Childcare on Domestic Premises, Full day care in Essex

Report for childcare on domestic premises

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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 settle well in this home-from-home nursery. They form strong attachments to staff and each other. Children show care and consideration to their peers. They offer them toys and spontaneously hug each other. Older children nurture younger children. Children feel a sense of belonging and feel valued and included. Their family set up is recognised and celebrated. Children are encouraged to talk about their similarities and differences and to appreciate everyone. Children are well behaved. They learn good table manners, to share and take turns. Children develop good imaginations. They act out home-life scenarios in the role- play area. Children get themselves plates and pretend food and sit opposite each other, while pretending to drink cups of tea.

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The provision is good

Children love the outdoor area and explore it with confidence. There is a wealth of resources to promote their creativity, problem-solving and exploration skills. Children thoroughly enjoy emptying, filling and transporting sand, bark and other materials around the garden. Children persevere at tasks, such as dressing dolls. They learn to care for animals. Children feed and stroke the nursery's pet chickens and rabbit. They develop a deep understanding of where food comes from. Children learn how to look after the vegetable plants. They help to harvest the vegetables and then prepare them to eat with their meals. This helps children form a positive attitude to a healthy, balanced lifestyle and inspires them to try a whole range of new tastes and textures.

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need to do better?

n Partnership with parents and families is at the heart of the nursery. Staff support families with a wide range of issues and topics. They offer advice and support parents to extend children's learning at home. Families attend events at the nursery, such as brunches, where activities and resources are displayed. Staff educate parents about the curriculum, and parents are inspired to replicate the learning and resources at home. Consequently, children receive high levels of consistency in their learning. n The provider, who is also the manager, has a strong curriculum that is implemented well. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. They get to know children well through regular observations of their play. Staff make accurate assessments of children's development. They plan challenging activities to help all children make good progress in their learning. Any gaps that appear in children's development are addressed promptly.

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need to do better?

n Children develop good communication skills. Staff engage children in positive interactions and speak slowly and clearly. Staff add new words into children's vocabulary, such as 'crunchy', 'smooth' and 'hard'. n Staff understand the importance of children having empathy and helping them

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need to do better?

1 June 2022 to understand their own feelings and emotions. Staff support children to deal with difficult changes in their home lives, such as the birth of a sibling or parents separating. Consequently, children feel safe and secure, and they feel confident to approach staff with any worries they have. n Children develop strong physical skills. Babies safely climb onto the sofa and confidently cruise and crawl around the nursery. Children use tongs to pick up objects and transport them, which develops their small-muscle skills. They concentrate and show good hand-to-eye coordination while doing so. This helps them to prepare for skills such as holding and using a pencil. n Staff help children to learn independence skills. They support children to carry out their personal care needs with as a little intervention as possible. Children learn to express their needs, such as when they need to use the toilet. Children

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need to do better?

listen well to instructions and enthusiastically help to tidy up. n The provider and staff help children to prepare for the next stage in their learning, such as school. They are in tune with children's emotional, physical and educational needs. Staff prepare detailed summaries of children's development to share with Reception teachers, in partnership with parents. As a result, children experience a seamless move to school. n Staff narrate children's play and ask questions about what they are doing. However, they do not provide higher levels of questioning and challenge for children so that they can make the best possible progress. n The professional development programmes in place for staff ensure that the quality of teaching remains good. However, they are not focused or targeted enough to raise the quality of teaching to higher levels.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. They can identify the signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff know the action to take if they have concerns about a child. They are clear of the procedure to follow if they witness inappropriate behaviour from another member of staff. Staff understand how to identify and manage wider safeguarding issues, such as families being drawn into extremism. Thorough recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n develop interactions with children so that they receive higher levels of challenge in their learning n enhance the professional development programmes for staff to raise the quality of teaching further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2526998 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10243350 Type of provision Childcare on 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 55 Number of children on roll 50

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Hedgehogs registered in 2019. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am to 5.30pm. 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 provider joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the nursery's curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n Staff and children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector and the provider carried out a joint observation of an activity. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector in person and through written testimonials. 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

1 June 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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