Highwood Day Nursery

Inspection of Highwood Day Nursery 54 Stanton Road, BURTON-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire DE15 9RP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is outstanding

All children thrive in this nurturing and inclusive nursery. They develop secure and loving attachments with their key person and staff. As a result, children feel settled, safe and happy. They display exceptionally high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Children's behaviour is impeccable. Older children are able to identify a range of feelings and emotions. They develop empathy and work together as a team to complete tasks. This helps children to have the skills necessary to form relationships with their peers. Children learn about what makes them unique and develop respect for others, which prepares children for the diverse world we live in.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are highly motivated to learn and are deeply engaged in meaningful play throughout the day. Babies show high levels of curiosity in the calm and restful environment. They enjoy comforting cuddles and gentle words of reassurance when needed. Children have excellent opportunities to explore using their senses. For example, babies have fun investigating the texture of liquid soap and rice. They learn new words, such as 'slimy' and 'sticky', which helps to develop their growing vocabulary. Children learn about rhythm and rhyming words through energetic singing and music sessions. This helps children to develop their early literacy skills.

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The provision is outstanding

Healthy lifestyles are promoted well at the nursery. All children have daily opportunities to play and exercise in the extremely well-resourced garden. They develop their large-muscle skills as they climb and run with their friends. They learn about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, and dentists visit the nursery to teach children about oral hygiene.

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need to do better?

n The manager and the owner lead a happy and dynamic team. They share a clear vision and focus sharply on continually developing the high-quality service they provide and learning opportunities children receive. The professional staff team are dedicated to creating an innovative and stimulating environment for children to explore at their own pace and become independent learners. n The manager and the owner are passionate in providing staff with excellent opportunities for professional development. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions to monitor their well-being and the quality of the education they provide. They receive targeted training and mentoring to build on their impeccable knowledge and understanding. n Partnerships with parents are superb. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and the rapid progress their children make. They value the online learning journey that supports them in being fully involved in their children's learning.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff offer exceptional support for children with special

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need to do better?

11 October 2022 educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff skilfully adapt routines and activities to ensure that children with SEND are fully included. n Children have enjoyable opportunities to learn about the natural world. They help to grow herbs and vegetables and learn where food comes from. For example, children grow pumpkins from seed and harvest them when they are ripe. They develop an in-depth understanding of the changing seasons, such as autumn, and learn that conkers grow on horse-chestnut trees. n Staff expertly support children's communication and language skills. They naturally weave in plenty of opportunities to extend children's learning through their own interests and conversations. For instance, older children learn to work out simple sums as they explore construction materials. They confidently count how many building blocks there are and consider how numbers change when

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need to do better?

they add more blocks or take some away. n Inviting and cosy reading areas encourage children to investigate the wide range of books on offer. Staff read stories with excellent intonation and expression. They enhance storytelling by introducing props to engage children further and bring stories to life. Toddlers delight in listening to a story about a tiger who came for tea. They say that the story is making them hungry and pretend to make cups of tea with tea bags, cups and teapots. n Children learn to assess risk and keep themselves safe. They have lots of fun in the forest school area as they work together to carefully carry large planks of wood and sticks. Children enthusiastically test out their ideas, solve problems and think critically as they build a shelter for a large furry toy bear. n The manager and the owner have established strong links with teachers from the local primary schools, which helps to aid smooth transitions. Children are

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need to do better?

very well prepared for school and have a secure and strong foundation for their future learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team and staff have an excellent understanding of the signs and symptoms which may indicate that children are at risk of harm, including wider safeguarding concerns and the 'Prevent' duty. They know how to deal with concerns about children's welfare and have a secure understanding of local safeguarding procedures for reporting allegations. The management team uses robust recruitment procedures to check the suitability of new staff and the ongoing suitability of existing staff. The nursery is secure, and its risk assessments are thorough in minimising all potential risks to children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY446455 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10235763 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 79 Number of children on roll 104 Name of registered person Poppins Day Nursery (UK) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01283 565 069 Date of previous inspection 22 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Highwood Day Nursery registered in 2012 and is located in Burton-on-Trent. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7am to 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 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 manager and the inspector had a learning walk together to look at how the curriculum is planned to meet children's needs and development. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A meeting was held with the inspector, manager and owner to discuss leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff and children and took account of parents' views about 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

11 October 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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