Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool

Inspection of Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool 117 Grove Road, Hitchin SG4 0AA

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children are happy, safe and settled. Young babies and children form close bonds and attachments with key staff. For example, as young babies wake from a sleep, staff provide gentle and reassuring cuddles. This helps them to feel secure. Older children are confident to approach staff for spontaneous cuddles during their play. Children develop good speech and language skills. Staff value regular and spontaneous opportunities to read stories and look at books with children. They provide children with good opportunities to sing songs and encourage children to learn sign language as they do this. This has a positive impact on children's growing communication and vocabulary.

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The provision is good

Older children explore the outdoor environment with great interest. They use binoculars to demonstrate clear investigative skills. For example, they identify birds in the trees and find worms and other creatures around them. Children show great care towards these mini-beasts, and after looking at them, place them near to the nursery 'bug hotel'. Children behave well. They are kind and considerate towards each other, demonstrate responsible behaviours and make good choices. For example, they know how to share and take turns and they wait patiently for their turn with particular toys.

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need to do better?

n The provider has taken a range of positive steps to address the weaknesses identified at their last inspection. For example, the manager assesses the suitability of all staff, including those from outside agencies, before they work directly with children. Induction procedures for agency and employed staff are consistently implemented. This ensures that staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities while working at the nursery. n Staff deployment is effective. The manager or deputy manager completes a twice-daily review of the staff and children present to ensure that staffing arrangements consistently meet the needs of the children attending. This helps to promote children's safety and well-being. n Staff provide a broad range of experiences for children to enjoy, such as water play and making dough. However, on occasions, staff in the room for two-year- olds do not adjust their teaching to present appropriate challenge. This means

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need to do better?

some children have less opportunity for their learning to be extended. n The manager has taken steps to address some weaknesses in teaching. For example, staff supervision has been improved in order to support staff's ongoing teaching practice. However, this is not yet sufficiently embedded to focus sharply enough on raising practice to the highest level. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are given regular information to support their knowledge and understanding of where their children are in their

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need to do better?

13 April 2022 learning. They provide positive feedback relating to staff and the recent changes made to the key-person system. n Children benefit from the nursery's sensitive settling-in procedures. Staff work closely with parents to help children adapt to change. For example, settling-in visits are organised according to the needs of individual children. Additionally, young children are able to access photos and voice messages of their families during their day at nursery. This often helps them to settle. n Children make good progress in their overall development. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments of children's learning. However, sometimes, these are not precise enough to inform best teaching practice. n Older children develop skills in early mathematical concepts. For example, staff encourage children to count in everyday activities. Children learn key skills, such as phonics and early mark making. This helps to prepare them for school.

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need to do better?

n Children have good opportunities for daily outdoor play, whatever the weather. Staff carry out daily risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe. This helps to promote children's safety. Staff remind children to think about their own safety, for example when using the outdoor equipment. n Staff provide children with a range of nutritious meals. All staff take great care at mealtimes to ensure that children's dietary needs and individual requirements are met. For example, children have individual colour-coded plates and placemats. This helps to ensure that they are given the right food.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of effective safeguarding practice. They are aware of possible signs that may indicate children are at risk of harm and demonstrate a good understanding of wider safeguarding issues. Staff are confident to follow procedures if a concern is raised about a child's welfare and they know what to do if they are worried about the behaviour of adults. Staff undertake appropriate training and regularly discuss safeguarding policies. The manager regularly assesses staff's safeguarding knowledge to ensure that they remain aware of current procedures. This helps to keep children safe.

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should:

n adapt teaching to provide further challenge and to support children's growing interests and engagement n develop staff supervision to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level n support staff to deepen their knowledge and understanding of effective observations and assessments as a way of identifying children's individual learning needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2638111 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10217092 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 95 Number of children on roll 73 Name of registered person The Childcare Corporation Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01462 642666 Date of previous inspection 17 November 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool registered in 2021 and is situated in Hitchin. The nursery employs 18 members of staff who work directly with children. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to level 7. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks per year. It provides funded education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed the continued impact of the pandemic with the manager and have taken that into account in their evaluation. n The manager and one inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspectors spoke with children and staff throughout the inspection. Children told the inspectors about the activities they enjoy taking part in. n The inspectors observed staff interaction with children throughout the inspection. One inspector observed an adult-led activity and reviewed this with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with both inspectors and gave feedback about their children's time at the nursery. n The inspectors spoke with the manager and regional manager about the leadership and management of the setting. The inspectors considered a sample of the nursery's documentation. This included a review of staff suitability and

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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

13 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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