Puffins in the City

Inspection of Puffins in the City Puffins at Southernhay, Keble House, Southernhay Gardens, EXETER EX1 1NT

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are happy and well-cared for in the nursery. They benefit from strong attachments with staff to help them feel safe and secure and form friendships with other children. Staff nurture children's well-being and personal development and have high expectations of their behaviour. Children develop self-confidence, positive attitudes and very good social skills. Older children help others kindly, take turns fairly and learn to resolve issues. Staff working with babies provide positive role models who praise children and guide them gently to learn the principles of good behaviour.

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The provision is good

Children make good progress in their learning. Staff provide an ambitious curriculum built around children's interests and developmental needs. This includes a broad range of activities and outings, such as local forest school sessions. Children are eager to get involved in activities and persevere to overcome challenges. For example, older children learn how to chop their own fruit safely and effectively through staff encouragement and guidance. Children develop good independence from a young age, such as toddlers learning to serve themselves and clear away after mealtimes.

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The provision is good

The nursery has adapted their practice to keep children and families safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, staff undertake home visits in children's gardens prior to them starting at the nursery. This helped them to safely gain a good understanding of children's needs and to support positive working relationships with parents from the start.

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need to do better?

n The quality of education is good overall. Most staff adapt activities well to support children's developmental stage. They create quieter environments for children to concentrate, listen well and join in conversations. However, on occasions, staff do not use the activities to help children to learn new words to increase their vocabulary further. For instance, staff do not help younger children to learn colour names or older children to learn new mathematical language. n Staff monitor children's progress effectively to prioritise focused next steps in their learning. They identify children who require additional support quickly and efficiently. They work closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that specific plans are in place, and funding used effectively, to target and meet children's individual needs. n Staff provide a wealth of activities to encourage children's literacy. For example, older children create stories through dictating their ideas and characters which

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need to do better?

staff write down to ensure that they can read back accurately. Babies and

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need to do better?

24 March 2022 toddlers explore making marks and enjoy listening to stories. Staff help older children to learn how to recognise the sounds and letters of their names in readiness for starting school. n Children are motivated to explore and learn. They confidently create their own imaginative games. For example, younger children find 'treasure' in the garden mud kitchen and make instruments with dried pasta in envelopes to shake and dance with. Staff use these spontaneous activities well to build on children's learning. For example, they notice children dancing excitedly and introduce a singing activity that engages them further. n Overall, staff support children in developing healthy lifestyles. They provide nutritious meals, activities to develop children's physical skills and teach children the importance of brushing their teeth. However, on occasions, staff do not support all children's personal hygiene well. Young babies have runny noses

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need to do better?

which staff do not clean consistently, and older children do not always learn how to clean their noses hygienically. n The management team supports staff's personal and professional development successfully. Staff benefit from supervision sessions to build their confidence and skills. They undertake targeted training and development to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff feel valued and are encouraged to share their views. They are involved in the management's consultation and development of the setting to make ongoing improvements to the quality of care and education. n Partnerships with parents are good. Staff work closely with parents from the start to settle children in and to meet their individual needs. They keep parents closely involved in their children's learning and development. Parents share positive feedback about the care their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a very good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This includes understanding the risks to children from wider safeguarding issues and the correct procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child's welfare. Staff all attend regular training that helps to keep their knowledge up to date. They teach children how to identify and manage risks to keep safe. For example, children learn how to walk along the road safely on their trips to the garden and they correct others when they do something they consider unsafe. Management follows robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that staff and apprentices are suitable.

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should:

n develop the use of activities to help children learn more words and build their

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should:

24 March 2022 vocabulary even further n improve staff practice to support children in managing all aspects of their personal hygiene well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY300240 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10126003 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 70 Number of children on roll 91 Name of registered person Puffins of Exeter Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01392 494291 Date of previous inspection 15 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Puffins in the City registered in 1999. The nursery operates in Southernhay, situated in the centre of Exeter, Devon. It opens each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 24 staff, of whom 16 hold qualifications at Level 7, 3 and 2. All other staff are currently working towards a childcare qualification.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Bridget Copson Sarah Dimsdale

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The management team conducted a 'learning walk' around the premises and explained how they develop and deliver a curriculum that meets children's needs. n The inspectors observed activities and the quality of the staff interactions with the children. They conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspectors spoke to staff to about their roles and responsibilities. n The inspectors sampled documentation and discussed the manager's knowledge of the requirements of the early years foundation stage. n The inspectors took account of the views of parents and children.

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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 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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