Portico at Moss Bank

Inspection of Portico at Moss Bank Moss Bank Children's Centre, Kentmere Avenue, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 7PQ

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children thrive at this inspirational and happy nursery. They come in smiling, greeting the staff with a cheerful 'good morning' and eager to start their day. Children come together to have a social breakfast, serving themselves from a range of healthy foods and confidently chatting to staff and each other.

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The provision is outstanding

Babies are smiley, happy and very relaxed as they confidently explore their surroundings. They enjoy lots of cuddles and one-to-one warm interactions with their key person. They clearly feel nurtured and secure. Babies chuckle as they use chalks and crayons to draw on a huge piece of paper. They are supported to develop their core muscles and coordination skills exceptionally well, as they stretch and reach for the paper and crayons. Older children in the room wait in excited anticipation for their sing and sign session to start. They listen intently, and patiently wait for their turn to choose a rhyming song. They all laugh, clap and join in, expertly using signs to support the singing. This supports the rapid development of children's language and communication skills, especially their early literacy skills.

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The provision is outstanding

Older children choose to work cooperatively in the water tray to fill a bottle with water using a funnel. They are engrossed as one child holds the funnel and bottle and their friends carefully scoop up cups of water to tip in. This takes quite a while, but they are determined to fill the bottle, and exclaim in delight as the water reaches the top. Children are highly motivated in their learning and are prepared to continue to try hard even when something is difficult.

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need to do better?

n Staff have a very clear shared understanding about what they want every child to learn. Assessment is used highly effectively to identify what children know and can do, and what their next steps are. This is demonstrated when children make pretend cakes with play dough. They carefully roll and shape the dough and count out four candles for their birthday. Staff skilfully use the activity to develop the children's language, asking a range of different and sharply focused questions to develop the learning of every child. This ensures that all children make the very best progress. n Leaders and managers are passionate about all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieving their maximum potential. They are determined to get the very best additional support for children with SEND. They make timely referrals and work proactively with a range of agencies. This ensures that all children are very well supported and

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need to do better?

make rapid progress. Parents talk with pride about how their children have thrived since starting to attend the nursery and how their behaviour, language and social skills in particular, have developed tremendously well.

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need to do better?

7 October 2022 n Children behave exceptionally well. They are polite, kind and patient and demonstrate high levels of self-control and independence. They serve themselves from dishes of appetising chicken and rice and wait patiently until everyone has their food before they start to eat. Staff seize every opportunity to promote children's learning; they talk with the children about making healthy choices and introduce advanced new vocabulary such as 'carbohydrate'. n Children have tremendous fun playing outside, developing in an extensive range of skills. They choose from a challenging range of equipment and scream in delight as they run and play in the wooded area. Their coordination and physical skills are very well developed as they dart in and around the trees, negotiating space and changing speed. n Staff expertly support pre-school children and toddlers to explore and develop their imagination and role play ideas outside. They stamp around and swish

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need to do better?

through pretend grass, pretending to be on a hunt for bears, and follow a recipe for 'stick stew' in the mud kitchen. These opportunities greatly promote children's language and physical skills and their expressive imagination. n Staff are very well supported in their professional development through regular observations of practice and precise and high-quality feedback from leaders and managers. This informs staff appraisal and identifies further areas of training. Staff work exceptionally well as a team and are keen to learn from each other. For example, one staff member who is skilled in Makaton signing is delivering training to the rest of the team. This ensures that the excellent quality of teaching continues to strengthen and improve. n Parents are full of praise for the nursery and staff. They feel well informed about their child's progress and how they can continue the learning at home. They are

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need to do better?

highly appreciative of the work of the nursery team, saying that, 'They have all the time in the world for the whole family.' The nursery team continues to be a much-valued source of support and advice for parents, even after their children have moved on to school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety is paramount at this nursery. All staff are knowledgeable and confident about identifying when a child may be at risk of harm and know how to report any concerns. Policies and procedures are robust and well embedded throughout the nursery. Staff and managers actively work with families and other agencies to ensure that early intervention happens promptly. Leaders and managers follow robust safer recruitment practices to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. New staff receive a comprehensive induction before they start, to enable them to understand their role and responsibilities. Staff carry out daily risk assessments, which ensures that the premises are safe and secure.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY384275 Local authority St Helens Inspection number 10233736 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 66 Number of children on roll 51 Name of registered person Portico Day Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01744 672026 Date of previous inspection 20 February 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Portico at Moss Bank registered in 2008 and is located in St Helens. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am 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 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 area manager, manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. 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 inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in 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

7 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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