Hillside Day Nursery

Inspection of Hillside Day Nursery Youth & Adult Centre, Pump Street, Stoke-On-Trent ST4 1NQ

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are happy and well cared for in a safe and secure environment. They confidently leave their parents when they first arrive, and they settle quickly. Babies develop strong bonds with their key person and enjoy lots of reassuring cuddles. Staff are nurturing, attentive and supportive, which helps children feel safe and secure. Babies develop their communication skills as they copy sounds and attempt single words they hear. This helps babies to communicate effectively. Toddlers and pre-school children are confident communicators. They engage staff and visitors in conversations about their interests and seek help where they need it.

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The provision is good

Children develop good physical skills, inside and outdoors. They practise climbing, balancing, and running. Staff support them to manage risks safely. Children learn new skills, such as how they can use their arms to help them balance as they walk on planks and learn how to change direction. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They manage children's behaviour well. Staff share their expectations with children and explain why certain behaviour is not acceptable. Children's behaviour is good.

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need to do better?

n Leaders' and 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, some staff are less clear on what skills and knowledge they want children to gain through the activities that are planned for them. n Staff know their children well and use their observations and assessments to effectively plan for what children need to learn next. Assessments are accurate, and any identified gaps in children's learning are closing. Staff share their observations with parents verbally and using an online learning journal. n All children make good progress from when they first start. The special educational needs coordinator supports staff and works closely with parents and other professionals to identify, plan and coordinate support for children who may need extra help. However, staff do not consistently support all children who

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need to do better?

speak English as an additional language to communicate effectively and use their home language. n Children have many opportunities to be physically active using the spacious nursery garden. For example, children play excitedly with the brightly coloured parachute. Staff manage this activity well, giving clear instructions and allowing children time to fully explore and enjoy the experience. They engage children in spontaneous singing about bunnies sleeping as children lie together underneath the parachute, they eagerly await the instruction to jump and hop.

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need to do better?

28 March 2022 n Children eat freshly cooked, healthy, and nutritious meals, according to their specific dietary needs. Children enjoy finding out about significant cultural traditions and learning about them with their friends. They enjoy cultural food tasting days that represent the home diets of their friends at nursery. This helps children understand the differences between each other and the world they live in. n Children play imaginatively in the mud kitchen and talk about the pies they have made. They are delighted as they fill tins with soil mixture and stir the soil with real kitchen utensils in the outdoor mud kitchen. Children learn about windy weather. For example, they use colourful chiffon fabric outside and dress up as superheroes or their favourite princesses. They giggle with delight as the fabric blows in the wind. n All staff introduce children to a wide range of songs, rhymes and stories that

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need to do better?

build on their previous learning and experiences. Staff are skilled at capturing children's interest in stories. Children listen intently as staff read in an expressive way. This supports children to develop a love of books and reading. n Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents talk positively about the procedures that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although they continue to wait outside the nursery, they are confident in the progress their children make and know how to support their learning at home. n Staff state that they are well supported to fulfil their roles by the new provider. Purposeful supervision meetings and training has a positive impact on experiences for children as staff apply their new-found knowledge and skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities. They can identify the signs and symptoms of abuse and know the action to take if they have a concern about a child. Staff have a secure knowledge of the setting's whistle-blowing policy, if they are concerned about the behaviour of another adult. Managers provide new staff with a thorough induction around their safeguarding and child-supervision responsibilities. Staff recognise the importance of completing daily safety checks in all areas of the nursery to help keep children safe and from harm.

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should:

n support staff's understanding of how to implement the learning intentions for activities, so they are clear on what skills and knowledge they want children to gain n support children who speak English as an additional language further to hear

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should:

28 March 2022 and see more words from home, so they continue to increase their vocabulary and confidence.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2647709 Local authority Stoke-on-Trent Inspection number 10232564 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 114

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Name of registered person

Hillside Children's Day Nursery (Stoke) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01782 461070 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Hillside Day Nursery registered in 2021. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an early years teacher qualification, seven hold approved early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 6.30pm all year except for a week at Christmas.

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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 setting and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the setting. n The provider joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector held discussions with leaders, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting and a selection of other records. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

28 March 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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