The Lakes Centre Ltd

Inspection of The Lakes Centre Ltd Sandy Lane, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 9HY

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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 at the heart of everything this nursery does. They have good levels of well-being and show they are confident, safe and happy. Children build warm and trusting relationships with their key person. They spend much of their time in the exceptional outdoor area. Children safely navigate their own imaginative and physically active play. Children persevere as they work together to tip large trays of water into buckets. They test their strength as they transport logs using child-sized wheelbarrows. They mix mud, water, flowers and pieces of cauliflower to make 'soup' in the mud kitchen. Children are able to experiment with ideas and explore at their own pace. Due to periods of national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic impacting children, staff ensure opportunities for children to learn to socialise and understand their emotions are embedded and supported daily.

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The provision is good

Toddlers experience various hands-on messy activities, to develop their knowledge of colours. They draw using marker pens on giant boards. Regular opportunities to draw develops the strength in their arms. This in turn supports muscle development in their hands, ready for writing. Children are caring towards each other and behave well. They show consideration for others. For example, they suggest others should put on a coat as they notice 'it's cold now'. They wait patiently for other children that need more help from adults. Children are developing a genuine respect for others and are building great friendships.

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need to do better?

n Books complement the curriculum to develop children's interests and knowledge. Leaders purposely provide books linked to nature and communities. This helps to broaden children's knowledge of the world around them. Children routinely look at and describe illustrations in books and hear new vocabulary. Staff regularly read aloud to children, often with great enthusiasm and animation. Older children confidently recall events and characters in stories. Children's exposure to books ignites their curiosity for printed words. This provides children with secure foundations and interest in future reading. n Staff promote children's healthy living and lifestyles. Children thoroughly enjoy the healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks provided. Parents request recipes to cook the same food at home. Children develop healthy habits including brushing their teeth each day and scraping their plates into the bin. Older

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need to do better?

children use the toilet independently. Staff support parents with potty training. They help parents to reduce dummy use to support children's speech development. n The manager and staff team have great aspirations for all children. This includes those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children with SEND have personal plans that include

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need to do better?

28 April 2022 carefully considered targets. Parents and other professionals' views are included when planning targets for children. Staff focus on developing the most important life skills first, such as learning to socialise and take turns. Extra funding is used to benefit children, based on their own specific interests or circumstances. For example, children take home resources to continue learning with their parents. n Parents comment that the communication they receive about what children are learning is excellent. They say they are consulted about their children's development regularly. Parents appreciate how the key person uses information from home as a discussion point with their children. They say that their child's key person often 'knows their child better than they do'. n Staff have recently accessed training to help them to improve the quality of their interactions with children. They are aware of the importance of developing

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need to do better?

children's communication and thinking skills. Staff now more frequently use questions that begin with 'I wonder…'. This encourages children to begin to think deeper for themselves about their answers. However, occasionally, staff do not extend or respond to, the children's thoughts. For example, staff sometimes overlook the importance of modelling explanations or answers to the children. n Children receive high-quality first-hand experiences, such as trips to the library and meeting firefighters. This broadens children's knowledge and curiosity. However, some older children, who show high-level knowledge and skill for their age, would benefit from even more opportunities to extend their abilities and knowledge even further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know what to do if they have concerns about the welfare of a child or the misconduct of a colleague. The designated safeguarding lead knows to share information with local safeguarding partnership and other professionals promptly. Leaders provide staff with regular training to develop their knowledge of wider safeguarding concerns and up-to-date procedures. Staff deployment in the large outdoor area is carefully planned to ensure all children are accounted for at all times. Children's accidents are monitored regularly. Leaders then take action to reduce and prevent further injuries or similar accidents happening.

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should:

n further develop staff questioning and interaction skills, to support children's knowledge and understanding to the highest level n strengthen the curriculum for children that demonstrate higher level skills and talents, to enable them to develop their knowledge, talents and special interests even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY277497 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 10109699 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 75 Number of children on roll 92 Name of registered person The Lakes Centre Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01925 642 812 Date of previous inspection 15 January 2014

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Information about this early years setting

The Lakes Centre Nursery was registered in 2004. It operates from four rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 23 members of childcare staff, of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with SEND.

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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 leaders and has taken this into account in the evaluation of the nursery. n The manager and deputy manager led the inspector on a learning walk and explained how the curriculum is planned and implemented. n Discussions were held with staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed practice in all rooms and evaluated the quality of activities in the toddler room, together with the manager. n The inspector looked at documents, including staff qualifications and evidence to demonstrate the suitability of staff, two-year-old progress checks and risk assessments.

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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

28 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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