Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School Yeovil

Inspection of Yew Tree Nursery And Preschool 25 Forest Hill, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2PG

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Overall, children behave well, feel secure and enjoy their learning. For example, older children independently use trial and error to complete jigsaw puzzles. Toddlers happily look at books with their friends and successfully build friendships. Staff help babies to explore and be inquisitive. Older girls and boys enthusiastically use water and brushes to start forming letters in their name. Staff help two-year- olds to construct a road and add small-world people, which prompts a discussion about pilots, helping children to recall their own experiences. Older children develop concentration and learn to listen to others as they begin to engage well in stories. They have good opportunities to ask and answer questions and extend their imagination. Staff provide good support for children learning English as an additional language, to ensure all children have good-quality learning experiences. Parents do not enter the setting as frequently as they did before the COVID-19

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The provision is good

pandemic. However, they are very positive about the provision. Parents comment on how well staff share information with them and find out about their children's care and learning needs.

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need to do better?

n The manager has recently returned from maternity leave. She is already making a positive difference to the quality of the provision. The manager and the provider are focusing on staff well-being as they know the impact this can have on their motivation and the children. The manager has started with staff supervisions to provide support and identify their professional development needs. She ensures training, such as Talk Boost, has a positive impact on children's development. n Staff know what children can do and plan well for what they need to learn next. For example, children concentrate hard on items that float and sink, and on learning to use scissors. However, this is not as effective for babies' outdoor play. Although the curriculum intent is for babies to have daily outdoor learning, such as sensory experiences, staff do not always ensure that the environment enables them to successfully implement their plans.

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need to do better?

n The manager is proactive in ensuring parents and children receive all the help they need when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She has recently reviewed their needs and contacted outside agencies to get additional funding and support, as well as training for staff. The manager provides hands-on support for staff and ensures children's individual learning plans are implemented successfully so they quickly catch up. n Children develop safe and healthy practices. For example, they learn to use the large slide independently, and know to use scissors at the table and which way to hold them. The manager has re-instated forest school for all ages, to enable children to manage age-appropriate risks. Children independently brush their

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need to do better?

12 October 2022 teeth and learn about oral hygiene. Staff meet the care needs of babies and toddlers effectively. n Staff know their key children well. They help them to be independent from being babies, and confident to try new experiences and persevere with new skills. However, on occasions, when key persons are not present, not all staff are secure in knowing children's individual learning needs, to help them focus on children's specific learning and development. n Partnerships with parents and outside agencies are a strength of the setting. Parents confirm that they know what staff are supporting their children with next, so they can be consistent with helping them at home. From initiatives such as Hungry Minds, the manager sends out activity ideas for all ages. Parents confirm that their children are making very good progress in their communication and language skills, especially those with SEND.

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need to do better?

n Members of the management team are using effective systems to evaluate the provision, including seeking parents' views. For example, they are improving the sensory room for toddlers and the woodwork area for children to practise skills they learn at forest school. The acting deputy has introduced 'book of the week' to develop children's love of books and support their development further. However, sometimes, staff do not use all opportunities to challenge and extend children's mathematical development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider and manager ensure that all staff have training in all aspects of safeguarding children. They use team meetings and supervisions to help staff embed their knowledge. The managers and staff have a secure understanding of the signs to be aware of and the procedures to follow if they have concerns that a child may be at risk of harm. The manager has recently reviewed the risk assessments according to the needs of their current cohort of children. As a result, she has taken action to remove the stone path to replace it with a sensory path instead. The management team ensures ratios are met within the setting and deploys staff effectively to keep children safe.

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should:

n support staff in ensuring the planning for babies' outdoor learning is implemented successfully n help staff covering a key person's absence to know children's next stages of learning, so that they can provide high-quality contributions to the curriculum intent n focus staff training on supporting children's mathematical development further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY487222 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10257382 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 45 Number of children on roll 122 Name of registered person Yew Tree Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01935 471717 Date of previous inspection 6 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Yew Tree Nursery And Preschool registered in 2015. It is located in Yeovil, Somerset. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The provider employs 17 members of staff, including the cook. Of these, the manager holds early years teacher status, two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 4, five hold level 3, and three hold level 2.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager led the inspector on a walk around the setting to discuss their curriculum and the safety of the premises. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager on a planned activity with pre-school children, to discuss the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning. n The inspector observed the quality of education, spoke with staff, and assessed the effectiveness of safeguarding and care procedures. n The inspector held a leadership and management discussion with the provider, the manager and the acting-deputy, and sampled documentation. n The inspector spoke with some parents and children at the inspection and took account of their views.

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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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