Smiles Nurseries Ltd

Inspection of Smiles Nurseries Ltd Smiles Day Nursery, Rugby House, Hinckley Road, Sapcote, Leicester, Leicestershire LE9 4FS

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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

This nursery is unique in that it has no outdoor play space on site. Despite this, children enjoy superb opportunities to be part of the community. They get fresh air and take daily walks to the park, local beauty spots and to the shops. Local residents, who are clearly used to meeting the children out and about, greet them warmly with a wave. Additionally, children get excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills in a large, indoor garden room. They can swing, climb and balance on the large equipment.

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The provision is good

Children of all ages have access to a wide range of resources to help extend their imagination and curiosity. Babies watch and copy staff, who show them how to make 'floury' dinosaur footprints in play dough. Older toddlers use a variety of artefacts to help them pretend to make 'cow's milk'. Pre-school children thoroughly enjoy the role-play experiences in the secret room, which they access via a child- height opening. Children make independent choices where to play and spend a long time exploring and investigating.

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The provision is good

Babies show determination and perseverance. They attempt to climb 'rope nets' at the park. Staff gently guide them to more achievable activities that provide a safe and appropriate level of challenge. Staff all show their pride in babies' achievements, this helps to develop babies' sense of accomplishment.

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need to do better?

n The manager is very experienced and displays a strong commitment to providing good quality experiences for the children. Staff value the supervision sessions and appraisals they receive and feel supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities. n Staff make good use of spontaneous opportunities for learning. For instance, when out walking, pre-school children discover an animal skull. Later in the day, staff encourage children to wear gloves for hygiene reasons and they explore the skull. Children comment, 'I think a T-rex was fighting with a sabre tooth tiger in the field'. Staff provide a narrative and ask questions of children, which helps to encourage their vocabulary. This activity provokes rich language and inspires children's vivid imagination, they say, 'I think the rest of the body is in the ground.' n Staff provide a curriculum that gives children a wealth of rich experiences based

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need to do better?

on their current interests. Older toddlers show an interest in minibeasts. Staff provide them with a selection of different materials and spoons. Children use their hand-to-eye coordination to create their own bug habitats. Staff play alongside children. However, occasionally staff teaching does not always challenge and extend children to build on what they already know and can do.

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need to do better?

7 July 2022 n Parents often tell staff they do not provide their children with messy play activities at home. Because of this staff offer lots of opportunities for children to get messy in the nursery. Children enjoy playing in the mud kitchen and getting wet when playing with water. These opportunities enhance children's enjoyment and encourage them to use their senses to learn about the world around them. n The support that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive is very good. The manager uses additional funding to implement personalised support. This ensures that children make very good progress. For instance, funding money has been used to buy turn-taking games. This has a positive impact on children's social skills. n Mealtimes are a sociable affair, where staff and children eat together. Children enjoy a home-cooked meal packed full of vegetables, some children asking for

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need to do better?

'More please' three times. There is a strong emphasis on ensuring children lead and understand a healthy lifestyle. Staff discuss with children why the vegetables they are eating are healthy for them. n Staff use subtle behaviour management techniques to help children learn to share. They suggest 'Play for a little while, then we can decide who was playing with it first.' This helps children learn how to play together cooperatively. n Staff value parents. For instance, they know parents are often busy in the morning, so they offer them a 'breakfast basket' of food and drink to help themselves to. Parents speak highly of their children's experiences at the nursery. They say their children's speech and confidence has grown. Comments include 'They come home with a smile on their face, full of beans and they are thriving.'

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff recognise the signs that a child may be at risk of being harmed, including being exposed to extreme views. They know the procedures to follow to report a concern regarding a child's well-being, including reporting a concern about a colleagues' behaviour or conduct. The manager has safe recruitment procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff teach children road safety when out and about in the community. Children adhere to rules, such as holding the walking rope when walking by the road. This helps children to keep safe.

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should:

n support staff to consistently use opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning through their play experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2523553 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10208169 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 80 Number of children on roll 120 Name of registered person Smiles Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07825773307 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Smiles Nurseries Ltd re-registered in May 2019. The nursery is located in Sapcote, Leicestershire. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 6, one at level 5, 11 at level 3 and four at level 2. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round closing for one week at Christmas. 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Staff and children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. 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 pre-school room leader and the inspector carried out a joint observation together. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to several parents and took account of written feedback offered.

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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

7 July 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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