Toddlers Inn Nursery

Inspection of Toddlers Inn Nursery St. Peters Primary School, East Grinstead Road, North Chailey, LEWES, East Sussex BN8 4DB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children revel in the opportunities they have to enjoy learning outside in the fresh air. They know how to keep themselves and others safe when playing outside, and relate the rules to younger children. For example, children show care and consideration for others as they tell their friends that they must look after nature. Children, even those in the baby room, understand the high expectations staff have. For example, they voluntarily take turns. Very young children say 'your turn', while older ones take turns on the hammock outside.

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The provision is good

Children are unfailingly polite and their behaviour is exemplary. In the allotment, children learn about nature. For instance, they feed the chickens and help to collect the eggs. Children are developing the skills they need in readiness for the next stage in their learning. They observe the life cycle of a frog, noticing the changes in the tadpoles as they grow. Children grow a variety of fruit and vegetables, which are used in the healthy snacks and meals provided for them to eat. They thoroughly enjoy the challenging and motivating activities that staff plan for them. For instance, children enjoy rolling eggs through a tube and measuring how far they travel. When the eggs get stuck, they show high levels of perseverance and work collaboratively to extract them. Children experiment with different sized sticks and arms until they are successfully released.

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need to do better?

n The manager closely monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide. She observes staff teaching children daily. Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager where she provides helpful feedback to support their future practice. They make good use of frequent training opportunities. Leaders and staff are reflective and have plans to improve the facilities, for example to develop the outdoor provision in the winter. n Partnerships with parents are strong. In addition to the daily verbal feedback, parents receive when they collect their children, they receive written feedback through the online system. This helps parents to know what their child's next steps are. Most parents make contributions to their children's online assessments. n Staff routinely monitor the progress of their key children. They plan engaging activities to support the good progress children make. Where there are delays in

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need to do better?

learning, the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) works with staff and parents to provide learning experiences to address these gaps. Where progress continues to be slow, the SENCo involves the expertise of external professionals to ensure that children receive the support they require. n Staff support the development of children's speech and language effectively. Babies and the youngest children benefit from sessions where they learn to

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need to do better?

7 April 2022 understand non-verbal communication. They recognise that smiles and frowns indicate how a person is feeling. Staff develop the vocabulary of older children. For example, children cut out paper for 'bones' and the adult introduces the word 'skeleton'. n Children can recognise and write initial sounds. They are some opportunities for mark making. However, opportunities for children during independent play to practise their early writing skills are not well promoted. Occasionally, children are not extended in their learning. For instance, when children talk about how to make mud, they are not encouraged to record this in their own way. n There are varied activities to support children's mathematical skills. Toddlers make modelling dough, counting the spoonfuls of flour and deciding which colour to use. Others count the small tyres they use to build their towers outside in the fresh air. Adults skilfully question children to support their use of

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need to do better?

mathematical language. This helps children to use comparative language and to recognise common shapes in their environment. Older children measure how far their eggs travel beyond the tube, helping to expand their vocabulary as they use words such as 'longer' and 'further'. n The nursery has good links with local schools and other settings children attend. Information is shared to ensure a consistency of education and care. The nursery works with schools and other settings on joint projects, such as curriculum provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection. They recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to follow up any potential concerns. They know who to contact to seek advice. Staff ensure that they keep their knowledge up to date and complete regular safeguarding training. They complete thorough risk assessments to help keep children safe. Children enjoy activities that help them to think about how to keep themselves and others safe. For instance, parents say they apply the rules of the nursery at home as they tell siblings not to run with sticks as they might hurt someone.

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should:

n provide more opportunities for children to explore their early writing skills in all areas of the environment, to develop further their interest in literacy n ensure that all staff use the spontaneous opportunities that arise in play, to challenge children further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY454640 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 10228087 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 55 Number of children on roll 94 Name of registered person Toddlers Inn Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01825 721800 Date of previous inspection 5 January 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Toddlers Inn Nursery registered in 2012. It operates from a building within the grounds of St Peter's Primary School in North Chailey, East Sussex. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks a year. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 18 members of staff. Of these, one holds early years qualified teacher status, one holds an early years professional qualification, and 11 hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 and above.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting has 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 inspector carried out a learning walk with the managers. The inspector assessed the impact of the quality of staff interactions and the learning opportunities they provide children. n Written documentation was reviewed. This included safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. n During the inspection, the inspector spoke to the managers, children, parents and staff at convenient times and considered their views. n The inspector carried out two joint observations with the manager, observing a heuruistic session in the baby room and a phonic session for older 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

7 April 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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