Little Houghton Day Nursery

Inspection of Little Houghton Day Nursery The Old School, 35 Bedford Road, Little Houghton, NORTHAMPTON NN7 1AB

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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 enjoy their time at nursery, where they form strong attachments. They freely cuddle staff and demonstrate affection to each other. For example, children notice when others are upset. They stop their play to give their friends a hug. Children readily make choices throughout their day. For example, pre-school children vote on which book they want staff to read. Children are given counters which they place on their choice. They then count with staff the number of votes for each book. This helps children's developing early mathematical skills.

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The provision is good

All children are imaginative. Older children play cooperatively, and confidently share ideas. Babies give bottles of imaginary milk to dolls as they pretend to feed them, while pre-school children create their own games. They work together to tie a toy tape measure to a crate to create horse reins. They then take turns to sit in the chair as they use the reins and pretend ride the horse.

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The provision is good

Children practise their physical skills. For example, babies develop their core muscles. They gain confidence as they are encouraged to stretch and reach for toys. Staff hold babies' hands, giving them support as they learn to walk. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy outdoor play. They carefully ride their tricycles around cones. Children develop muscle strength and coordination skills as they safely negotiate the area around them.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children's language and communication skills well. They talk to children during daily routines and play. Staff encourage children to think. For instance, children play with toy animals in the sand. Staff ask them to think about what sounds the animals make. Children practise making the sounds and laugh at each other's attempts. Babies listen to staff and repeat words they recognise, such as other babies' names. Staff gently correct words that children pronounce incorrectly. To this end, children are becoming confident communicators. n Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their small muscle skills. For example, babies enjoy squashing and squeezing dough. Toddlers make marks in salt. They watch as staff make shapes with their finger, and then eagerly copy. Pre-school children enjoy painting. They use different sized brushes as they paint colourful rainbows. This helps children develop the muscles they need for

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need to do better?

early writing. n Staff support children's growing independence skills. Babies are encouraged to find their own chairs to sit in at snack time, toddlers are helped to wash their own hands, and pre-school children are praised for clearing away their dirty plates. To this end, children learn to do things for themselves.

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need to do better?

21 June 2022 n Staff understand how to implement the nursery's curriculum to help children continually learn and gain further knowledge. They identify children's interests, plus any additional targets that individual children may have. However, occasionally, staff do not interact as effectively as they could with some children. This means children could make even more progress. n Staff support children to behave well. Children are encouraged to use their manners and follow nursery rules. Any minor disagreements are swiftly dealt with by staff. For example, when children squabble over a toy, staff explain how to share and be kind to their friends. n Staff provide children with healthy meals and fresh drinking water. They apply sun cream regularly to children to keep them healthy in the sun. Staff work closely with parents to manage children's allergies. The staff have a process in place to ensure this information is safely communicated across the nursery. This

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need to do better?

includes the use of different coloured plates and name cards to secure the safe management for individual children. n Overall, daily routines are organised well and support children to learn. However, on occasion, children's learning is interrupted. For example, toddler story time is interrupted by high noise levels. This is caused by staff getting the room ready for lunchtime. This disrupts children's learning and their ability to fully listen and engage in the activity. n Parents state that they feel their children are developing good speech and physical skills at the nursery. They find communication with staff effective and feel informed about their children's progress. Parents state that staff are supportive and their children have good relationships with their key persons.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good knowledge of the possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm, and know what procedures to follow if they have concerns. They know what to do if they are concerned about the conduct of a colleague. All staff undertake relevant safeguarding training and have current paediatric first-aid certificates. The manager makes sure that safer recruitment checks are conducted to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff working with children. The setting is secure and is checked to ensure the ongoing safety of children.

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should:

n review the organisation of story time with toddlers to ensure they remain focused, which will ensure their learning is not disrupted n help staff to understand how to improve interactions with children, including those with additional needs, to ensure all children make good progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY431187 Local authority West Northamptonshire Inspection number 10138639 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Bambino Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01604 899 338 Date of previous inspection 14 March 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Little Houghton Day Nursery registered in 2011 and is based in Little Houghton, Northampton. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications between levels 2 and 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. 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 their evaluation of the provision. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing when they are at nursery. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the

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Inspection activities

manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. 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

21 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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