Little Explorers Nursery

Inspection of Little Explorers Nursery Little Explorers Nursery, 475a Bolton Road, Pendlebury, Swinton, MANCHESTER M27 8BB

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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 and enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. They benefit from kind and caring relationships with the staff. Children demonstrate confidence in the environment and explore the well-planned indoor and outdoor play areas. Children behave well and understand the rules that they need to follow. Staff recognise the things that trigger children's behaviour and use distraction techniques effectively. As a result, children are engaged in play and cooperate with each other.

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The provision is good

Staff provide high levels of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and communicate well with other professionals. Consequently, they make good progress in their learning and development. Children successfully develop the skills they need for their future learning, including school, because staff know them well and teach them effectively. The staff have adapted well to adjustments in routines during the COVID-19 pandemic and are focusing on skills that children need to develop as result of the impact of the pandemic. For example, they give children lots of opportunities to use books, which helps to enhance their literacy skills.

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need to do better?

n The manager supports staff's well-being effectively and staff comment positively on the supportive leadership they receive. The manager is knowledgeable, passionate and uses a range of methods to support staff's ongoing professional development in order to enhance their teaching skills. For example, following training on the development of babies, staff now have a better understanding of supporting very young children's development and plan activities that more widely promote their learning. n Staff introduce lots of new words during their interactions with children to develop children's speaking, listening and understanding skills. For example, staff talk with babies about 'sprinkling' the sand, and they use positional language with older children to describe terms such as 'through' and 'underneath'. However, there are occasions when staff do not fully enhance children's thinking skills. For example, they do not always ask children

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need to do better?

challenging questions or give them enough time to think when responding to questions. n Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills as staff create opportunities for them to climb and balance. As children negotiate the challenges set out for them, they learn how to manage risks. Younger children pull themselves up to a standing position, using the fence panels to support them. n Staff actively promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. For

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need to do better?

20 April 2022 example, they use stories and props to help children to understand about the importance of good oral health. n Staff explain to children the expectations of their behaviour and encourage good manners. This helps children to understand the rules and boundaries they are expected to follow. Children are polite and behave appropriately. n Staff teach children about the world around them. For example, children plant seeds and learn about how fruits and vegetables grow. However, staff do not always find out a wide range of information about children's home lives, backgrounds or cultures to support them to reflect on their differences understand what makes them unique. n Children make choices about whether they want to play indoors or outdoors and about which resources they want to use. This supports children's independence and contributes to the skills they need for their next stage in learning.

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need to do better?

n Staff share information with parents about children's learning experiences in the nursery and support them in extending the learning at home so that children can receive a consistent approach. Parents are positive about the nursery, particularly the relationships that staff build with children. This helps to meet children's individual needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff understand the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. They demonstrate confidence in the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about children in their care. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about the practice of a colleague, which contributes to keeping children safe. Staff have access to ongoing safeguarding training to enhance their knowledge and understanding of a range of safeguarding areas, such as witchcraft. The manager checks that staff have the knowledge they need to identify risks to children by giving them questionnaires to complete and through holding general conversations with them.

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should:

n help staff to consider the importance of understanding children's home lives, backgrounds and cultures, in order to help children to reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique n support staff to develop their skills, in order to extend the opportunities where children can think critically for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY481409 Local authority Salford Inspection number 10236470 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Explorers Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0161 727 9794 Date of previous inspection 17 January 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Explorers Nursery registered in 2011 and re-registered in 2014. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The staff team are supported by a company director who has qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays. The nursery opens from 8am to 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 nursery 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 nursery. n The manager and the inspector had a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector spoke to parents 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

20 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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