Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath

Inspection of Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath The Upton Centre, 14 Upton Road, Bexleyheath DA6 8LQ

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children flourish at this welcoming and nurturing nursery. They have strong bonds with their key person and show they feel safe and secure. Children are eager learners. For example, they show great enthusiasm to join in with planned activities and happily play alongside their peers.

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The provision is good

Children confidently explore the well-resourced environment and follow their own interests. For example, babies spend time exploring the textures of different materials. Toddlers benefit from lots of opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills as they balance blocks to make a tall tower. Older children learn to follow the rules of games and encourage each other to join in.

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The provision is good

Children settle extremely well on arrival. Staff spend time during the settling-in period to gather detailed information about children's care routines, background experiences and their interests. They carefully use this information to support children's emotional needs. This helps children to settle into the new environment.

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The provision is good

Children behave well, demonstrating they understand the high expectations of them. Children across all age groups know the routines of the day. For example, they know to use hand sanitiser when arriving at nursery and wash their hands before mealtimes. Children form friendships easily and are respectful, kind and caring towards each other.

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need to do better?

n The management team and staff have made considerable developments and show a commitment to continue to improving standards, since the last inspection. Management support staff's well-being successfully and provide them with useful professional development opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills. For example, staff recently attended training to help enhance their knowledge in supporting children's emotional development. The manager highly values the views and opinions of children, staff and parents to help continue to raise the quality of the nursery even further. n The manager and staff monitor children's progress successfully. They swiftly identify aspects of children's development where they need additional help, and implement targeted support. They work closely with other professionals involved in children's development to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.

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need to do better?

n Staff find out what children can do on entry to the nursery and use assessments effectively to help identify any possible gaps in learning. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to challenge and extend learning further to support children to make even higher rates of progress.

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need to do better?

12 October 2022 n Staff speak very highly of the support they receive from their manager and clearly feel valued in their work. They are committed and passionate to develop their skills to support children to make the very best progress in their development. n Parents speak positively about the care their children receive. They feel that their children's learning is supported very well to help them make good progress. n Staff support children's communication and early literacy well. Children of all ages develop a love for books. Younger children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories. They excitedly point to pictures in books and repeat familiar words. Older children begin to value what books are used for and learn the sequence of stories. Furthermore, children learn about letter sounds in their name. Children who speak English as an additional language are made to feel welcome at the nursery. Staff use familiar words in children's first language in their play. This

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need to do better?

helps children feel included. n Younger children spend long periods of time engrossed in messy play activities. They enjoy experiencing the textures of wet and dry rice. Children develop their early language skills as staff skilfully introduce new words into their play, for example 'wet', 'dry', 'soft', 'hard' and 'sticky'. Furthermore, children are supported well to develop their physical skills as they use spoons to scoop and pour the mixture into containers. Older children practise using their large-muscle skills as they build with blocks. n Overall, all children are provided with various opportunities to learn and develop independence. Babies are supported to begin to feed themselves. Toddlers independently make choices from easily accessible resources. However, this is not fully consistent across the whole nursery, in particular the pre-school rooms. At times, staff will step in quickly to complete tasks that are achievable to

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager ensures staff undertake regular safeguarding training and attend meetings to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff have a secure knowledge of signs and symptoms that may show a child is at risk of harm and the procedures to follow to raise their concerns. This includes procedures to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff. Risk assessment processes are effective. The manager and staff make careful checks throughout the day to ensure the areas of nursery used for children are always safe. The manager completes robust checks to ensure staff are suitable.

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should:

12 October 2022 n support staff to develop the already good-quality teaching, and to extend children's learning during the implementation of the curriculum, to the highest level n enhance opportunities for children to learn and develop their independence consistently across the nursery.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2634940 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 10243981 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 127 Number of children on roll 148 Name of registered person Oakhurst Guardian Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 02083046285 Date of previous inspection 26 April 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath registered in 2021. The nursery is located within the London Borough of Bexley. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. There are 34 staff members who work at the nursery. Of these, 21 hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 and above. This includes the manager who holds a qualification at level 7. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Nicky Chambers Claire Boparai

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspectors talked to staff and children at convenient times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and the inspectors carried out a joint observation during a planned activity. n Parents shared their views with the inspectors. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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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

12 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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