurseries Group chain. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5, six staff have a level 3 qualification and one member of staff has level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for public 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 provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at the nursery. 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 that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a communication and language

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Inspection activities

activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to some parents and carers during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff 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

24 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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