Flower Pots Day Nursery

Inspection of Flower Pots Day Nursery 75 Adeyfield Road, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, Hertfordshire HP2 5DZ

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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 of all ages thoroughly enjoy their time in this friendly nursery. They are excited to arrive and separate from carers with ease. Room leaders and staff work hard to create exciting, age-appropriate learning environments. For example, babies develop essential physical skills in the soft-play area and their own outdoor space. Older children delight at exploring various role-play opportunities in the playhouse in their classroom.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity in their play. Babies are eager to explore the contents of sensory baskets with their key staff. Pre-school staff use children's curiosity to plan activities to support their development. For example, children notice that the giant magnet does not stick to plastic. Staff are swift to encourage them to investigate what other items attract or repel magnets.

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The provision is good

Children behave well in the nursery. They are polite and cooperate well with one another during activities. For example, during a sensory farm activity, young toddlers pass animals to one another, giggling at the noises they make. Staff are good role models. They consistently demonstrate good manners and are respectful towards children and adults. Older children are highly skilled at managing disputes. For example, they independently set timers to regulate the time they spend on activities.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children's growing independence in age-appropriate ways. For example, toddlers use scoops to pour cereal into their bowls at breakfast. Older children pass serving dishes to one another at mealtimes. They confidently help themselves to food using spoons and tongs. n Managers and staff place a sharp focus on developing children's language and literacy skills. All rooms have cosy reading areas, where children explore a variety of age-appropriate books. Staff have developed a 'Book of the Month' initiative and families access a library in the lobby area. n Staff are highly skilled at supporting children's progression through the nursery. They are sensitive to children's specific needs and carefully plan individual settling-in sessions. This supports children to adapt swiftly to their changing environment and make good progress. n Children of all ages are developing a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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need to do better?

They enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals and snacks and have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day. Children have plenty of opportunity for physical exercise in the well-equipped garden as well as in their spacious rooms. n Children of all ages demonstrate high levels of confidence and are extremely sociable. Staff support this by facilitating high-quality group activities. For

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need to do better?

21 July 2022 example, children pretend they are visiting the farm on a train. They welcome their friends into their play by adding more chairs onto their train carriage. Enthusiastic staff join in and encourage children to sing songs and discuss the animals they hope to see. n Staff establish highly effective means of communication with families. Parents and staff share essential information regarding children's development and routines via an electronic journal system. Parents attend regular consultation sessions to discuss children's progress. Staff use this as an opportunity to offer ideas on how to extend children's learning at home. n Staff know the children in their care well. They use this information to support their learning in both planned and child-led activities. This is particularly evident with older children. In a phonics exercise, children sound out two letter words. Staff skilfully identify the most-able children and support them in sounding out

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need to do better?

three letter words. n Older children are skilled at managing risks in the environment. For example, they know to remove bicycles from the garden after using them. Children understand that they could be dangerous for babies and toddlers. However, staff do not consistently support younger children in understanding why some behaviours are inappropriate. Children are not always reminded of the impact their actions may have on themselves and others. n The provider and manager have well-established methods of monitoring staff performance. They conduct regular appraisals on staff to highlight additional training opportunities. However, methods of coaching are not yet effective in consistently identifying areas of improvement in staff practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Management and staff understand their role in keeping children safe. They are aware of the signs and symptoms which could indicate that a child is at risk of harm. Staff complete comprehensive risk assessments of all areas of the nursery to ensure they are safe for all children. The provider has robust recruitment and induction procedures in place. This ensures all staff are suitable to work with children and have sound knowledge of their role in keeping children safe.

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should:

n support younger children to manage risks and understand the impact certain behaviours can have on themselves and others n enhance methods of coaching to support all staff in raising the quality of their teaching to the same high standard observed in the pre-school and classroom areas.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2567933 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10239231 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 85 Number of children on roll 174 Name of registered person Flower Pots Day Nursery Childcare Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01442 289090 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Flower Pots Day Nursery re-registered in 2020. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for 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 provider. n The inspector considered the views of parents by speaking to several during the inspection. n The inspector looked at relevant documents, including evidence of the suitability of all staff. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children during activities. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact on children's learning. n The inspector and manager completed a joint observation of an activity to assess the quality of teaching. n The inspector held discussions with staff about the monitoring of learning and development in the setting and tracked the progress of several children.

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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 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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