Children 1st @ Grantham

Inspection of Children 1st @ Grantham 100 Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7XQ

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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

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, show positive relationships with staff and their peers. Babies show kindness when they give their friends cuddles to celebrate their achievements. Children go to their key person for comfort and reassurance when they become upset. Children behave well. With support from staff, they learn to share and take turns when they play with others.

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The provision is good

Staff support children to progress in their learning. For example, they encourage babies to develop strength in their bodies that enables them to take their first steps. Staff help three- and four-year-old children to understand measurements and numbers. When children use wooden blocks to construct a tower, staff suggest that they use a tape measure to see how tall it is. Children are asked to recognise the numbers they see. One-year-old children show great excitement when they are offered opportunities to play in the garden. They laugh, point to the garden and are keen to ride in toy cars. Three- and four-year-old children manage risks in their play when they climb on low-level trees. These experiences provide children with physically active play. Three- and four-year-old children show their understanding of safety procedures in the nursery. For example, they are quick to notice and close gates between the different rooms to help maintain a secure environment.

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need to do better?

n Staff nurture children by teaching them effective strategies to express their emotions and manage their feelings. For example, when children are sad, staff give them bubble mixture and encourage them to blow their sadness away. Other children pop the bubbles as they float in the air, helping their friends to make their sadness disappear. This promotes children's personal, social and emotional development. n Staff know the children well. They plan activities to support children's development. For example, staff encourage babies to develop their hand-to-eye coordination when they show them how to build and stack objects on top of each other. However, occasionally, during some planned activities for three- and four-year-old children, staff do not help them to build on their knowledge. For example, when children smell and cut herbs, staff do not help them to understand what the different herbs are called.

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need to do better?

n The manager uses additional funding effectively to meet children's individual needs. For example, staff offer children with special educational needs and/or disabilities one-to-one support in their play. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to put targeted plans in place to help children to progress in their development. n Staff encourage children to learn skills for the future, such as being

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need to do better?

25 May 2022 independent. For example, one- and two-year-old children are encouraged to put on their shoes and coats to play outdoors. Staff offer children varying levels of support while still allowing children to complete the task on their own. n Staff support children's communication and language skills well. For example, they sing nursery rhymes with babies. Staff encourage one- and two-year-old children to choose favourite action songs to sing. They ask three- and four-year- old children a good range of questions to encourage their thinking skills. n Staff praise children for their achievements. For example, they clap their hands when babies begin to walk. Staff skilfully use distraction when children stand on objects. They show them how to behave positively. n Staff plan opportunities for children to sit with others to develop their social skills. However, occasionally, staff do not plan group times well enough for one-

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need to do better?

and two-year-old children to maintain and engage their attention. Children lose interest and quickly move on to activities that they choose themselves. n Staff talk to parents about their children's experiences during the day. They invite parents to attend meetings to discuss their children's progress. Parents are invited to share information with staff about children's achievements at home. This helps to promote a united approach to supporting children's development. n Overall, children show a good understanding of the rules and boundaries that staff have developed. However, on occasion, at times of transition within the daily routine, staff do not support children well enough to respond to their requests. At these times, some children do not follow the instructions given to them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager checks that staff's knowledge of safeguarding is up to date. For example, she asks them to attend yearly training and to complete child protection quizzes. The management team and staff know where to report any concerns about children's welfare. Furthermore, they know where to report concerns about staff's behaviour with the children. This helps to promote children's safety. Security in the setting is good. A virtual doorbell allows parents to inform staff via an application on their mobile devices when they arrive at the setting. This helps to stop unauthorised people from entering the building, promoting children's safety well.

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should:

n enhance staff's ability to build further on three- and four-year-old children's knowledge during planned activities n support staff to plan group times for one- and two-year-old children more

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should:

25 May 2022 effectively to maintain their interest n support staff to encourage children to respond promptly to their requests during transitions within the daily routine.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY348009 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10138463 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 112 Number of children on roll 166 Name of registered person Breedon House Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01476 573 188 Date of previous inspection 7 August 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Children's 1st @ Grantham registered in 2007 and is situated in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4, six at level 3 and two at level 2. 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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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Hayley Ruane Charlotte Whalley

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The manager and the inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed how she intends to implement the curriculum. n The inspectors observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children spoke to the inspectors throughout the inspection. n The inspectors spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspectors carried out joint observations with the nursery manager. n The inspectors held a meeting with the nursery management team. They reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

n Parents shared their views of the nursery with one of the inspectors.

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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

25 May 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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