Chester Day Nursery and Nursery School

Inspection of Elmscot Day Nursery and Nursery School (Chester) Egerton Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 3ND

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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 adapt well to changes in routines, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They wave their parents off at the door and skip into the nursery with excitement. They confidently greet the inspector and inform him that they 'love nursery'. Children are happy and safe at this vibrant setting. Their laughter fills the air as they play, and they develop close bonds with staff. Children are proud of who they are and where they come from. They talk about what makes them unique, such as their skin and hair colour. Children are keen to take on new challenges, such as learning how to negotiate their balancing skills during an assault course. Overall, children behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. However, sometimes, staff do not provide children with clear messages about their behaviour.

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The provision is good

Babies enjoy looking at their reflections in low-level mirrors. They move their bodies to music and giggle with delight while exploring cornflour. Toddlers make 'birthday cakes' from dough and fascinate while caring for wildlife. They excitedly talk about the 'bug hotel' and discuss how many legs spiders have. Pre-school children attempt to write their names and enjoy playing with toy sea life creatures. Children develop the necessary skills in readiness for their move on to school.

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need to do better?

n The manager exhibits strong leadership skills and aspires for the nursery to be outstanding. She includes the views of parents, staff and children in self- evaluation. The manager correctly identifies areas for improvement and is relentless in her determination to bring about change. n Overall, children access a sequence of learning that builds on what they know and can do. Assessment arrangements are good and gaps in learning close. Sometimes, staff do not provide older children with higher levels of challenge in their learning. n Partnership working is strong. Parents comment that they 'could not have chosen a better place' for their children to learn. They attend parent evenings and receive daily updates about their children's time at the nursery. Links with the local community and external professionals are built on trust and respect. n Staff share a love of reading with children. They bring stories to life through role

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need to do better?

play and animation. Children relish these moments and beam with delight while enacting roles of superheroes. They sit quietly with their friends looking at their favourite stories and talk about which characters are special to them. n Care practices are good. Staff spend time getting to know children and their families during the settling-in period. Children develop secure relationships with staff and show a strong sense of belonging. Overall, they have positive attitudes to their learning and generally behave well. At times, staff do not provide children with clear messages about their behaviour.

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need to do better?

27 April 2022 n Staff promote children's physical development very well. They focus on supporting children's large-muscle development through activities, such as yoga. Children enjoy taking part in these lessons and show good coordination as they learn new movements. n Leaders give high priority to staff well-being. Staff receive rewards for their achievements and these are celebrated across the nursery. Staff attend training, supervision sessions and appraisal meetings. That said, leaders have not fully established a highly effective programme of professional development, to help raise staff practice to a higher level. n The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language is excellent. The manager ensures barriers to learning are removed and all children receive the support they need to succeed. Intervention plans are monitored with rigour

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need to do better?

and all children make good progress. n Children in receipt of additional funding make good progress. Leaders provide them with visits to places that they would not usually experience. These include trips to local nature reserves to learn about den building and camping. Children use these skills back at the nursery and become enthralled while making a pretend fire for camping.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for childcare. Robust risk assessments are in place and staff supervise children with vigilance. Ratios are met and leaders deploy staff well. Accidents are dealt with effectively and staff are trained in first aid. Staff attend safeguarding training and receive updates about changes in legislation. They have a good understanding of child protection and know the referral procedure. Recruitment and vetting processes are secure. All staff undergo stringent checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Leaders know about safeguarding issues, such as breast ironing and county lines.

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should:

n strengthen the curriculum for older children, to provide them with further challenge in their learning n better support staff to consistently provide children with clear messages about their behaviour n refine the programme of professional development, to raise staff practice to a higher level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2496657 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 10231596 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 90 Number of children on roll 71 Name of registered person Elmscot Group Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01244346456 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Elmscot Day Nursery and Nursery School (Chester) registered in 2018. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold recognised early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 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 provider 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 his evaluation. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children throughout the day and evaluated the impact these had on children's learning. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the leadership team, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n Relevant documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including evidence of the suitability and training of staff. n The inspector obtained the views of parents through discussions.

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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

27 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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