Saplings Nursery

Inspection of Saplings Nursery Waltham Hall Cottage, Bambers Green, Takeley, Bishop's Stortford, Essex CM22 6PF

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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 are happy to attend this nursery and display a positive attitude to learning. Children know the setting's established routines and form strong relationships with staff, who in turn support their emotional well-being, self-esteem and resilience. Children navigate with ease and confidence around the nursery, choosing activities that spark their curiosity and excitement. Babies explore a wide range of resources that promote their gross motor skills. They enjoy bouncing on small trampolines and learn to balance as they walk across beams with the help and support of staff.

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The provision is good

Children display a great sense of discovery and exploration. For example, they excitedly dig in mud, using tools with good control, to look for bugs. Children then use their knowledge and past experience to talk to their peers and staff about the bugs they find.

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The provision is good

Children across all age groups enjoy books and develop a passion for reading. They choose their favourite stories to listen to at circle time and maintain their concentration throughout. In addition, children enjoy singing familiar nursery rhymes, using props and actions. Staff support children's fine motor skills through fun and exciting activities with play dough. They encourage children to explore the play dough independently and teach new concepts, such as rolling, cutting and stretching.

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need to do better?

n Children have access to a wide array of meaningful activities, organised in separate rooms. This includes a very well-equipped room for supervised physical activities, including a climbing wall. Children enjoy new experiences and good opportunities to develop their growing physical skills, such as balance and coordination. n Children behave well and follow staff's instructions to stay safe. All children share and take turns with ease, showing good understanding of boundaries. Children are developing their independence. For example, they cut up their own food at lunchtime and pour their own drink with confidence. n The key-person system is effective and implemented well across the nursery. For example, younger babies spend quality time with their key person when they arrive in the morning. This helps to strengthen their bond and settle with ease. n Staff have good knowledge and understanding of children's learning. They

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need to do better?

understand what children need to learn next and use information from their observations of children to guide their planning. However, occasionally, staff do not identify when children need more challenge to extend their learning further. n Children have good opportunities to learn about nature and the world around

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need to do better?

6 September 2022 them. They have access to a large outdoor space, including a vegetable patch, where they help to look after animals, such as chickens, guinea pigs and snails. Children are inquisitive and eagerly dig in the mud. They fill and empty buckets with sand and look for bugs in the forest school provision. n Staff support the children to consolidate their prior knowledge and experience by encouraging them to remember what they already know, and they then build on this knowledge. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with the children about what happened the day before or earlier on in the day. However, at times, staff do not engage all children in challenging conversations, particularly the younger children, to develop their communication and language skills to a high level. n Leaders have a strong vision for their nursery. They aim to be a benchmark within their community and to support other childcare providers. Leaders reflect

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need to do better?

continuously on their practice and always strive for better. They are inclusive and value their team's well-being and professional growth. Leaders organise regular meetings to nurture and mentor new team members, while including the whole team in developing an effective curriculum for the nursery. n Partnership with parents is effective. Parents comment on how inclusive and supportive leaders and staff are. For example, parents praise how well staff support children's emotional well-being and how effective the overall communication is.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, including wider aspects such as the 'Prevent' duty. There is a robust induction process in place to ensure all staff members complete regular and relevant training to keep the safeguarding knowledge current and up to date. Staff have deep knowledge and understanding on how to deal with disclosures and referrals to relevant professionals, to protect children from harm. Furthermore, staff carry out regular and thorough risk assessments to ensure the rooms and garden are safe. This helps to assure children's safety and welfare.

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should:

n strengthen the quality of teaching to provide further challenge that extends children's learning n help staff to develop their knowledge of how to consistently support younger children's communication and language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2563298 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10250235 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 82 Number of children on roll 79 Name of registered person Davies, Linda Ann

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reference number

Telephone number 01279 851998 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Saplings Nursery was established in 2007 and re-registered in 2019. It operates from premises located in Bambers Green, Takeley. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. The nursery employs 29 staff, 24 of whom are childcare staff. Of these, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. 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 provision. n The provider and the inspector completed a learning walk together. They discussed how the curriculum is organised and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and education, outdoors and indoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with the staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n Children spoke with the inspector about the activities they were doing. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school room leader. n The inspector held a meeting with the provider, manager and room leaders. She looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of the

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Inspection activities

staff working at the nursery. n Parents spoke about the nursery to the inspector, who 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

6 September 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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